Marcia Patmos is a very busy lady. Not only is she responsible for the designs at M. Patmos—an impeccably cool fashion line that was recently named one of the World's 50 Most Innovated Companies in Fashion—she also collaborates with Manolo Blahnik to create eco-footwear using vegetable tanned leather and she recently launched yet another collaboration with Ten Thousand Things. To make it even more impressive, a portion of the M. Patmos collection is handwoven by female artisans (who receive a fair wage, of course) in Nepal and Bolivia, and a large percentage of the line is made in the U.S.A., where Marcia employs Japanese technology to create her lust-worthy pieces. Talk about going global!

But while Marcia's sleek and colorful clothes are certainly lust-worthy, we're particularly fascinated by the jewelry line she debuted alongside her Fall/Winter 2012 New York Fashion Week presentation. Created by New York-based jewelers Ten Thousand Things—with direction from Marcia, of course—the line is made out of the remains of a three hundred-year-old pine that was salvaged from a demolished warehouse in Brooklyn. The result is a a collection of earthy, elegant jewelry. Each piece  is one-of-a-kind and was made entirely by hand by David Rees and Ron Anderson in their NYC studio.

Since we’re so excited about her work, Marcia was willing to answer a few quick questions for us.

Was eco-friendly and sustainability always an important aspect of your business?

Yes, it is always something I want to have as a part of my business.

Any plans for further collaborations?

Yes, I am working on something for next fall, but I can't talk about it just yet!



Does your green approach to design drive the design process or do you design first and then inject the sustainability/eco-friendly aspect into the collections?

It is a combination.  It happens in tandem.  I am always on the lookout for new sustainable materials or techniques.