Resident poised to open 'eco-friendly' shop

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on September 05, 2008

AMHERST - A store selling sustainable, recycled, organic and fair-trade products, including clothing, accessories and gifts, is coming to downtown Amherst.

Mixed Greens Eco Boutique is expected to open by mid September at 30 Main St. in the storefront most recently used by the Footwear Den, which closed in May.

Store owner Lisa Vote, a fashion designer for 17 years in New York City, is the proprietor of the shop, which she said she envisions as a place where people can purchase quality items that no other area stores are offering.

"Everything in the store will be made from sustainable products, such as bamboo and organic cotton," Vote said.

Mixed Greens is modeled after similar stores in California that sell lines of products considered Earth friendly, Vote said.

These lines include Sage Creek Organics, the manufacturer of organic cotton baby clothes and organic cotton bedding, and Gaiam, a company that makes cotton yoga wear and eco friendly yoga mats.

Vote said she came to Amherst four years ago to raise her family with her husband, Steven Vote, who works professionally as a photographer.

While Mixed Greens may have products that are made outside the country, these will all be fair trade to ensure that workers are paid a living wage and working under acceptable conditions.

She said she hopes the store will become an outlet for area residents to sell their locally made products. In addition, Vote may sell some of her own designs.

Vote said her store should appeal both to people who live and work in Amherst and college students.

She hopes a wide selection of T-shirts made from organic cotton and bamboo will be popular with students.

Vote intends to establish a green registry for babies and brides, and she soon hopes to create a Web site from which she will sell some of the products.

This week Vote got permission from the Design Review Board to replace the bottom portion of Footwear Den's awning with her store's name.

She may also put the name of the store, which she said was chosen to be tongue in cheek, in the door's window, though she hopes the product will sell itself as people walk by the store.

The store name will be written in green on the awning, but the dot in the "i" will be pink. Vote said this reflects her appreciation for the traditionally feminine color after having three boys.