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It’s not only what you’re wearing—it’s what you’re wearing it on. Harvested decades ago from the South American jungles, and hauled by elephant and ox cart before being milled into New York areas storied beachfront walkways, the salvaged tropical hardwoods now turn up at the forefront of American fashion—an unlikely but appropriate transformation for the times.

Sawkill will reclaim all woods from J.Crew’s Fashion Week installation, per the apparel firm’s request.

A new UN climate report reveals that human activity is a main cause of global warming – the odds look higher and more certain than ever, as reported in the New York Times . Despite a front page story, it doesn’t sound like breaking news – five degrees higher and we’re looking at “…melting land ice, extreme heat waves, difficulty growing food, massive changes in plant and animal life, and probably a wave of extinctions.”

There are doubters, but every major scientific association now warns that it’s a big threat, and may endanger some great cities — including New York, London, Shanghai, Venice, Sydney, Australia and New Orleans. The prospects sound potentially dire, but the real consequences from most windows can still feel removed – otherwise, why hasn’t there been dramatic change? 

Saw-kill, a Dutch term for Sawmill Creek (a 1620’s sawmill on Manhattan island) also expresses an environmental and social reality, and is a response to wishful thinking that we’re putting the warming trend on ice, or to greenwashing, which misleads consumers by playing fast and loose with terms like ‘eco-friendly, sustainable and green’. Photo: NY Times.

“What is laid upon us is to accomplish the negative; the positive is already given.” – Franz Kafka

Public agencies, private companies, unions, non-profits and individual citizens took part in the work of salvaging damaged boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy – FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), NYC Parks Dept., NYC Office of Debris Management, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Ashnu International, Local 173, Armster Reclaimed Lumber Co., Sawkill Lumber Co., YANA (You Are Not Alone) and local citizens.  

The boardwalk is made from Rainforest hardwoods, sourced in the jungles of Guyana and Brazil – species like Ipe, Cumaru, Greenheart and Angelique – woods that are among the hardest on earth, with almost supernatural resistance to insects and rot. 

Over three miles of the shoreline walkway were thrown off moorings by the storm, with large volumes sent to landfills before a coordinated effort was made to salvage the valuable hardwoods. Awareness that boardwalk woods are a cause of Rainforest destruction, and a potential link to the super storm, made reclamation among the symbols of local renewal and global environmental change.

Photos: Beach 106th St., Rockaway Boardwalk. (l) Reclamation work after the storm. (r) rebuilt comfort station with steps constructed from salvaged boardwalk.