If you've been following us at FashionStake, you'll know that the democratization of fashion is basically our M.O. If you're new to this space, please allow us to introduce ourselves. We love the idea of the masses having a collective voice among the fashion elites. Accordingly, this year's CFDA Popular vote is directly up our alley.

The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) has annual awards to honor outstanding designers of men's and women's clothing and accessories. Winners for all awards are chosen by a panel of "judges" that include editors, buyers, and (recently) bloggers. All awards save one, that is. The popular vote!

Last year the winner was Ralph Lauren... fair enough, though if this award continues it will hopefully evolve into an engine to boost emerging talents and labels. Click here to vote. Voting ends on Friday, May 28.

Etsy is a great incubator site for designers on the come up, including international brands looking to broaden their audience to new countries. Today I went sifting through the site and found some great jersey garments by an Israel-based seller called Shihar Studio.

Standout pieces from Shihar include this "Snuggle Up" wrap top, which comes in 11 different colors. I would order this in each of the neutrals and wear them like crazy. It's the perfect season and moment in fashion for it now, as jersey and fleece are getting some long overdue attention right now.

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It's Earth Day today, and retailers online and off are seizing the marketing opportunity just as they would for any other holiday. This year it's easier than ever, as the "green" trend is still going strong. However, there are some brands and designers that don't wait for a gorgeous spring day to celebrate our beautiful planet. Here's a few names you should know that work year-round at creating fashion that's sustainable and Earth friendly.

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