Eco Fashion World

Very proud we are of Ada Zanditon , whom we featured in our December 2008 MAG as a new talent to keep an eye on. Ada has now been chosen as Vauxhall Fashion Scout's rising stars this season and will make her make London Fashion Week debut as part of the initiative's Ones To Watch programme.

As Inhabitat’s fashion editor, I spend a lot of time (yes, a tad bit little longer than is required for my job) perusing through seriously crave-worthy fashions, from the frilly and ethereal, to the haunting and hardcore. That being said, looking at all of these beautiful clothes can be very bittersweet when you’re working with a less than rockstar budget. In fact, one of the biggest complaints I hear about ethical and eco-conscious fashion is that it is just too expensive! I definitely acknowledge the fact that buying a lot of these labels is not cheap, but you have to admit that it makes sense that clothing using the latest and most innovative fabrics and paying fair wages to local people would be more pricey. I try my best to save up and buy my favorite eco-chic pieces when they go on sale to support the cause, but who says you need to spend big bucks to rock a look that is both green and cutting edge? Here are 5 easy and supercheap ways to green your wardrobe by using your noggin instead of your benjamins.

This month and just in time for summer, two new eco fashion labels hit popular high street store Topshop . The fashion giant had already shown its ethical side by adding fair trade label People Tree to its offering and now you can be thrice eco savvy thanks to My Only One and Annie Greenabelle.

Launched last week, My Only One for Topshop re-defines the world of casual sportswear. Their Sport Nouveau style is a modern take on traditional sports apparel. Oversized men’s sports t-shirts from the 70’s and 80’s are transformed and remade into playful pieces such as the Circus Dress and Tennis Skirt. Vintage dresses from the 50’s and 80’s inspired feature items such as the Echo Playsuit, a unique twist on a timeless all in one jumpsuit. The look is casual, comfortable and highly functional with a flirty tomboy twist. Perfect for stepping out for a day of Frisbee in the park with the right amount of individuality to translate into a fun night on the dance floor. Who knows, you could bump into My Only One designers bicycling around east London lapping up inspiration and re-imagining new designs for their bespoke collection.

Launching on June 15th don’t miss Annie Greenabelle’s ‘Never Had It So Good’ Spring/Summer 09 collection, inspired by British nostalgia - looking back on the life of a 1950’s housewife and taking her style as inspiration. The eclectic Topshop range includes a selection of summer dresses, such as; the Coral party dress with organic cotton vest top and vintage floral skirt, the white ‘Retro Wimbledon’ inspired drill pleat dress and sky blue floral shirt dress.

There is a not-so-little something brewing in the world today, and it has nothing to do with mass produced, cheap, 3-million-of-a-kind “things” fashioned on a conveyer belt. In this marketplace there will always be a big box store offering standard, generic type gift ideas, clothing and accessories. And there may be a place for that kind of purchase along the consumer’s journey. Unfortunately, the ultimate place for all of that ‘stuff’ is a landfill. Imagine giving a different sort of gift. One that you made with your own hands or hand-made by a talented (maybe even local) artisan whose passion and dedication went into each stitch, each fold, and each paint brush stroke. Imagine the expression on the face of a child who received a hand carved toy that is smooth, warm to the touch and can spark the imagination in a myriad of ways. This is what the indie (independent) handmade movement is all about.

If you want to improve your DIY skills, set hand in the wonderful world of embroidery! After knitting and sewing, embroidery is another technique that’s rapidly gaining in popularity. The New York Times magazine recently covered an article on Jenny Hart and her embroidery art. With Sublime Stitching, Hart goes beyond your grandma's embroidery and has created the hippest embroidery site ever. Here you find patterns, info on techniques, fair-trade materials and lots of smart instruments to add to your toolbox.

If you don't know how to sew yet, now is a great time to learn! Sewing is the next best thing to knitting and allows you to revive your wardrobe from A to Z. A comprehensive website to start your sewing classes is Threads, which organizes a yearly conference on sewing. Threads regularly gives discounts on DVD sets and other interesting tools to make you learn the tricks. Other websites are and good old Burda Style where you can find patterns for everything from skirt to blazer. If you’d rather design your own patterns, try out Fashion Design Online which offers computerized pattern making courses.

March 21st is the official beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere! But just as designers are presenting their Fall/Winter 09 collections all over the world, maybe it’s time to start preparing your own wardrobe for next winter. In the first installment of our “Crisis Creativity: DIY” series we take you through the funky world of knitting.