Eco fashion

The day has come again

On April 24th we invite you to wear your clothes inside out and post a photo using the hashtags #whomademyclothes? and #FashRev to raise awareness about where your clothes are made, in efforts to shift the fashion and apparel industry toward ethical and sustainable practices.

April 24th was chosen to commemorate (more…)

On April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day

Though Earth Day is every day, the 22nd is a day when we can all focus our attention to move the world forward into implementing sustainable solutions, so that we can help reduce the effects of climate change and leave a healthy planet for generations to come.

Some are spending millions to (more…)

Driving Fashion Forward with Amber Valletta

The first episode of the long awaited documentary “Thread” is here. Amber Valletta speaks with fashion pioneers, including Patagonia, where I was a senior designer from 2003-2008. It is clear why the first episode presents a company that has been at the forefront of the sustainable and socially ethical apparel industry since the early 90′s. The prime reason why I worked there; before embarking on my sustainable design work with Amazon artisans, while continuing to create high-quality handmade clothing. Watch this “Thread” episode and share it!

Friends Stewart+Brown feature UpRighter designer Violeta Villacorta

on this latest article. Read the interview here. (more…)

Visit the Press Area for the Latest Coverage

Garb Magazine and HeArt Magazine covered my work this Fall. Browse through the Press page for these and other press. You can also view the digital versions of Garb magazine, and HeArt magazine (pages 82-103) online.

JOIN ME

I’ll be speaking on Sunday, October 20th, in Irvine on Sustainable Design and my work with indigenous Amazon artisans. My talk will also cover how we are all designers of our own lives and the choices we can make to lessen our negative impact on the planet.

SUSTAINABILITY & SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

I’ll be speaking on Sustainability and Sustainable Design this week at one of the top art schools in California- a real treasure in the mountains. The students are immersed in the arts at Idyllwild Arts Academy all through high school and move on to great futures. It’s truly an honor to join them. If you are in Idyllwild, come by on Tuesday, February 26th or Wednesday, February 27th, 2013. ~ V.V.

See Speaking & Consulting in About Menu.
(more…)

November was an eventful month of festivals, trunk shows, new accounts and visiting stores in LA and SF.

Green Festival was great fun and successful, where we sold and showcased ORG by vio’s Amazon artisan eco jewelry worn with Violeta Villacorta eco luxury fashion at the festival’s Eco Fashion Show organized by vegan shoe designer Rebecca Mink. Then we were off to Modern Folk Living in Ojai, CA for a weekend bazaar featuring ORG by vio, where friend Wanda Weller has created an eco lifestyle destination for eco treasures. And finally we made a trip up North to Sonoma, CA in wine country, for an ORG by vio trunk show at Artefact Design Salvage, a stunning Interior Designer’s dream full of exquisite handcrafted furnishings and accessories. Visit Behind the Scenes and Photo Journal for photos.

We are living in amazing times, where the economy, consciousness and the planet are shifting.

Living conscientiously is a holistic matter. It’s about choosing the options that will benefit people and planet. Buying fashion and products that are sustainable are some of the answers. Lowering our consumption, building green, organic urban and local farming, driving more efficient cars, and better yet – cars that can be powered by electricity from the Sun or other clean alternatives, are other things we can do.

For too long we have relied on fossil fuels that have polluted our planet and disrupted peoples livelihoods by contamination and illness. We can no longer leave it to our governments to make the right choices. They have too many interests that impede true change. The shift has to happen with us. Each of our choices makes a difference.

In 2005, I converted my first home, which I sold last year, to fully solar electricity. I cancelled the gas service and outfitted the house with efficient electric appliances. It was exciting to see the meter run backwards! We generated more electricity than we needed every day. The excess electricity that went back to the power grid was rewarded as credit. These days in California, many people whose homes are giving back electricity to the utility companies, are getting paid for the excess electricity their homes produce. Now you get state and federal incentives, as well as paid for generating electricity!

Making the switch is an empowering move that will help save you money and our planet. There are companies like Sungevity, that lease and install  solar electric systems on rooftops with no money down. You are billed monthly at affordable rates, depending on your system. It is the best alternative, so you don’t have to pay for the system upfront. A great alternative to help make the changes that we need to make as a society.

For more on being a part of the shift, get Rooftop Revolution by Danny Kennedy.

The fashion industry, as alluring as it is, with all the beautiful images of health and beauty, is one of the most environmentally taxing and resource intensive industries on the planet.

Thread brings to light the truth about this industry and makes it clear that eco fashion is not a trend, but the way it has to be to continue to produce beautiful fashion with the least negative impact on our planet and human health.

Since 1993, I have been making eco fashion for clients in my own collections and through other companies I have worked for. This commitment extends to my work in partnership with indigenous Amazon artisans to create sustainable rainforest eco jewelry and accessories, as an alternative to the conventional jewelry industry that depends fully on mined metals and stones. The artisans’ beautiful work is made with materials that grow in the soil of the rainforest. Pair Violeta Villacorta‘s eco fashion with a gorgeous Amazon artisan accessory from ORG by vio® for a beautiful and fully earth friendly statement.

One-of-a-kind upcycled leather vest hand embroidered in raffia straw for Jonathan Gwiazda – a supporter of my work with Amazon artisans, modeled by my husband metal artist Dylan Farnham. This beautiful example of upcycling was completed in 30 hours of hand embroidery and delivered at Burning Man Fertility 2.0 2012. After hours of labor, this year’s Burning Man theme was very fitting. I gave birth to this vest on the dusty playa ; )

For those not familiar with Burning Man, it is a festival of radical self-expression and self-reliance filled with art, music and beautiful people in the middle of the desert. A melange of personal taste and unique expression. Everyone is a work of art… from the costumes, to the art and the music.

The Fundraiser is ON! Violeta Villacorta & ORG by vio® invite you to visit our fundraising page to learn more, support our work with indigenous Amazon artisans and receive beautiful, high quality Amazon rewards made by the very artisans you support. Look through all your Reward options, including rewards from our Deep in Forests partners! Contribute any amount as everything helps reach our goal & Share this with your friends and family to reach more people in your circles and around the Globe! We look forward to you being an active part of our work with the talented Amazon artisans we work with. Thank you! Love & Light ♥
Visit indiegogo.com/ORGbyvio

We had a great time at Women of the Green Generation Conference and Modern Folk Living trunk show this past weekend. The fashion show at WOTGG featured Violeta Villacorta hand crafted eco fashions with exquisite ORG by vio® Amazon accessories.  So good to see so many familiar and new faces! Thank you for coming by to say hi, supporting our work and purchasing an exquisite Amazon rainforest jewelry accessory from the talented and prolific artisans we work with. It was a treat to share their work, culture and a bit of the rainforest with you all. If you missed the events, visit the Projects pages to learn more about our work, the communities and artisans we work with, and you can purchase a beautiful Amazon accessory at our online Shop, as well as at Modern Folk Living in Ojai and L’elephant Blanc at the French Market in West Hollywood, CA.

Visit ORG by vio® to see photos of the events.

Designer Violeta Villacorta is a sponsor of the Women of the Green Generation Conference on May 19th. Join her and ORG by vio® to learn more about ORG by vio‘s work in the South American Rainforest and come to the ORG by vio® booth to get an exquisite eco handmade jewelry accessory made by the indigenous Amazon artisans ORG by vio® works with. Speakers include: Andrea Robinson, Kris Willey, Rachelle Carson Begley, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, Zhena Muzyka, Sarah Backhouse, Anna Getty. Come listen and connect with these great women!
Get your tickets at www.womenofthegreengeneration.com
See you there!

Come join designer Violeta Villacorta and ORG by vio® at the beautiful Modern Folk Living eco boutique in Ojai. You can learn more about our work in the South American rainforest and purchase an exquisite eco handmade piece of jewelry created by the indigenous Amazon artisans ORG by vio® works with. There will be beautiful traditional designs, as well as jewelry collections designed and created in partnership with these highly talented artisans from the Amazon, our lungs of our planet. You will feel the power of the rainforest spirit in every piece of sustainable jewelry.

Come join us on May 20th.
Modern Folk Living 306b East Matilija Street, Ojai, CA
See you there!

Project Bandaloop will perform Boundless in Washington, DC dancing on the exterior of the Old Post Office Pavilion. The Triple Dress designed by Violeta Villacorta (concept by Todd Laby) will be a featured event. If you are in DC, you will enjoy this performance that will inspire new heights ; )

Very excited about the beautiful spread of ORG by vio® on Magnifeco! Your daily eco-fashion blog. Violeta Villacorta’s work with Amazon artisans was featured this week. A love affair with elegant and luxurious eco-fashion that extends to the beautiful artistry of the artisans ORG by vio® works with. Using organic rainforest seeds and fibers, these talented women make some of the most exquisite handmade beaded jewelry and accessories in the Amazon! READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON MAGNIFECO.

The Triple Dress has been getting standing ovations in performances by Project Bandaloop. It is a stunning spectacle to see the three performers dancing and flying in the air, attached by the fabric that bonds them. The Triple Dress was conceptualized by Todd Laby and designed by Violeta Villacorta in hemp silk and tulle. As flowing as it feels, it is a sturdy creation produced by patternmaker Carol Pietrasanta and sewer Rogeli Villavicencio. The first photo here is a prototype in muslin, see photos in the actual hemp silk by clicking more. You can catch the Triple Dress in the act at one of Project Bandaloop‘s performances.
(more…)

Welcome to the new Violeta Villacorta Website! Visit the menu links to see the collection, learn more about the exquisite sustainably made custom garments and accessories, and contact us to design a unique piece especially made for you! Each piece is crafted with love, care and precision. Each is a beautiful work of art to be worn and to be collected… timeless clothing that surpasses the test of time.

For Love of People, Planet & Culture.

We are still working on our new site.  It will be completed Soon. Thank you for your visit and come back again once it is fully Live!