I stumbled into my first class in Environmental Politics at SUNY/Buffalo in the Fall of 1975 and first went to work for the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1977, and if you told me back then that thirty years later they would replace pickles and blintzes with eco-fashion on the Lower East Side—I would have thought you were nuts. I also would not have had the slightest idea what an eco-fashion was.

Fortunately, Sara Schonhardt, a graduate student at Columbia University, joins me on this piece, and helps explain what it means to shop green.

It turns out that New York City is fast developing a green shopping district. To learn more about green commerce in New York City checkout the Green Apple Map.

Venture into many of the small shops between East Houston and Delancey and you’re likely to find a new world of environmentally friendly fare, from leather-less shoes to organic stockings to dairy-free cheesecake.

As Jill Fehrenbacher, a green-design consultant and graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, told us by e-mail: “I live in the lower east side, and I think my little neighborhood is the center of the universe for eco-friendly shopping. Within a three block radius we have three eco-friendly clothing boutiques – Kaight, Ekovaruhuset and Organic Avenue; a vegan shoe store, Moo Shoes; Whole Foods Market; and tons of vegetarian/vegan restaurants, including Teany, Tien Garden and Babycakes.”  read more »

Stella McCartney is Britain’s top fashion designer this year, or so say the judges at the British Fashion Awards last night in London. Ms. McCartney won top honors at the stylish celebration, held at Lawrence Hall in Westminster, but she had plenty of company in the evening’s other winners. This year also marked the first year that the Isabella Blow award for best fashion creator was bestowed; it is named, of course, for the mesmerizing English fashion muse who committed suicide last spring at the age of 48. Michael Howells was the recipient of that award, which was presented by Philip Treacy, the famed how-the-hell-does-that-thing-stay-on hat designer, and Ms. Blow’s widower, Detmar Blow, an art dealer. Mr. Howells is best known for the backdrops he creates for John Galliano and Christian Dior runway shows.

Find the rundown of other winners after the jump.  read more »

“I just want to see it all on you!” the designer Stella McCartney said excitedly as she picked through a rack of her wares, finding a delicate, sheer pink cardigan sweater ($935) for a client at her trunk show, which was co-hosted by the actress Liv Tyler, the model Helena Christensen and Jerry Seinfeld’s wife Jessica at Bergdorf Goodman on Thursday, May 3.  read more »

Now, fashionista friendly.

Now, Taconic Investment Partners has purchased the 60,000-square-foot development in the Meatpacking District, and has some big plans, according to a release.

Taconic has received approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for a complete renovation of the property, including a new 8,000-square-foot penthouse, which will also have approximately 4,000 square feet of terrace space. Taconic has hired architects Cook + Fox to manage this restoration.

Not surprisingly, Robert K. Futterman--who recently bought his own pied-a-terre nearby--was hired as the building's retail leasing agent.