Cool Hunting

Sustainability comes in all colors and forms these days, but rather than fall for the clever marketing of a product that purportedly saves the environment, Rio de Janeiro’s Amazon Life really hits the heart of sustainability by being aware of the people that can benefit from our consumerism. They just introduced their new line overseen by Brazilian design house Oestudio—a new direction for the company expanding its offerings and extending further its helping hand. The 50-piece collection includes organic cotton shirts with attractive prints inspired by indigenous groups and jewelry.

But the bread and butter of Amazon Life is still in its bags and accessories, created from vegetable leather. Called TreeTap, the patented material (which Amazon Life has an exclusive to use) is made from rubber tapped by 200 families in the Boca do Acre region of the Amazon forest. The association uniting those involved in producing TreeTap receives a small percentage of Amazon Life's profits, which in part gets passed back to the families guaranteeing that the region stays populated. Families leaving makes the region vulnerable to the hands of agriculturists, ranchers or land thieves.

More items, including casual shoes and furniture, are in the works to be produced in partnerships with Rainha and other companies. You can find Amazon Life products in the U.S. at Brasilian Soul in Evanston, IL or at Amazon Life’s Ipanema store in Rio.

Also on Cool Hunting: Oestudio Sneakers