The Betty Blog » Environmental

My Story and How Betty Belts Happened in Skirt Magazine

donna — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:41:01 +0000

Here’s my story and how Betty Belts came about. It’s a fascinating read, I have to admit, a little strange for me, seeing it here in print. The Skirt reporter, Charlene Ross, did a great job of piecing it all together from a two hour long recording of my ramblings, jumping from one subject to another, going off on interesting tangents. Not an easy task!

Enjoy! – Donna

Donna von Hoesslin: Surfer – Designer – Activist

Author- Charlene Ross for Skirt Magazine

Donna Surfing at Queens, Waikiki. Pure bliss. Photo copyright David Pu'u.

Donna von Hoesslin is a California girl who followed a drummer to Europe at the age of 17 and ended up living in Berlin for 17 years. She married into German nobility and was living the fabulous life of the social elite. During her time abroad she held various jobs as a fashion designer, translator and back-up singer for a European two-hit wonder band.

But the very first time Donna stepped on a surfboard at the age of 31 her life changed forever. She was hooked instantly and became passionate about surfing and would travel often to faraway places so she could ride the waves. Unfortunately it was a passion her husband did not share. One day after returning home from a surf trip Donna and her husband Elmar realized that their marriage had turned into a convenient friendship and the word divorce hung in the air between them. They both cried. Today they are separated by 5,000 miles, but truly remain the closest of friends.

Betty Belts

Donna came back the states and moved into a shared beach house in her hometown of Santa Cruz so she could make surfing a part of everyday life. To make a living she became a…

(Click here to read rest of story. Or on the link below.)

http://ventura.skirt.com/shes_so_skirt/donna-von-hoesslin-surfer-designer-activist

My New Collection of Jewelry Made from Upcycled Surfboard Resin

donna — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:43:57 +0000

I just cranked out this ad for DEEP Magazine, featuring Sierra and Hailey Partridge of Team Betty and debuting my Surfboard Resin jewelry collection.

The surfboard resin jewelry is a fantastic achievement. We finally found a beautiful solution for the waste byproduct resin created by surfboard building. It took a year of R&D, but the results were well worth the wait and I have to say, everyone who comes into the shop and sees these pendants and earrings is completely enchanted by them and even more so when they find out the story behind them; Each stripe in the jewelry is excess resin from a locally made surfboard, connected to a surfer riding that board, connecting to the ocean.

I debuted the collection at the Sacred Craft in Santa Cruz. Check out our little cameo in this video about this important surfboard culture event, which Betty Belts has been a part of for the past four years.

The jewelry is not yet available on our website, but can be ordered through the Betty B. retail store in Ventura at 805.648.6997

You can also see more photos and shapes on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/bettybelts

Seth on Scale

donna — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:53:20 +0000

“It’s good because rightsizing allows you to be profitable and live as a human.”

Today’s Daily Dose of Seth once again just nails it. This is one of many reasons I don’t send my designs free to celebrities and don’t want to sell my brand to Macy’s or Urban Outfitters. I keep BB small and manageable so I don’t lose control and can keep surfing, but most of all, so it can remain win-win for my artisans, my staff, my self and my customers. In manageable scale.

Once, in 2007, my brand was on display at the National Retail Federation’s annual “Big Show” at Javitz Center in NYC, in the “Store of the Future” installation of a Pop-up Store.

I felt like such a prostitute when I saw who was coming. The C-Class of all the big box retailers marched through and I had to stand there and explain to them why they needed to make environmental and social responsibility a priority. A major shoes and accessories chain asked me to create a cheap line of jewelry for them which I felt would have necessitated exploitation of the people making them to get the price as low as they needed it so I simply said NO.

Thank you, Seth, once again, for confirming what I already knew in my heart.

Ready for the doors to open.

Recycling Nirvana

donna — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:33:36 +0000

I just introduced a new line of jewelry I created with the help of a few local craftsmen, made from upcycled surfboard resin, excess material created with the surfboard building process.

Upcycled Surfboard Resin Earrings by Betty Belts

Each stripe comes from a board made by master shaper Dennis Ryder. It represents the dreams of riding waves on a new board, hopefully for many years and many memories.

Upcycled Surfboard Resin Necklaces by Betty Belts

As a manufacturer, I always strive for minimum waste and re-use of waste materials. When my company was based in a warehouse area of Ventura, it always saddened me to see how much potentially useable stuff was thrown into the dumpsters every day. I salvaged what I could and connected to the people who could use the stuff via freecycle.

I longed for a solution that was grander and more effective, linking manufacturers with scrap to each other so none of it needed to go to a landfill. My neighbors, for example, were in the window supply business and would bring old panes back to the warehouse daily, throwing them in their recycle bin. While it’s nice to see it getting recycled, I thought there must be another use for them. Just like the cardboard boxes I collect at Trader Joe’s and my neighboring businesses. Let’s use them a few more times before they go to recycling, lessening the need to produce more new product.

I’m happy to see that there are solutions now being implemented out there and companies like Recycle Match are bringing some eco-efficiency into our world. Thanks, guys!

Also see related Freecycle, BuilderScrap.com and this great local source that gives back to a great org as well Restore – A discount home improvement store for Habitat for Humanity.

Keeping Your Silver Polished and Pretty Without Toxic Chemicals

donna — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:24:31 +0000

"Marie" Sterling Wave Heart Necklace

Working with sterling silver every day for several years now, I’ve learned a lot, even made a few cool discoveries about how to optimize it’s care. Here are some tips.

What makes silver tarnish?

All silver will tarnish, even the high quality stuff like Tiffany and Betty B. Exposure to various elements (including plain old air) will accelerate the rate of tarnishing, though.

One cause is PH levels in our skin. The more acidic you are, the more likely your silver will tarnish. This is why some people get dark marks on their skin where they wear silver and their silver turns dark when they wear it. How to prevent this? Wipe it down with as soft cloth after every wearing and store it in a relatively airtight container and take measures on reducing your body’s acidity, a low PH can be dangerous for your health anyway. This is often a cause for irritation to metals also. My own experience of raising my body’s PH via an addition of greens supplements to my diet made it possible for me to wear earrings again after 12 years!

Sterling Wave Necklace by Betty Belts

In the Betty B. retail store in Ventura we have people coming in and touching the silver all day long and it’s exposed to open air. Of course it tarnishes, so we have several methods to freshen it up:

My favorite is the eco-friendly hot water method. I discovered a few years back that the jewelry I constantly wore stayed clean while pieces I left lying around would tarnish. I realized that wearing my jewelry in the shower was the reason it didn’t tarnish! I had heard in Bali about using hot water and dish soap to clean silver, but only became convinced of its effectiveness after making this discovery. It was my shampoo and hot water that was keeping it fresh. That’s why rings will stay polished if you keep them on when you wash your hands. So if you have more silver than you want to wear in the shower (like we do in the retail store), put it in a bucket of some sort with some very sudsy dish soap and add just enough very hot water to get a good layer of foam going. Swish it around in the foam… add more hot water… keep doing this. Pull out silver and lay it on a dry towel. Repeat as needed.

For silver that is attached to wood or leather or other materials that shouldn’t get the above treatment, we use a Sunshine polishing cloth. They last for many years and do the job well. You can buy it here. I recommend cutting it into two pieces so that you have two smaller ones, which are easier to use polishing jewelry.

I am still researching alternative eco-friendly methods to polish silver easily, so I will post them here once I have news.

Smiles from Ventura,

Donna

Betty Belts in the Media: Donna’s a Cover Girl!

donna — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:06:55 +0000

Wow, I’m blown away!

I’m a “Cover Girl” today!

Check out this inspiring article below from this week’s VC Reporter…

Betty Belts Owner/Designer Donna von Hoesslin graces the cover of the VC Reporter with one of her all time favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Commerce, Compassion and Community

by Claudia Pardo McFayden

The sweet scent of African freesia wafting through the store and onto the street entices visitors into the carefully decorated eclectic space that is Betty Belts. Cradled in a corner just off the beaten path in Downtown Ventura, the cozy yet vibrant ocean-inspired accessories shop, owned and run by Donna Von Hoesslin, is replete with beautiful and unique jewelry and accessories — ceramic necklaces, metal pendants, leather cuffs, colorful scarves, elaborate belts, cute beanies, intricate hairpins and more. It’s a delightful bazaar of one-of-a-kind, handmade treasures.

Established as an online store back in 2003, Betty Belts, also known as Betty B., is older than its current brick and mortar location. It began as a wholesale and online brand of belts in Santa Cruz, with a later addition of jewelry. “The brand existed before I opened the store,” says Von Hoesslin. Operating out of a warehouse on the basis of win-win — people, environment efficiency and women’s surfing, Betty B.’s promise has been to show up in the community while offering a unique and accessible product.

A surfer herself for more than 10 years, Von Hoesslin finds her inspiration in the beach and in her time spent out in the ocean. It was her passion for surfing that caused her trepidation about opening a retail store. “I didn’t originally want a physical location,” she admits. “I was afraid I would not have time to surf, have a life.” Her boyfriend and biggest supporter, David Pu’u, Santa Barbara native and celebrated photographer and filmmaker, encouraged her to get the space. Von Hoesslin took her board out to sea and found her answer in the place that inspired it all to begin with. She opened Betty Belts in 2007. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

Since then, Betty B. has become a hub of connectedness in the community. Offering an array of uniquely designed jewelry by local artists and artisans from Bali, it remains true to its original promise: to contribute to the community and build relationship through a unique product. Work by local artists including that of the skillful Hands of Stone, a group of women who make eco-friendly ceramic necklaces with ocean-influenced elements, Kathleen Fitzgerald’s one-of-a-kind, exquisitely crafted, hand-made earrings; Guy Q. Goods’ metal jewelry for men and women; Lise Solvang’s cozy alpaca and bamboo knits; Tiki Tony ceramic tiki necklaces; and David Pu’u’s attention-demanding prints that serve as the main wall décor in the shop.

Women are especially responsive to Von Hoesslin’s enriching collaboration with the artists, not only the female patrons but all the women who become interconnected through Betty Belts. There is a tangible female bond that begins with Von Hoesslin as the connector and is often sparked by chance meetings at Betty Belts. “I introduce women who come to the shop to each other, and cool things happen,” she says. One particular connection is mothers and daughters.

“They wear the same jewelry. I dig it,” she says. Often she will find the mothers coming back to the store to purchase a new piece because their daughters are wearing theirs. The common faux-pas of being caught wearing the same accessory is instead a thrilling commonality among her female customers.

A recent collaboration between Von Hoesslin and what is affectionately knows as Team Betty, a group of female surfers who have become essential in the promotion and marketing of Betty Belts, resulted in the personal design of a piece of jewelry by each of four local sufers: Mary Osborne, Jeannette Ortiz, Hailey Partridge and Sierra Partridge.

Together with Von Hoesslin and Pu’u, they traveled to Bali, where they worked and executed this creative project.

In addition to working with local artists, Von Hoesslin employs several artisans from Bali, where most of the pieces are made. Having worked for close to seven years with the same artisans, Donna has established a work ethic based on fairness, skill, good quality and, most important for her, community…

Continue reading here:

http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/commerce_compassion_and_community/7661/

P.S.

Check out our Facebook Page and become a fan!

Betty B on the Green T Show!

donna — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:58:36 +0000

Check out “Green T” Tamara wearing the Betty B. “Hala” recycled glass necklace and wood peace earrings at Nicole Sherwin’s Green Lounge!

Green T at the Green Lounge with Nicole Sherwin

The Struggle These Days…

donna — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:05:04 +0000

… Perfectly explained by Seth Godin in his Blog today.

I’m a big fan of Seth’s Blog and always recommend it and his books to people I mentor.

If you can only subscribe to ONE blog, make it Seth’s.

Note From Bali: Enchantment (from August 30th)

donna — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:01:14 +0000

Enchantment is the word that flows through my mind throughout this trip. Bali is incredibly enchanting.

Inspiring…

Gorgeous…

The land of the Gods.

We are almost done here. I’ve been working on new designs with my artisan friends and also with each of the young women from Team Betty who joined us for a portion of the trip. Mary Osborne, Jeanette Ortiz, and Sierra and Hailey Partridge. We surfed, we designed, we created beautiful images. David Pu’u and Aaron Marcellino are along documenting everything in stills and motion for several editorial features and, very excited about this, a film.

Below are some of the images from the trip. Please also read David’s blog, as he has been posting several chapters of our adventure here.

Smiles from Bali!

Donna

Welcome Message from David Booth of East Bali Poverty Project. Copyright David Pu'u

View from the upstairs bedroom at the villa. David shot time lapse of the rice field harvest for an entire day. copyright David Pu'u

Breakfast: Nasi Goreng. Copyright David Pu'u

On the boat to Kuta Airport Reef. Copyright David Pu'u

Sunset at Kuta Reef. The girls are surfing. Copyright David Pu'u

East Bali Poverty Project School Students Line Up for Independence Day Ceremony. Copyright David Pu'u

Mary Osborne and Jeanette Ortiz of Team Betty with the kids from East Bali Poverty Project. Copyright David Pu'u

David filming East Bali Poverty Project festival with his Canon 5D.

One of the students of East Bali Poverty Project weaves Vetiver grass, which is the miracle plant for many of their sustainability projects

Hailey at the edge of infinity. The drop below her is several hundred feet down to the Agung River. Copyright David Pu'u

Sierra modeling a Stewart+Brown dress and the Betty B. "Bo" leather hoop earrings. Copyright David Pu'u

Hailey Partridge looking stunning with Stewart+Brown. Copyright David Pu'u

Sierra Partridge looking sexy in an O'Neill bikini at the pool. We did a lot of shooting in this pool. Copyright David Pu'u

Sierra at a ceremony at Gusti's house tasting the blessed rice cakes. She is wearing the Betty B. Sea Glass drop earrings. Copyright David Pu'u

See more images and read more about this trip on David’s Blog www.davidpuu.com/blog

A Distinctive Style Magazine Interview

donna — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:51:34 +0000

http://adistinctivestyle.com/

This is an awesome online magazine, complete with soundtracks and short videos to go with the stories, a very hip must-read (See Kate Hudson on the cover). It’s the Vanity Fair of the sustainability movement. And even better, there’s an interview with me in it where I got a chance to talk about some of the cool things happening with Betty Belts and Betty B.. Just click through to page 86-87 to check it out!