German eco-fashion e-boutique Glore is opening a pop-up concept store in Berlin for the months of July and August.

Doors open on Thursday. Then you can browse coveted but hard-to-find European designers like Katharine Hamnett, Fin, Fairliebt, and Stewart+Brown. And of course, that modern German aesthetic is reflected in the cool all-white store design.

The deets (yes, they’re in German but oddly easy to understand):

@ belleville store
Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 27
10178 Berlin
fon: 030-24628371
Öffnungszeiten: Juli + August 2009 // Mo – Sa 12 – 20 Uhr

Stop in if you’re local or traveling in Europe this summer!

(via Shrip on Twitter)

There’s no time like the summer to hit the pavement and go running, but the first thing you need is a properly fitted pair of workout shoes.

Only problem is, the average pair of running shoes gives the right amount of support for 350 to 500 miles before the cushioning breaks down and puts you at risk for joint injuries. Depending on how often and far you run, that probably means you get only a few months of use before you have to replace them.

Nike is well aware of the potential landfill impact that worn-out gym shoes have, which is why the company instituted its Reuse-A-Shoe program. Since 1990, Nike has collected and recycled more than 24 million pairs of sneakers, turning old rubber into Nike Grind, a versatile compound reused in new soles for a selection of Nike’s gym shoes and to resurface athletic courts.

Have a pair you want to donate? Visit any Nike retail location to make your deposit in a Reuse-A-Shoe receptacle. (You can also mail them in.) Civic minded? Get involved in a group shoe drive.

Most consumers today don’t remember what it’s like to have great customer service come standard in the shopping experience. But such is the price of keeping costs down.

Accessories company Ban.Do wants to change that. Its handmade works of art defy pigeonholing but like high-fashion cat toys, we are totally captivated by these confections of silk and feathers. 

The Heart by Ban.Do collection comprises its affordable offerings, with everything under $50. And the top-of-the-line Black Label features vintage materials sourced from around the world and comes with a personalized (and handwritten) haiku. Seriously!

Brides should check out the wedding section and the corsages are worth a peek. Because sometimes an outfit just calls for a huge silk flower pin.

Vintage Feathery Fantastic Fascinator, $225 at ShopBando.com.

Almost a week into summer and we already feel like we have nothing to wear. Etsy seller GaiaConceptions to the rescue!

She hits all the right marks: natural plant dyes, sustainable textiles like hemp and organic cotton, handmade in North Carolina, and a made-to-order fit.

We especially like this drawstring skirt where you can adjust the length with the pull of a cord. (Perfect for wearing longer in the air-conditioned movie theatre, and shorter at the beach!)

It comes in fourteen rich colors and sizes from U.S. women’s 2 to 18, with international shipping available.

We owe Gaia some gratitude for solving our wardrobe crisis!

GaiaConceptions Short Drawstring Skirt, $65 at Etsy.com.

“Cellophane, nylon, a wrinkleproof suit — and the H-bomb.”

TIME magazine cover from April 1951. That’s Crawford Greenwalt, President of DuPont.

For a junkie of Cold War and fashion history, Jane Pavitt’s book Fear and Fashion in the Cold War is about as good as it gets. This TIME cover is one of its many awesome archival images. (Click here to see more in E.S. #17)

Synthetics are always a hot topic in eco-fashion. Did you know that nylon, lycra, tyvek, and many others were created by DuPont? E.S. has a small vintage Vogue archive, and there are a lot of DuPont ads in the 1960s issues. They look like regular fashion ads with a simple DuPont logo in the bottom corner. 

Anyway. It’s interesting how the Cold War obsession with technology and efficiency became counterproductive in many ways. Like synthetics, as Pavitt explains:

One of the defining characteristics of the new synthetics was their expendability: new materials that could be simply used up and thrown away were seen as benefits to a modern and efficient society.

Seems like we have yet to recover, doesn’t it? But it’s worth noting the ’60s was also the era of disposable fashion (paper dresses in that late ’60s photo were Paco Rabanne, FYI). So at least we’ve gotten past that idea.

To paraphrase Woody Allen, the fashion industry is like a shark: It has to move forward or else it will die. And there’s nothing less glamorous than a dead shark.

Luckily, it’s an industry full of visionaries. And that’s why we dedicated the new issue of Ethical Style to the future. Take a minute and read up on:

• The hottest trends for summer, as brought to you by MyGreenLipstick.com’s Naomi Chappell.
• A review of ethical jewelry company Alex and Ani’s new Tree of Life bangle, which is raising money for social causes near and dear to the head designer’s heart.
• A peek at what the most successful fashion brands are doing to stay afloat in a troubled economy.
• The fascinating world of functional fashion.
• A round-up of links about the future of eco-fashion.

You may remember we have a soft spot for Decades, the Los Angeles vintage treasure trove that made us feel like a kid in a really expensive candy shop.

Its downstairs consignment shop, Decadestwo, has a similar luxe concept but with more modern finds. And lucky for Angelenos available on Saturday morning, the dealhunters at Daily Candy report they’re having a blowout sale on some seriously recognizable brands:

Decadestwo Shoe Blowout
What: For one day only more than 500 shoes from Louboutin, Alaïa, Lanvin, and so many others will be 50 percent off. 
Why: We saved your place — first twenty to e-mail rsvp@decadestwo.com will be at the head of the line. 
When: Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: 8214 Melrose Ave., b/t N. Harper & N. La Jolla Aves., West Hollywood (323-655-1960‎).

This isn’t your grandma’s version of thrift shopping!

The June event of Chicago’s Fashion Cafe seminar series at the Cultural Center focused on sustainable fashion, showcasing a variety of approaches to producing a green wardrobe.

Almost all of the pieces were produced locally by Chicago designers. Elise Bergman showed off her line of hand-dyed organic dresses, including her signature Multi-Wrap, a versatile dress that can be worn a dozen different ways.

Brian Mclamore, a designer turned vintage junkie, shared his skills in reconstructing vintage pieces from the 1930s through the 1970s collected from estate sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops.

Jeweler Julia Failey was on hand to discuss deoxidized sterling silver, a metal that is alloyed with tarnish-resistant tin instead of copper to make for easier recycling.

This was the only Fashion Cafe event focusing exclusively on the sustainable sector, but the topic for the next expo in August is children’s clothes.

Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn of Loomstate and jewelry designer Jill Platner are collaborating on a pop-up shop in New York City this summer.

Carrying limited-edition handmade jewelry and eco-friendly tees for both men and women, the shop also offers a unique spin on sustainable fashion: gold recycling. Customers who bring in unwanted gold jewelry will receive store credit worth the going rate for gold (after a handling fee); the donated metal will be melted down and recycled into Jill Platner’s next collection. Win-win, right?

As Ms. Platner tells Time Out New York:

“You can get something new without spending anything,” says Platner. “It’s about the economy, the environment, recycling, cleaning out your closet — all good feelings.”

Check out the pop-up shop at 113 Crosby Street (between E Houston and Prince Streets in Manhattan) from now through the end of the summer.

19-Karat “Green Gold” Stud Earrings, $423 to $740 at JillPlatner.com.

Orli from the Sundance Channel gave us a heads up about a television show airing tonight that might be of interest for E.S. readers.

This week’s episode of The Lazy Environmentalist has host Josh Dorfman working with a fashion stylist to the stars to design an eco-friendly wardrobe that doesn’t skimp on style. You can watch a preview above.

The Lazy Environmentalist airs Tuesdays at 9. Tune in!