Alternative Apparel Blog

Keepin' it Raw with Harmless Harvest

It’s always enlightening to chat with someone who is really passionate about what they do. There’s something about the spark and enthusiasm that Harmless Harvest co-founder Justin Guilbert has that makes you automatically like his product, even if you’ve never tried it.

Brooklyn Butcher Blocks

The borough of Brooklyn breeds no shortage of artisans whose focus…some may call it obsession…is based on the art of craftsmanship, quality and sustainability. No matter the reasons for this renewed interest in artisan culture, it’s fostering a new appreciation for hand-worked home wares.

Brooklyn's Dekalb Market

We recently took a trip to Dekalb Market. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, this community of artists, crafts people, farmers and chefs is housed in a makeshift marketplace constructed out of salvaged shipping containers.

Alternative's Best of 2011

With the year coming to a close, we wanted to give our community a quick look into the past with our hand-picked list of the top 11 best Alternative moments of 2011. From fashion shows and events to charity partnerships and grand openings, these are our most memorable moments of the year.

11. Earlier this month, we launched our Abbot Kinney store’s T-Shirt Recycling Program benefiting Upward Bound House in efforts to eliminate homelessness in California.

10. In March, our PR team went on the road to Austin, Texas for SXSW to promote the brand and share in all the fun. We hosted the Alternative Lounge and served as the go-to spot for VH1 interviews with popular artists like Foster the People, Duran Duran, Dirty Vegas and Moby.

9. In April, we introduced a year-long partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and designed the Alternative Pink Ribbon collection which gives 10% of retail price to benefit breast cancer with a minimum $25,000 donation.

Alternative at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2011

Alternative was delighted to once again serve as the official t-shirt sponsor for one of the fashion industry's top events: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York!  During the event, volunteers and workers wore specially designed Fashion Week tees that were printed on Alternative's own super soft apparel.  But we didn't stop there!  In and out of top designers' Spring 2012 runway collections, our PR Director Molly Raney caught some Fashion Week attendees wearing their own favorite Alternative pieces in the shows and on the streets.

Nightwood Reincarnated Furniture Turns Trash into Treasures

Nadia Yaron and Myriah Scruggs are bringing new meaning to the term vintage décor. As co-founders of the Brooklyn-based Nightwood, the design duo not only salvages and refurbishes abandoned furniture, but they completely reconstruct entire pieces from recycled scraps of wood and fabric to produce reincarnated furniture and textiles.