http://www.bynature.co.uk

Embrace Organic Style

 ‘ By Nature’  is a company which promotes organic and ethical living. You can shop textiles online made of hemp, wool, organic cotton, linen and items made of  recycled
glass and sustainable wood. They also provide an organic beauty series such as shower gels, deodorants, make up and electronic energy saving items.

‘ By Nature’ was created to offer an alternative way of shopping. The product selection process not only considers care for the environment, but also respect for the people producing the products.

Natural fibers are produced without harming the environment and provide real ecological solutions to the draining of the earth’s resources. New developments such
as fibres made from plastic or recycled fabrics also offer some new exiting opportunities. When buying recycled products you make a direct impact on the environment and the economy by reducing the amount of products going to landfill and helping to conserve energy and natural resources.

By choosing organic cosmetics one can avoid substances such as parabens, petrochemicals, artificial perfumes, additives and other substances linked to allergies, dermatitis and cancer. Our skin is believed to absorb up to 60% of the products with which it comes into contact.

One should also avoid buying tropical hardwood such as teak. Every year an area the size of England was lost during the 1990’s. Forests help to improve the quality of the air by absorbing CO2 produced by pollution and they are a key resource in the fight against global warming.

Insist on wood issued from well managed sources.

Reviewed by Library staff member – Kristine Upesleja

Looking for a holiday gift for your favorite visual merchandiser?  Here is the answer: Forefront, over 200 pages of color photos of window design gathered from all over the world by the editors of Frame magazine.  We learn how designers work (and how long!):

• Bergdorf Goodman's David Hooey and Barney's Simon Doonan, both in New York, and Moschino's JoAnn Tan in Milan, are all solo designers. David has a full-time staff of five, plus free-lancers when needed, who may easily work 12-hour days, taking as long as it takes to get the job done after the store is closed and before it opens.
• Selfridge's and Harvey Nichols' in London and Louis Vuitton in Paris all have design teams; Vuitton's must plan 6 - 7 months ahead for their 319 stores worldwide.  The Selfridge's team conceives the ideas and may call in artists, photographers and even magazine editors to carry them out.
• The Yves Saint Laurent shop in Zurich, the Hermes shop in Tokyo, Vincon in Barcelona and Gucci in London are some of the other windows shown.

The one distraction in this otherwise wonderful book is the confusing Contents page followed by the concomitant chapter title pages.   

Reviewed by Library staff member – Elizabeth Lady – S.F.