Ekologic of Troy, NY

Ok, so I am seriously behind in my blogging - and I am especially aware of this oversight because I have been thinking about this this wonderful recycled clothing company. Kathleen Tesnakis sold me a fabulous recycled cashmere cardigan at the Bethesda Row Arts Festival this past early autumn. First off, let me just say that the Bethesda, Maryland Arts Festival is quite something - they have some seriously skilled artisans presenting and selling there on the two days in the fall. In 2015 the festival will be held on October 17th & 18th.

But back to Kathleen and her cashmere sweaters...

Here is a little something I took directly from their web site to describe their mission:

`e ko logic is a life philosophy based upon a sustainable way of living and creating. Every item in our clothing and accessory line is handmade in Troy, New York by recycling post-consumer used garments. We believe that you are much more than a consumer and we enjoy creating wearable art from recycled materials that speaks to your individual style. Together we can change the world…one garment at a time.

Here is blurb from the web site about the fiber artist, Kathleen:

Textile artist and designer Kathleen Tesnakis created `e ko logic in 1996 as an exploration in reuse. The creativity that recycling requires has provided years of inspiration. Every item she makes must be hand cut and combined like a collage as her raw material is multifarious in nature. Kathleen’s sustainable philosophy is deeply rooted in the `e ko logic studio where every bit of scrap waste is identified and resorted to develop future products. All of these actions take time but it is this very intention that resonates throughout the `e ko logic designs. You may have seen Kathleen’s work on the cover of Organic Style magazine, read about her in Daily Candy or seen her ‘fingerless mittens’ in Time magazine, to mention a few. This year, look for Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, rockin’ out in an `e ko logic recycled cashmere sweater, aptly named ‘Lee’. Currently, Kathleen operates `e ko logic with the help of her husband Charlie, bulldog Jasper and the studio team.

All products are handmade by recycling post-consumer used cashmere sweaters into one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories. In the 18 years since `e ko logic, Inc. was founded, over 7 tons of used clothing has been rescued and transformed. Kathleen chooses to use natural fibers because they allow your body to breathe and will eventually breakdown when landfilled. All `e ko logic products are made in their hometown of Troy, NY. This allows Kathleen to provide like-minded individuals with jobs they can put their hearts into. The garments used to create their raw material are discards from the NYC region. Reusing clothes as a raw material has many benefits; it decreases dependence on the water and chemicals required to make new materials, reduces the amount of used clothing being landfilled (85% of all used clothing is landfilled) and transforms a discarded product into something beautiful and functional that has the quality to last a second lifetime.

I believe i bought a version of the Julie Cuff in gray and blue. I wear it all the time. I swiped this from their web site, so let me give credit where it is due.

They make hats and sweaters and dresses, to name a few products. I like the idea a lot, and I am so happy to see a fashion business blooming in little, old Troy, NY.

On a side note, the folks at Wild Fibers Magazine have sponsored a Cashmere Community Center in India and Linda Cartwright, the journalist and founder of the magazine, leads trips to India to visit and promote this first community center for the nomadic peoples of this region. Pretty amazing stuff.