Fashion

From the common loon to the misunderstood blue jay, it’s no secret that Audubon and its readers welcome the sight of birds (whether they’re in our backyards or on textiles). But we can’t help but notice that our winged friends are popular with the non-birding crowd: Walk into any Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie and you’re sure to find a dozen products adorned with birds. With this trend in mind, Portlandia, a comedy on the Independent Film Channel, gave us “Put A Bird On It”, a hilarious sketch about Bryce Shivers and Lisa Eversman, who put birds on things to “make it pretty.”

Photo: Gil Ros

Forget the black cat costume cliché, this year trick-or-treaters sporting lynx masks or leopard spots are prowling for treats with a purpose.

The Big Year, a star-studded, endearingly quirky look at the world of competitive birders, hits theaters Friday. Here at Audubon, film-fans and birders alike are all aflutter. Click through to watch the exclusive interview with the film's stars Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson...

Mealworm fried rice and insect nuggets could be a mouth-watering alternative to meat—or so say the founders of Bugs Originals, a company located outside of Amsterdam. Already sold at 24 Dutch food wholesalers, freeze dried locusts and mealworms are better for the environment.

Courtesy of Etsy Earth

Think shopping and saving the planet can’t go hand in hand? Etsy Earth is out to prove wrong all the naysayers.

   
Guatemala’s highlands are an explosion of color. Volcanoes shrouded in jungley green loom over craterous jade lakes. Nature’s palette doesn’t stop in the forest, either. Indigenous Mayans celebrate the landscape by incorporating festive environmental images onto their hand-woven blouses. Each town has its own distinct style, and colors range from neon pink to sunshine yellow. For birders in particular, the Maya fashion is a must-see: ladies often boast shirts covered in dozens of intricate, hand-woven birds.

Photo: Supermarket Sarah
For London's most intrepid fashionistas the go-to shop for the next big frock isn't Vivienne Westwood, but Jaz Miles-Long's (above, standing) taxidermy studio.

      
Fashion repeats itself. Today, skinny jeans that made their original splash in the 1960s are sported by the young and hip, replacing yesterday’s flared variety borrowed from the 1970s. But some trends are perhaps better left in history, especially those relying upon non-renewable animal products. Though fur immediately comes to mind, celebrities and models have shifted to a new animal-based fashion accessory: feathers. Using bird feathers in fashion may seem innocent enough, but for the birds involved, this latest statement is anything but fabulous.

Shoe lovers! Bird lovers! Unite in your ogling and take a gander (pun intended) at these avian-inspired kicks by designer Kobi Levi.

 
From Eco Amazons: 20 Women Who Are Transforming the World by Dorka Keehn, published by powerHouse Books.

Eco Amazons, released this month by powerHouse Books, profiles 20 American women who are leaders of the environmental movement.