Eco Fashion World

MONIQUE VAN HEIST

Realizing that ethically produced fashion is empty without strong design. The Fair Wear Foundation partnered with the Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Awards to support nominees in establishing fair and transparent production of their work. It was an emotional Monique van Heist who took home not one but two prizes: the Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Award and the Incubator and Media Award. Out of seven nominees, the jury chose Van Heist for her innovative designs and shown excellence in the past year. Even though Van Heist is not originally an ethical designer, the participation of the Fair Wear Foundation in helping her and the other nominees make their supply chains more ethical is a breakthrough engagement that aims to get these young designers to discover a new and better way of working, and show them that it is possible to follow sustainable practices while keeping their unique styles.

FROM SOMEWHERE

Miles away in London, the Re:Fashion awards took place last Thursday November 13th and awarded the cream of the crop of British ethical fashion designers. From Somewhere www.fromsomewhere.co.uk won the Fashion Designer of the Year award with its feminine upcycled wears, in the words of designer Orsola de Castro: “Ethical fashion is gathering speed with the momentum of an avalanche. At From Somewhere we are, humorously and eloquently I hope, finding a creative design solution to the increasing problem of waste management.” We were not surprised to hear that Izzy Lane, featured as this month’s EFW Mag designer interview, won the New Fashion Designer of the Year Award, while the Innovation in Business and People Award went to Pachacuti, whom we had a chance to interview at Ethical Fashion Show in Paris. Finally, three beautiful faces were honored for bringing awareness to the cause through their work as models: Alex Wek, Erin O’Connor and Lily Cole, prove that beauty is much more than skin deep. Check out all the winners soon on the Re:Fashion Awards website!

Founders of the RE:Fashion Awards Cyndi Rhoades, Creative Director of Anti-Apathy www.antiapathy.org, Tamsin Lejeune, Director of Ethical Fashion Forum www.ethicalfashionforum.com and Lucy Shea Strategy Director of Futerra Sustainability Communications www.futerra.co.uk

Last but not least, the Accessories Council recently innovated by creating a new award category for Green Designer of the Year, the first time winner of which was fashionable animal lover Stella McCartney. The designer has always shunned leather and fur in her collections and made efforts to include sustainable materials. In 2006 she took risks by starting a leather-free accessories line. Back then she told Women’s Wear Daily "I do want to show that accessories can be made from a more ethical viewpoint—and be sexy and cool. The myth of leather—that every bag and shoe needs to be made from it—needs to be broken down. It's a bit caveman." Stella is also featured in an inspiring new book called One Can Make a Difference which might be just the stocking stuffer to inspire great green resolutions for the new year ahead!

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