Katharine Hamnett has been one of the most influential green designers since the 1980s when she first plotted the green cotton revolution. She’s truly the stuff of fashion legends.

And in keeping with her signature slogan tees, she’s designed an exclusive beachwear line for online designer boutique Yoox.com.

According to the press materials:

The eco-friendly capsule collection is made up of 14 exclusive pieces featuring the slogan “SAVE THE SEA”. Each item has been made from renewable fabrics, organic cotton and recycled polyester, in the utmost respect for the environment and the sea.

“I called this collection SAVE THE SEA, as the sea we all love is dying. It’s important as consumers and people with the power to vote to be aware of the facts so we can do whatever is save it.” — Katharine Hamnett

She’s offering beachwear and accessories for both men and women. Check out the whole collection here.

You all know by know that we’re fans of Brilliant Earth’s work to support sustainable and responsible jewelry making. Now the company is working to fight the horrifying consequences of the blood diamond trade in Zimbabwe — but they want your help.

Danielle from BrilliantEarth.com writes us:

Several years ago, following the global outcry against blood diamonds that led to the KP, Brilliant Earth was founded to pioneer a new way of doing business in the jewelry industry. Our idea was simple: to offer high-quality jewelry that is ethical and beneficial for all involved. As a retailer, we feel passionate about—and even responsible for—creating a more humane diamond industry.

To further our consumer educational campaigns, we have launched a petition on Change.org to give individuals an easy and effective way to add their voice to the call for Kimberley Process reform. To show our support and encourage consumer action, we will donate a dollar to communities harmed by the jewelry trade for every new signature up to $10,000!

Read the company’s Blood Diamonds Fact Sheet to bone up on recent developments in the trade of conflict gems first. Because only you can decide whether this is a cause you believe in.

Service Systems Associates (SSA), which operates gift shops in 28 zoos, aquariums, and museums across the country, has joined SeaWeb’s Too Precious to Wear Campaign, which seeks to end the use of endangered coral in fashion. Previously, coral jewelry could be found in SSA’s gift shops in 17 city zoos as well as the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hermann Park Conservancy, Pretend City Children’s Museum, and the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa.

According to a SeaWeb press release:

“SSA is committed to sustainability in every aspect of its operations, especially in the products we provide to consumers,” said Kevin McNicholas, president of SSA. “Making sure that real coral is left where it belongs—in the ocean—and not in our stores is important to us. We are proud to join forces with SeaWeb to raise awareness about threats facing corals and let customers know what they can do to help protect them.”

Others companies that have signed the pledge include Tiffany & Co., Lilly Pulitzer, Pottery Barn, Lela Rose, and Chantecaille.

Congrats to SeaWeb on its latest victory!

The protestor held up a sign that read “Australia Stop Mulesing Now,” gave a two-minute speech, and left peaceably.

The response to the one-woman protest was mixed, according to the Rural Press. Conference-goers felt the small showing meant anti-mulesing efforts are losing traction, but PETA insists that is not the case.

[W]hen Rural Press contacted PETA and asked if they felt they were losing support for their campaign against surgical mulesing, Ashley Fruno, Senior Campaigner PETA Asia-Pacific, denied it was.

Instead, Mr Fruno insisted that its protest in Paris was “very successful.”

“The activists didn’t expect to get in, but we were thrilled that they were able to and give such a long speech, as well as speak to many people afterwards,” Mr Fruno said.

Catch up on the mulesing debate here.

The all-day event will feature 50 green businesses and experts to help you make long-lasting changes to your carbon footprint — not just in the fashion and beauty arenas, but in your home and lifestyle as well.

Speakers include Rebecca Harrell Tickell, author of the book Hot, Rich and Green; Rachel Avalon, the 2009 winner of the Project Green Search modeling competition; Sophie Uliano, the woman behind Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life; and dozens more.

And here’s a great little extra: The event sponsors will be offering rides to attendees on an algae-fueled bus that picks up in Santa Monica.

Too cool!

Tickets to the expo are $50 and can be purchased here.

Harry Potter star and good planetary citizen Emma Watson has a new line of clothing out with British fair-trade powerhouse People Tree. And to celebrate the launch of the affordably priced collection (which can be browsed here), Ms. Watson sat down for a video series to empower young people to learn more about fashion ethics.

Says the winsome actress:

“It’s so important to know where our clothes are made. It’s rare to find clothes that are made in the states or England, for me. What fair trade is, is the workers [in other countries] who make our clothes are supported and given rights. Getting paid a fair price for what they do can mean a roof over their heads or sending their children to school.”

You can view Part 2 of the video chat here.

The letter reads:

“American retailers and brands take corporate social responsibility and ethical sourcing matters very seriously,” the letter states.

“At the same time, we understand that mulesing is a complex issue, and that finding an alternative would require a reasonable period of time to address.

“Thus, [Australian Wool Innovation's] decision to abandon the declaration and its internal problems this late in the game has left us in a very difficult position.

“Our companies cannot afford to put our credibility and brands at risk over disagreements regarding the propriety and effectiveness of particular animal-husbandry techniques, particularly at a time when apparel made from competing fabrics is on the rise in the US market.”

For a refresher on mulesing, check out our archives.

U.S. mink imports were down 30% in 2009 versus 2008, according to the fur trade journal Sandy Parker Reports. Demand for the alligator and crocodile hides used in handbags and boots dipped 40% worldwide from the first quarter of 2008 to the same quarter of 2009, according to the Associated Press. Late last year, the New York Times reported that the U.S. alligator farming business is tanking.

Numerous retailers, including H&M and Overstock.com, have stopped selling exotic skins, such as snake, lizard and ostrich. And designers such as Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have all pledged to stop using fur in their jackets, boots and handbags.

But what’s interesting is a contrasting article also in the L.A. Times that seems to point at the opposite conclusion, particularly among young stylesetters around the world:

But even a cursory glance at the fashion industry reveals that fur is still, for many, a hot commodity. And though furriers and the people who patronize them are less likely to shout their fur amour from the rooftops (it’s definitely not PC), selling, buying and wearing fur in the U.S. is still big business — $1.36 billion in 2008, according to the Fur Information Council of America. …

Counting all four major fashion cities — New York, Milan, Paris and London — there were more than 1,500 looks presented at the recent runway shows that included fur. That’s up from 385 from fall 2009, said Keith Kaplan, executive director for the Fur Information Council of America. “It was an unbelievable year for fur,” he added. “Young designers have come to feel and recognize that fur is a right of passage if you want to be a luxury brand.”

From where you sit, do you think the war on fur is winning or a lost cause?

For more ethical-fashion milestones, check out our new slideshow titled “Past, Present, Future.”

The question of “why?” is complex to answer. Programs like Origin Assured have resonated with consumers, reassuring them that their fur was humanely farmed.

And on the design side, a lot has changed. Some holdouts have always used fur (like Oscar de la Renta), but some PETA converts of the ’90s have since changed their minds (like Ralph Lauren) and young designers are increasingly accepting of the product (like Irina Shabayeva of Project Runway fame, whose F/W 2010 coat is pictured here).

The NYT reports:

Several of those designers are too young to remember the vicious battles over fur in the 1980s and ’90s, when a PETA member tossed a dead raccoon onto the plate of Anna Wintour while she was dining at the Four Seasons; another tossed a tofu cream pie in Mr. de la Renta’s face. But some remain sheepish on the subject. Thakoon Panichgul, for example, showed a coat in his fall collection with strips of fox bursting from the sleeves, but he declined to be interviewed for this article because of the controversy.

Others said they felt confident using fur after examining the chain of production and finding it humane.

“You see so much leather and shearling being used this season, and no one is complaining about that,” [designer Alexa] Adams said. “I don’t see the difference between using shearling and using fur.”

We know you have opinions. Share them in the comments section below.

Susie Orbach, the foremost British psychologist on issues of body image and author of the book Fat Is A Feminist Issue, has accused lingerie companies of misleading the public by hiring models who have had breast augmentations to pose in their goods:

“I have plenty of clinical evidence to show that surgically enhanced models create a situation in which young women and girls feel inadequate,” Ms Orbach said. “They begin to think about how they can get their breasts to look like the ones that they see on ads. They feel dispirited because even though they know these images don’t necessarily relate to ‘natural’ bodies, they appear to be the norm and they feel left out.”

This reminds us of the controversy over using false eyelashes in mascara commercials, an issue over which a Rimmel ad was banned in 2007. But let’s open it up to the commenters: Do you feel inadequate when looking at lingerie ads featuring models who have surgically enhanced their bustlines?