Do-Good Designs
By Ashley Breeding | December 08, 2011 2:44 PM
An O.C. surf company is reshaping the meaning of the “season of giving” this winter by dedicating its wish lists to the needy. As part of its Give Back Series, Volcom is launching two charitable campaigns. In one, artist Calvin Saxton (better known as Kid Creature) and Volcom Art Loft will donate proceeds from three T-shirt designs to Pipeline to a Cure, a program that raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (volcom.com/kidcreature). “The campaign was created upon the discovery that adults and children with CF who surfed had significantly healthier lungs,” says Derek Sabori, director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility at Volcom. “Buy a hat; change a life” is the motto at Krochet Kids international (KKi), an O.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to rise above poverty. Volcom has teamed with KKi to create a line of T-shirts and hats handmade by a group of 87 women in Uganda (volcom.com/kk). “Through sustained employment, fair wages and education, these women are being given the tools to break the cycle of poverty within their communities by providing for themselves and their families,” Derek says.
Areo
Shell-Shacked
Nothing says “coastal classic” décor quite like seashells, but as we evolve into a more environmentally conscious era, the times of collecting—or purchasing—these precious gifts from nature have ebbed. “Shells are either used by other animals for homes or break down and become sand, and are therefore an important part of a coastal environment,” says Winter Bonnin, a California State Park ranger in Newport Beach who encourages everyone to abide by the “leave no trace” environmental ethic. Many décor store buyers are climbing aboard the eco ship and replacing sea souvenirs with synthetic shell replicas made of materials like bisque porcelain, ceramic and cast iron, which make great decorative elements for coffee tables and floor baskets as well as bookshelves, mantels and other high places.
Salvage Design
Everything Old is New Again
Another eco-minded indie shopping center is budding in Costa Mesa, making O.C.’s designer brand shopping destination feel more like Portland’s Pearl District. Following the lead of The Lab and The Camp, which have been flourishing for many years, the new OC Mart Mix at South Coast Collection boasts an array of earth-friendly goods from a bevy of brilliant creative types. Modeled after San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace, the mart houses some 25 local designers and vendors who gather beneath its reclaimed roof to sell one-of-a-kind merchandise, ranging from organic home furnishings to vintage fashion and jewelry to handcrafted stationery to chocolates, cheese and other culinary delights. 3313 Hyland Ave.; theocmartmix.com
