A Fresh, Minty Reminder

The fall style challenge & round-up deadline is looming, my fair friends. This is my fall color mood...what's yours?

My fair item is a bracelet made of sustainable materials by Mango Tree, and my inspiration is the Hint of Mint color mood board by Aaryn West (shown above).

Send me your outfit photo or style collage before midnight on Thursday, November 1st and you could be featured here on Fair Vanity (all entry details here, please read carefully).

Once you submit, don't forget to follow me on bloglovin' or like Fair Vanity on facebook to ensure you see when you're featured!

Photography by Victoria Corkhill. 

What's Your Fall Color Mood? See Your Style on Fair Vanity

On Sunday, I posted an homage to Aaryn West's inspirational color mood boards, then invited all of you lovely people to share your fall color moods and be featured here on Fair Vanity.

Well lo and behold, Ms. Aaryn West herself sent me over a little surprise, and of course I couldn't wait to share it with you. Her look is inspired by the Primary Agenda Monday Color Mood. And who better to give an example of how to enter than Aaryn herself?  Now it's an official Aaryn West/ Fair Vanity collaboration!

Aaryn resides in sunny Los Angeles, CA, and you can see that California spirit come through in her easy, colorful style. Aaryn also did me a major prop and made her whole outfit super Fair!

• T-shirt is made in the USA by Daydreamer L.A. (graphic by Aaryn West, of course)
• Skirt is thrifted vintage
• Necklace is handmade by Found (Aaryn makes jewelry for fun outside of her design studio)
• Bag is a hand me down by Kay West and is made in the USA

***Remember, to enter this style challenge, you only have to include ONE fair item in your collage or outfit photo (something vintage, borrowed, organic, vegan, made in the USA, fair trade, etc.), and mention which color mood goes with or inspired your ensemble.

The most important thing to remember is to make your image 640 pixels wide  (max 853 px tall) and to send it to fairvanitydc (at) gmail [dot] com by November 1st. I won't be able to feature your photo or collage and link to your lovely web site if the image is the wrong size, and I would very much like to share your style!

A Hint of Mint at The Smithsonian American Art Museum

One of my favorite museums in DC is the American Art Museum. First of all, it's like two in one because it's also the National Portrait Gallery. Secondly, it has a beautiful new courtyard thanks to the Kogod family, and too many exhibits to ever get through in one day.

It also happened to match my outfit on Saturday, which was inspired by pattern-playa Aaryn West. I love seeing her color mood boards pop up in my facebook feed each Monday morning, and I think many of my outfits have been unconsciously influenced by the pretty colors she puts together. So yesterday, I decided to make it official with an homage to Aaryn's Hint of Mint color mood.

Mint sometimes feels more spring or summery, but when you pair it with warm camel and browns, and creamy winter whites, it starts to move into the fall feeling, methinks.

Here's how to get today's look fairly:

• White bracelet is fair trade and made from palm leaves
• Woods bracelet is handmade using mango wood, which is sustainably grown.
• Pullover is made using organic and recycled threads by Alternative Apparel
• Jeans are made in the USA and ON SALE NOW by Current/Elliott
• Ballet flats are vegan
• Cardigan is Organic by John Patrick

All photography by Victoria Corkhill.
Linked up with Monday Bloom.

Style Challenge Recap and Giveaway Winner Announced

Tuesday Trend: Arm Candy

All bracelets by Indego Africa

The Tuesday Trend is a new feature and I'm really excited to be kicking it off with such a worthy company. Also, I thought it might inspire some of you bracelet-lovers to enter the giveaway and win some new, handmade arm candy from a local DC artist (deadline July 23).

Indego Africa truly is, in their own words, "redefining an outdated handicraft model of economic development and mapping out a replicable blueprint for unleashing the power of women entrepreneurs in Africa." What's more, they are a trendy company, partnering with big name brands like Nicole Miller, J Crew, and Anthropologie, which increases their profile and accessibility for the average American consumer. Some people have negative feelings towards trends, but for me, anything that empowers consumers to make kinder, more conscious choices about their purchases without going out of their way to find a new store or change their regular habits is a positive thing.

Their model for success and empowerment is so comprehensive that I think it's worth outlining the whole thing, and you can learn more about it here:

• Indego Africa is an award-winning, design-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that lifts women-owned businesses in Rwanda toward sustainable economic independence through access to markets and education.
• Indego Africa partners with for-profit cooperatives of more than 400 women artisans in Rwanda and exports, markets, and sells their jewelry, accessories, and home decor (a) on its online store, (b) to more than 80 retail stores across the U.S. and Europe, and (c) at major brands like J.Crew and Nicole Miller through cutting-edge design collaborations.
• Indego Africa then pools its profits from sales with donations to fund training programs – developed internally from the ground up – for the same women in management and entrepreneurship, literacy, technology, and health.
• Indego Africa hires top Rwandan university students from socially-vulnerable backgrounds to administer its training programs.
• Indego Africa has offices in New York City and Rwanda and is managed by a lean and diverse team with extensive experience in development, business, design, law, commerce, fashion, and Africa.
• Indego Africa is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation and the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

If you're looking for inspiration before you enter the giveaway and style challenge, check out this collection for more delicious arm candy, and remember that only one of the bracelets in your entry has to be "fair" in order to enter. Good luck!

<This contest in now closed>

Style Challenge: A Wristful of Bracelets