Profile | Taraluna

Taraluna believes in "changing the world one purchase at a time". All products featured on its website are ethically made and fair trade, comprised strictly of organic/natural materials.

The family-run business sells a variety of organic, fair trade teas, chocolates and household items. I'm quite taken with their bag collection - specifically - their eco shopping totes, made from locally grown organic cotten and tinted with natural dyes. They're a steal at $12.oo each!

Oh la la

In a couple of weeks I'll be jetting off to Paris, so I've got Hermes on the mind. I am in love with the gorgeous vintage scarves featured on Rennart. I'm hoping to score a scarf of my own during my travels ... will keep you posted.

Sparkly

As pretty as they may be, the diamond industry can wreak havoc on the environment - socially and sustainably. "Blood" or "conflict" diamonds - i.e. diamonds mined in war-torn countries under dictatorships - have been known to finance devastating wars in countries like Sierra Leone and Nigeria and are harvested in abusive, slave-like conditions.

All of this for a stone which, despite its ridiculous industry mark-up, isn't "rare" or "valuable" in the slightest - in fact, diamonds are incredibly common.

The gold that encases diamond jewelry is no better: mining the resource is horrible for the environment and perhaps, a bit needless. According to the book the "Big Green Purse" , there is already enough mined gold on the planet to satisfy the need for the next 50 years, in the form of broken and discarded jewelry.

Here are some sustainable diamond alternatives:

-- DIAZ only uses conflict-free, ethical diamonds.
-- MiaDonna creates simulated diamonds in a lab for a fraction of the cost of mined diamonds. The products are also sustainable.
-- Brilliant Earth creates sonflict free Canadian diamond jewelry. Their high quality natural diamonds are an ethical choice as the are "untarnished by wars, human rights violations and terrorism".

If you want a natural diamond opt for one that has been mined in Canada, where the human rights of the workers are respected.

Stella McCartney 2011 Resort RTW

Here are a few of my favourites from Stella McCartney's 2011 Resort RTW collection, which made its debut in June in NYC. Fifteen percent of the collection is made of organic fabrics, and her handbags and shoes are leather free.

Click here to see more photos.

Faux

While the term "vegan leather" may be a bit of an oxymoron, creulty-free leather alternatives for purses, shoes and even coats are popping up all over the place.

- Canadian-based company Matt and Nat makes a battery of gorgeous purses using 100% vegan materials. Pictured: Matt and Nat red vegan "Hendrix" bag

- Vegan line Cherry Berry uses only top quality synthetic leathers and other innovative materials to create their stunning handbags.

- Alpine Stars carries a variety of vegan jackets, like this "f1" style in burnt orange.

- I adore Madden Girl's vegan shoe line, especially these "Castillo" pumps in taupe.

Under my Umbrella

I own about a dozen umbrellas at the moment, collected during various rainstorms -- I have a habit of getting stuck outside when the skies open up, sans umbrella. Neseccary as they may be, most umbrellas aren't exactly earth-friendly. Many of them are a nightmare to recycle - even the plastic-based ones - because they're often made from materials that are difficult to reuse and decompose. Fortunatley umbrella makers are (slowly) starting to gain an eco-conscious. Here are three beautiful, earth friendly eco-brellas:

- I love the look of the Brelli, which happens to be the world's first (and only) biodegradable umbrella.

- This bright and beautiful umbrella from Crate & Barrel is made from 100% recyclable and sustainable materials.

- UK brand Radley makes absolutely stunning umbrellas from recycled bottles, believe it or not. Pay attention when purchasing Radley products, though, because not all of their line is recycled. At present none of the umbrellas available online are made of recycled materials. Contact the company to find out where you can purchase their sustainable products.