The Week In Celebs

Rankings & Ratings

This Green House

Steal This Look

Sprig Top 10

Sprig Top 10

Sprig Top 10

The Sprig List

how do you incorporate eco-friendly concepts into your business?it started with the totes we make from organic cotton. i love that in france they carry baskets to the market and have been doing that forever. i notice totes, and am always glad to see people carrying them, and love to read whatever green idea is written on them. then i made a nature-inspired line of jewelry which i know is very au courant and a great common source of inspiration. i try to make 'where did you get that?' kind of pieces that are good quality and not disposable. creating beautiful jewelry that will be a kept for years due to its craftsmanship and beauty is the best way to be green. i have been researching ways to make our jewelry production as green as possible, but all metals are mined—and to recycle gold still requires incorporating newly mined metals—and all gems are mined, which, regardless of marketing claims, still has an impact on the environment. we strive to make all our jewelry in new york city and continue to search for new ways to be morally conscious in our business practices.do you incorporate green practices at home?green is our family philosophy! at home, we only use cotton and reusable totes to buy groceries and anything else that can fit in the bags. we recycle all containers and only use fabric napkins, which we wash weekly. we use vinegar as a cleaner for many parts of the household and are phasing out chemicals in our household. and i try to emphasize this to my kids in every way possible. i have even gone as far as threatening a fine of $5 per occurrence every time the kids leave a room with the lights on. lucky for them, i have not collected on it yet!do you have any eco-heroes?i used to make fun of my parents; they never threw anything away. if they have an empty juice container or a glass jar, they usually keep them and they morph into something, like a vase or a container to hold something else. i love the moms from my mother's generation who have always been eco. they don't need a movement, they're the real deal.how did you go from wall street to fashion avenue?i was an international equities trader at goldman sachs. but since i was a little girl, i have always made things with my hands. i sewed my own clothes and made my own senior prom dress. so, my love for creativity has always been a part of my being. i picked up jewelry design techniques from hobby classes at the ywca, which used to be on 51st and lexington in new york city. even during my wall street days, i wore my own designs, which i like to think were always the envy of the trading floor. [laughs]do you have any jewelry tips for us—the three pieces every women should have, how to keep your jewelry box organized…?three basics that every woman needs in her jewelry box are hoop earrings, a fabulous flashy ring and a signature necklace. these three pieces will accessorize any outfit for any occasion. but in terms of jewelry, i don't believe you need to limit yourself. jewelry is made to give us personal joy. wear what makes you happy when you see it on yourself. if you love more, wear more! as for jewelry-box organizing tips, that is so important! we often have our guests come in with tangled necklaces in dire need of help. if you have a chain-style necklace, store it individually in a small ziploc plastic pouch with one end sticking out of the bag. do not throw a bunch of chain necklaces in a jewelry box together. we designed a jewelry roll that separates each necklace and also has room for earrings and rings.tell us about your favorite eco-cause.i have made it part of our corporate identity, with every purchase of a tina tang item, we plant a tree. i do it through the american forest organization. i thought about a lot of causes before i picked this one. i realized without the earth we can't have all the other causes that are so important. we need to take care of this planet first. the fun part is that the customer can even choose online where they want the tree planted. it's a great cause that feels right to me.have any eco-sins?leather handbags. i assuage my guilt by thinking i don't drive a car; my handbag is my car. it's a new york city thing. i aspire to get this particular bottega venetta bag. in los angeles, it's about your car, and in new york, it's about your handbag.

how do you incorporate eco-friendly concepts into your business?it started with the totes we make from organic cotton. i love that in france they carry baskets to the market and have been doing that forever. i notice totes, and am always glad to see people carrying them, and love to read whatever green idea is written on them. then i made a nature-inspired line of jewelry which i know is very au courant and a great common source of inspiration. i try to make 'where did you get that?' kind of pieces that are good quality and not disposable. creating beautiful jewelry that will be a kept for years due to its craftsmanship and beauty is the best way to be green. i have been researching ways to make our jewelry production as green as possible, but all metals are mined—and to recycle gold still requires incorporating newly mined metals—and all gems are mined, which, regardless of marketing claims, still has an impact on the environment. we strive to make all our jewelry in new york city and continue to search for new ways to be morally conscious in our business practices.do you incorporate green practices at home?green is our family philosophy! at home, we only use cotton and reusable totes to buy groceries and anything else that can fit in the bags. we recycle all containers and only use fabric napkins, which we wash weekly. we use vinegar as a cleaner for many parts of the household and are phasing out chemicals in our household. and i try to emphasize this to my kids in every way possible. i have even gone as far as threatening a fine of $5 per occurrence every time the kids leave a room with the lights on. lucky for them, i have not collected on it yet!do you have any eco-heroes?i used to make fun of my parents; they never threw anything away. if they have an empty juice container or a glass jar, they usually keep them and they morph into something, like a vase or a container to hold something else. i love the moms from my mother's generation who have always been eco. they don't need a movement, they're the real deal.how did you go from wall street to fashion avenue?i was an international equities trader at goldman sachs. but since i was a little girl, i have always made things with my hands. i sewed my own clothes and made my own senior prom dress. so, my love for creativity has always been a part of my being. i picked up jewelry design techniques from hobby classes at the ywca, which used to be on 51st and lexington in new york city. even during my wall street days, i wore my own designs, which i like to think were always the envy of the trading floor. [laughs]do you have any jewelry tips for us—the three pieces every women should have, how to keep your jewelry box organized…?three basics that every woman needs in her jewelry box are hoop earrings, a fabulous flashy ring and a signature necklace. these three pieces will accessorize any outfit for any occasion. but in terms of jewelry, i don't believe you need to limit yourself. jewelry is made to give us personal joy. wear what makes you happy when you see it on yourself. if you love more, wear more! as for jewelry-box organizing tips, that is so important! we often have our guests come in with tangled necklaces in dire need of help. if you have a chain-style necklace, store it individually in a small ziploc plastic pouch with one end sticking out of the bag. do not throw a bunch of chain necklaces in a jewelry box together. we designed a jewelry roll that separates each necklace and also has room for earrings and rings.tell us about your favorite eco-cause.i have made it part of our corporate identity, with every purchase of a tina tang item, we plant a tree. i do it through the american forest organization. i thought about a lot of causes before i picked this one. i realized without the earth we can't have all the other causes that are so important. we need to take care of this planet first. the fun part is that the customer can even choose online where they want the tree planted. it's a great cause that feels right to me.have any eco-sins?leather handbags. i assuage my guilt by thinking i don't drive a car; my handbag is my car. it's a new york city thing. i aspire to get this particular bottega venetta bag. in los angeles, it's about your car, and in new york, it's about your handbag.