Amanda's Eye Blog

A typical native New Yorker, I'm prone to wearing the city's unofficial sartorial color: black. My closet is a sea of black pants, skirts, tops, and bags, so it's great to come across a brand that makes me want to break out of my fashion rut! The Sequence Collection is an accessories line that is all about color, from funky woven bracelets to brightly-patterned bags. And it just so happens that this eye-catching collection is made by El Salvadorian artisans, thus helping local communities through its production.

If you're looking for punchy brights and playful patterns for your Spring/Summer wardrobe, then check out the ASOS Africa collection online! The range is filled with fun pieces that are perfect for a beach BBQ in the Hamptons or a fun-in-the-sun vacation. Not only are the pieces affordable — they retail for between $45 and $136 — but they are all made in Kenya. A portion of each purchase supports local communities in East Africa, so head over to asos.com for a guilt-free shopping spree. Below are more of my favorite pieces!

One of my favorite luxuries in life is travel. Jet lag and lost baggage aside, it's an incredible way to learn about other cultures, meet new people, broaden your horizons....and do some amazing shopping! For those who aren't able to pop over to Cambodia, Colombia, Argentina, or India anytime soon, head to the Indagare Souk event, where one-of-a-kind items from these countries and many others will be available for purchase.

It always puts a smile on my face when designers collaborate with charities, so you can imagine the size of my grin when I heard that Fiona Kotur had designed a bag to benefit Operation Smile...and that she did so with my cousins Gillian and Lydia! The philanthropic trio are all huge supporters of Operation Smile: Fiona consistently donates proceeds from her eponymous KOTUR bag line to Op Smile while Gillian and Lydia are Smile Ambassadors; both have gone on missions with the charity since 2005. And now, they've all come together to create a chic clutch that is making me — as well as countless children around the world — smile!

It's official: Celebs have fully embraced ethical fashion, and I couldn't be happier! From London to LA, actors such as Amanda Seyfried and Michelle Williams have been spotted wearing looks from H&M's Exclusive Glamour Collection, an extension of the brand's Conscious Collection.

It's not every day that someone names a bag after you, so you can imagine my shock (and excitement!) at finding out that designer Rafé Totengco designed the "Amanda" tote from his Spring/Summer collection with me in mind!

Roger Vivier is known for its signature, oversize buckles. But for Spring 2012, the brand is launching its debut Prismick Collection, thus forgoing that iconic motif. This set of futuristic shoes and handbags features colorful brights cut and pasted together, recalling Vivier's own collages of the '80s and '90s. Tuesday, Fernanda Niven, Bettina Prentice, and I hosted the Prismick Collection's stateside debut, an event that also showcased some fun portraits of "Vivier's ladies," including myself!

April 10th was a big day for TOMS as people around the world participated in the brand's "One Day Without Shoes" campaign. Amsterdam, London, and Seoul were just a few of the cities that showed their support, and of course, New York came out in full force! We all woke up bright and early to take part in a march around Tompkins Square Park in order to help spread the word about how a single pair of shoes can change a child's life.

Ever since Meryl Streep rocked that killer Lanvin gown made of eco-certified textiles at this year's Oscars, tons of celebs have begun donning ethical fashion on the red carpet! Case in point: model-actress Brooklyn Decker recently wore an eco-number to the South Koren premiere of her new film, Battleship, flaunting her curves in a black lace gown by Femme d'Armes.

TOMS: We all know the story, and it's a good one! For every pair of TOMS purchased, a pair of new shoes is given to a child in need. This is a great initiative considering that in developing countries, soil-transmitted diseases are a leading cause of illness, not to mention that many children can't attend school without footwear; shoes are a required part of most uniforms. So, on April 10th the TOMS family is hosting its annual "One Day Without Shoes" walk, and I will definitely be there to show my support!

In honor of Earth Day, one of my favorite natural beauty brands, Tarte, has teamed up with The Beauty Department to create a package of awesome Tarte products hand-picked by one of the beauty site's founders, makeup artist Amy Nadine.

Last night, I, along with Luigi Tadini (pictured), Olivia Chantecaille, Beatrice Rossi-Landi, Mary Katheryn Navab, Adelina Wong Ettelson, Matthew White, and Alexandra Lind Rose chaired Save Venice's annual gala. As usual, it was a masked affair filled with fancifully dressed invitees, all wearing big gowns and even bigger headpieces.

Not everybody knows this, but each month, I don an "ethical" outfit for my "Feel Good Fashion" page. It's not always easy to pull together, but I do manage to find cute and stylish pieces every month. For instance, in this pic from Marie Claire's April issue, I'm wearing a lemlem scarf, Edun blouse, and Covet shorts.

When it comes to skincare, I think that things should be as natural as possible. All of those chemicals and additives just can't be good for your skin. So, I'm happy to say that I've found a great line called Metamour. This organic skincare brand is vegan pure, using no paragons, or artificial colors or fragrances.

A great designer is doing a great deed! Giorgio Armani recently launched a project called Acqua for Life, which focuses on bringing clean water to countries like Ghana and Bolivia.

It is an unfortunate fact that the luxury retail market has virtually no brands that represent the ethical fashion movement. I mean, it's understandable considering the difficulties of working with small communities and artisans to produce clothing for a global market. What can viably be produced will not always meet demand. And of course, there is the challenge of teaching artisans the level of design necessary to produce garments that will compete with the likes of Celine, Marni, and Prada. In short, it's not an easy endeavor, yet somehow, Maiyet has done it! Their design team works with artisans from around the world to create clothing that successfully responds to the luxury consumer's need for fine tailoring and splendid textiles. And, after having just debuted their second collection during Paris Fashion Week (and having much of Spring/Summer 2012 picked up by Barney's!), it's safe to say that Maiyet is here to stay.

When my good friend, Claiborne Swanson Frank, came up with the idea for her book, American Beauty, she probably didn't realize what an undertaking it would be. Shooting about 100 girls in the span of a few months is hard, but when all those women are prominent, hard-working types with busy travel schedules, it's jaw-dropping to think what Claiborne eventually pulled off.

Thanks to eco-star Livia’s Firth’s ongoing quest to turn all red carpets green, many of the celebs at this year’s Academy Awards (including Best Actress winner, Meryl Streep) donned environmentally-friendly outfits! Top-notch design houses such as Valentino and Lanvin helped create the sustainable outfits, proving that eco-fashion is becoming mainstream.

I've been a big fan of Autumn Adeigbo’s dresses for a while, so I was super-excited when she told me that she finally created a full collection!

February Fashion Week is a tough occasion to dress for because it's usually so very cold. But, since this season was surprisingly mild, I was able to play with my outfits a bit more, and not wear the same black coat everyday. From Valentino to Yigal, check out my fashion week looks. I even wore one of my favorite eco-brands, H Fredriksson! Click here to see my outfits from past NYFW seasons.