Ai Ai Gasa Update

Designer of Ai Ai Gasa, Melanie McClintock, is currently teaching Fashion Design at VCUQatar in Doha, Qatar (a small but mighty country in the Middle East).

Melanie was invited to Doha originally as a guest artist at VCUQatar, where she showcased her recent collection of recycled umbrella wear. Her collection, "trash and vaudeville," received immediate notoriety. She was invited to stay and teach another year and the school has dedidated this year to sustainable design.

Since, as one would imagine, it seldom rains here, all umbrellas are being imported from the West. We are still looking for people to set up sites in their cities. Please let us know if you are interested!

The breaks have, therefore, been temporarily been put on the bus, but we hope to still get it on the road in the near future.

Thanks for your support!

West Coast Drop Off Site

We now have a West Coast drop off site! It's a private residence, so you can just toss it through the gate (or post it). If you want, attach your name and address and we will send you a sticker. Also, we are creating a umbrella history tree, so let us know where and when you bought it (if memory serves).

613 Clayton Street (at Haight)
San Francisco, CA 94117

As always, thank you for doing your part!

It's raining umbrellas!

I have decided to photo document the score of particularly rainy days as testimony to the work! Hopefully this will give insight to the cause and inspire others to salvage and recycle! Also, if you are in Brooklyn, you can take your broken umbrellas (or ones you find) to 3R Living at 276L 5th Ave (between 1st and Garfield) to be picked up. Or, if you are outside Brooklyn and want to donate, feel free to contact me.

These were found on my 20 block walk home on one side of a street. Totals 12. Four were found in ONE trash can. 10 black, 2 blue.

And we are back...!!!

Not from our cross-country adventure, but IN GENERAL and with updates! Due to the economy crashing a lot of dreams (but not the one for CHANGE...yay!), we have postponed our maiden voyage to summer 2009. But we still have lots going on in the meantime!


We are co-promoting a holiday event featuring local designers Thursday, December 4th. (flier attached) Come hang with us and fight this year's bah humbug! All designers will have many items under $50 to ease the financial pinch!


275 Degraw St. (at Court), Brooklyn. In the basement!

GenArtPulse rocks our beat.

Many thanks to www.genartpulse.com!

Check us out!
http://www.genartpulse.com/archives/2008/08/ai_ai_gasa_pop_up_shop.php#002944

It is so nice to be noticed!

Future-friendly friends

Love and thanks to our previous neighbors at the 5th Avenue shop (not just because they were next door, but because they are the real deal), for their kind support, blog love (www.3rliving.blogspot.com), and opening the doors of their "future friendly" (entirely eco-fantastic) shop to our recycled umbrella jewelry line!

Check out their site www.3rliving.com for all your green gifts, needs, wants...and visit their store at 276L 5th Avenue in Park Slope to show some love to our jewelry line!

Get On The Bus!

It has been a month since we have closed our doors on 5th Avenue and we have been busy on the hunt for the perfect bus, making recycled umbrella clothing, jewelry and accessories, and new art for our Mobile Pop-Up Shop cross-country revolution!

We are traveling almost 10,000 miles, converting the bus to SVO to reduce environmental impact and cost, and hosting an umbrella recycling drive in each city! The project is big and funding is small, so we are reaching out for support...this is a fund raiser!

A $25 donation gets your name on the bus! That's a sushi dinner! Hard to sacrifice, but a worthy cause! We have made cute stickers that will bear your name/city (see right) and be plastered on the ceiling of the bus for all to marvel at. You will also receive a sticker to put on your car, bike, fridge, work corkboard...to remind you of us (send us good vibes to ward off breakdowns--both mechanical and emotional) and remind yourself of how awesome you are! There are more fabulous prizes for those who want to donate more!

Check out our new and improved website for more info. www.aiaigasa.com

What are you donating for?

{A country-wide umbrella recycling program! We will be hosting an umbrella recycling drive

in every city and turning them into clothing, jewelry and art to sell along the way! We will be donating a portion of the proceeds in each city to their chapter of Make A Wish Foundation! Because we believe wishes come true!

{We will be converting the bus to SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil). 90% of our fuel intake will be recycled cooking oil from local restaurants. Eco-loveliness and egg rolls.

{We will be stopping in Louisiana on the way back to give a hand to Habitat for Humanity for one week (maybe more if we just can't leave). We won't be there until the end of September so we will send a shout out when it gets closer if you want to help out. Any additional support you want to give to them we will make sure to deliver with our own hands! They still need a lot of love!

Our projected departure date is August 15th. We promise to have a big party before we leave...and you are invited!

Big raindrops of love!

Summer storms got you wet?

New! Short Sleeved Recycled Umbrella Bomber

100% salvaged umbrellas (shell and lining) combined with cotton knit cuffs and waistband. Absolutely one-of-a-kind, wind and waterproof, and neatly rolls up to fit in your bag! Outrageous leg-o-mutton sleeves, REVERSIBLE (all black on reverse) and side zip pockets. Machine washable.

Go to www.aiaigasa.com for more info and ordering!

Ai Ai Gasa Mile Club

Hey Family, Friends and Fans!

Ai Ai Gasa is narrowing in on our departure date for our cross-country revolution! We want to thank everyone who has supported us thus far! We still have a lot of ground to cover before we set out and 10,000 miles to drive. We are converting the bus to SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil) to cut down on environmental impact and cost. We are looking for green sponsors...either eco-companies or eco-individuals. Please check out our website www.aiaigasa.com if you want to sponsor. There are kind rewards in store for you!