Eco Fashion World

It´s Sunday afternoon and I´m sitting on my bed with my laptop on my lap. Next week around this time I´ll be in Chicago surrounded by 8.000 management scholars and I have really no idea what I can contribute to what they already bring to the world. Is it my eyes of an inexperienced PhD student that bring fresh perspectives? Is it my naivety that doesn´t value hierarchy yet simply because I don´t know who has what Honourable Chair? Is it my crazy ideas that people will laugh about saying: you funny fashion girl, what do you know about management research? Is it my attitude of let´s co-create on the spot and have fun while doing it?

If you ask my fresh husband: ´How did you spend the first day of your honeymoon?´, he will answer: sitting next to my wife´s grandmother during an eleven hours car drive!

Who would have ever thought I would marry a German and go on honeymoon to my own country: the beautiful lowlands of the Dutch Queen-dom! Although it were practicalities that drove us there, I loved being a tour guide during M.A.´s first visit. And besides that: we realized that this was a pretty green way to fully enjoy our new status.

What can I say? It was an incredible day!

With lots of sun and fun and amazing people;
With me and M.A. glowing and sweating in our eco wedding clothes;
With a 20 minute drive to the castle in a golden Audi accompanied by Romanian rap;
With hand-picked flowers by ´The Vissers girls´ that adorned our ceremony; With a home-made wedding cake and a wealth of delicious desserts created by friends;
With many green gifts ranging from eco fashion and food stuffs to an outdoor self-cooked organic dinner that will be arranged by two colleagues;
With dear guests that shared cars coming from different directions;
With a photoshoot-in-a-rush in the beautiful gardens leaving my dress greener than intended;

'What????? You're getting married on Monday and you don't even know what kind of flowers you want in your wedding bouquet?' The girl stares at me and I blush. 'Well you know I thought I could just pick some wild flowers, but Spring is over and there's not that much around anymore…Don't you have Max Havelaar roses or something?'

Sometimes you find yourself far away from home, disconnected to the internet, next to a swimming pool, talking to the coolest eco fashion people. Like in Brazil three weeks ago where I met Taylor from Portland. Taylor speaks a thousand languages and makes a living with that, but prefers her work as an eco fashion incubator. Recycling waste is her passion and she creates the funkiest stuff out of car tyres, ribbons and other scrap material. Her organization Red Semilla Roja has brought her to exciting places like Lebanon where she exhibited her work and that of fellow eco designers in a travelling expo. In Rio she works with art students, curators and independent artists on creating works for the Live Debris exhibition.

'What have you done? I look like a little witch!' My dress in a cursing green colour with a black velours coat wouldn't misfit a gothic party.
'I just wanted more artistic freedom, I am an autonomous designer you know, this is something really unique for a wedding!'
'It's so ugly and I can't believe you even had time to make matching shoes! I stamp my feet on the ground in the pointy black boots that look broom-ride ready.
'Be glad they're vegan leather Kim'. My friend looks at me with a victorious smile.
That's what you like right?
'I don't like it at all, this is not my dream dress, it's terrible and it doesn't match M.A.'s suit! 'AAARGGHHHHH my wedding is gonna be a disaster!!!!'

Three answers from people who are working at The Key, the new international tradeshow for green fashion and sustainable lifestyle, which opens today in Berlin. Why should people definitely visit the Key these upcoming 4 days?

Initiator ‘The Key’ Frans Prins: ‘We are not only representing eco fashion; we will present the new international movement. I like to work with designers who are committed to the world and have a creative design approach on sustainability. I prefer working with designers instead of already settled commercial brands because these designers think innovative, not always big in a commercial way but they create change we need’.

It's thirty-six years ago that I was created. By the mother of the bride: she spent some hours sewing me together. But then came the Big Day, a hot Saturday in June. I remember it like it was last week. She put me on and her green eyes lit up like candles. That was only the start of what became the best day in my life. Whoever saw her, smiled in admiration. She was a beautiful bride with her red curls and elegant walk. I was proud to make her a princess that day.