Chalk it up to parallel evolution in a galaxy far, far away. As weird and wonderful as Star Wars’s menagerie of multi-species aliens and exotic xeno-fauna appear, few are as implausible as they might seem at first blush. As a matter of fact, several of those beasties have real-life counterparts on Earth, albeit with inflated,…
Author: jasmin
Vivobarefoot is Launching a Sneaker Made From Algae
Vivobarefoot, a London-based purveyor of so-called “barefoot” footwear, is going green in an altogether unexpected way. Together with Bloom, a materials innovation firm from San Diego, the company is poised to debut the world’s first molded shoe derived from algae. No, swamp couture hasn’t suddenly become en vogue. Rather, Bloom harvests biomass from ponds and…
‘Star Wars’! 40 Surprising Facts from a Galaxy Far, Far Away
On May 25, 1977, a director named George Lucas gave the world its first glimpse of a galaxy far, far away. Who knew that a space opera about a farm boy who befriends a wizard and a smuggler pirate, frees a princess and liberates a galaxy would spawn a multibillion-dollar franchise and cultural touchstone? Not…
High Fashion Meets Vintage NASA in New ‘Coach Space’ Collection
NASA is having a fashion moment. Or, perhaps more accurately, fashion is having a NASA moment. Hot on the heels of Chanel’s interstellar-themed fashion show—and mock rocket launch—in March, Coach is feting a cosmically inspired collection of its own. An ode to “American dreamers and explorers who believe that anything is possible,” the luxury brand’s…
Fashion Brands Let Their Sustainable Fabrics Tell a Story
Polyester, polyester everywhere, and not a stitch to savor? If cheap synthetic fabric blends currently dominate clothing racks, they may not be de rigueur for much longer. As Racked pointed out last month, growing calls for supply-chain transparency mean that materials are no longer the immaterial concerns they used to be. Call it a side…
C&A debuts World’s First Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold T-shirts
A Belgium-based chain of clothing stores has launched the world’s first Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold T-shirts. Available in two styles for women in up to 17 different colors, C&A’s tees mark the company’s first foray into apparel for the so-called “circular economy,” where products are designed to be reused or recycled rather than thrown…
The 20 Weirdest Aliens in the Marvel Universe
When Guardians of the Galaxy opened in theaters in 2014, it marked a distinct tonal shift in the way Marvel told its stories on the silver screen. Gone were the brooding heroes struggling to cope with the crushing onus of destiny. In their place, we got a motley crew of misfits and mercenaries who were…
NASA Eyeing ‘Chain Mail’ Fabric for Use in Space
To protect its spacecraft from the rigors of deep space, a team of NASA engineers is turning to a time-honored—and battle-proven—solution: chain mail. Led by Raul Polit Casillas, whose mother is a fashion designer in Spain, the group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a prototype fabric that puts an extraterrestrial spin on the…
From Marketing Ploy to Mainstream Players, Sustainable Fabrics Come Into Their Own
Feel free to leave your quips about hemp-clad hippies at the door: If sustainable fashion is still viewed as a niche product, it won’t be for much longer. Once the purview of independent designers, “green” clothing has muscled into the mainstream. There are the industry North Stars who have made tackling fashion’s less telegenic issues…
Responsible Sourcing Gets Buttoned up With Sustainable Findings
Fabric. Fabric. Fabric. If textiles are the Marcia Brady of the garment industry, then buttons, zippers, fasteners, and trims are the Jan. They may not be sexy, but they’re certainly indispensable. Divested of zippers, coats would be ineffectual buffers against the cold. Without buttons, pants would puddle on the floor. If hooks and eyes suddenly…
Greenpeace Reveals the Most—And Least—Eco-Friendly Fashion Brands
Even seasoned models have been known to take a spill or two on the runway. We’re only human, after all. For the fashion brands behind them, however, the onus not to stumble weighs a little heavier. With Greenpeace’s 2020 “Detox” deadline fast approaching, the environmental group decided to check in on 19 of the companies…
Statue of Liberty Goes Dark Before a ‘Day Without a Woman’
Hours before a “Day Without a Woman,” Lady Liberty went on strike, though not, as it were, on purpose. Around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, the spotlights that usually illuminate the Statue of Liberty suddenly fizzled out, leaving only the New York City icon’s torch and crown gleaming in the darkness. Social media immediately lit…