I just got back from my yearly trip to hang out with creative people and learn about branding and design at FUSE. This year we traveled to the brand capital New York City.

On Monday, I participated in the FUSE Trenzwalk through Chelsea, Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District in New York City. Earlier this week, you may have seen Steve Baird’s post inspired by this walk, What You Need to Un-Suspend a Trademark.

There were two places in Chelsea Market that caught my eye and have trademark registrations:

  1. KIKKERLAND®, and
  2. FAT WITCH®.

The KIKKERLAND® store sells various products such as personal grooming devices, sports spectacles, massage apparatus, electric lamps, electric light fixtures, chronometric instruments, stationery, furniture, household utensils, kitchen utensils, and briefcases.

The FAT WITCH® brand is associated with brownies, cookbooks and recipe cards. Although the brand name itself might not inspire consumers to come in to consume brownies and become “fat,” the cute design of the witch below does invite people into the store.

Day two of FUSE was devoted to presentations at the DREAM hotel. I attended the presentation entitled “The Augmented Body – Sustainable Fashion Futures for a Connected World,” by Dr. Amanda Parkes. We learned about a company that was using waste from oranges to make “Orange Fiber,” which is a sustainable silk fabric. The company partnered with famous designer Salvatore Ferragamo® for his Capsule Collection.

Adidas is also getting on the sustainability train by selling shoes and swimsuits made from ocean plastic. Specifically, the footwear giant partnered with the non-profit organization Parlay for the Oceans. The organization seeks to raise awareness about the precarious state of the world’s oceans and to work on projects to help protect and conserve the oceans.

ZOA™ was another sustainable fabric discussed in the presentation. The brand features biofabricated leather products made without animals. Modern Meadow filed a trademark application for the ZOA mark in connection with various bioleather products.

Has anyone been involved with the development of sustainable products, or bought any products made from them?