It’s not every day the British Prime Minister and his deputy stop by to see what’s what. Last Friday David Cameron and Nick Clegg popped into Pentland Brands–makers of Berghaus, Canterbury, Speedo, Ellesse, Mitre and Boxfresh–in London to see how the family-owned company has grown sales in the UK by 18 percent and 33 percent internationally over the past five years.
Kate Middleton (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, if you want to be official about it) is ubiquitous for rewearing outfits to royal engagements. But while many believe her humble roots are to thank for this down-to-earth practicality, perhaps she’s been taking notes from her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, all along. The monarch has been wearing the same shoes for 50 years.
The U.S. produces about 57 billion pounds of plastic every year, and only about 3 percent of it is recycled. What happens to the rest? Well, it will probably still be around long after your own body has decomposed. To help spread the message about overconsumption and how much environmental damage it does, a trio of Brits has created a pair of shoes made entirely from plastic rubbish collection on U.K. beaches.
British brand Beyond Skin counts Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway as fans and is re-launching in the U.S. for fall. Standout styles from the 100 percent vegan brand include an over-the-knee suede boot made from recycled PET bottle caps (something only used by Mercedes and Jaguar) that dries quickly and doesn’t watermark. Made in Spain using mostly Italian fabrics, Beyond Skin’s suggested retail ranges from $114 to $197.
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