Eco Fashion World

An art-deco ballroom, hundreds of people on red plush chairs, big white balloons hanging from the ceiling like full moons on a dark night, camera people on the stage awaiting the start of the show. And then the music starts. Models in white outfits stride into the room. The light materials of the dresses, shirts and pants seem to flow around their bodies. The woven pleats and contemporary shapes of the garments give the simple organic cotton a transparent and chic appeal.

It is perhaps no surprise to some that today’s Pop & Rock scene shares some of the same cloth with contemporary eco fashion labels and the DIY craft movement. Subversive undertones prevail in the best of innovative design, and folks with vision - be they artists, musicians, designers, or activists - are at the forefront of drumming up true originality and material resourcefulness. A thrifty lifestyle often lends itself to establishing an economy of sorts when it comes to laying down the tracks of one’s personal style, and music and fashion often fuel and propel the underground activity of concerned citizenship and emerging new attitudes.

Water and fashion often strike images of breezy vacations at the beach, swimsuits, delicate sandals, and airy dresses.  Water, though, takes on a very different meaning for those who grow the cotton that clothe our summers. 

Underwear is something we all wear every day. Mostly, underwear is worn next to the skin and under the outer garments. But besides knickers, tanks tops, boxer shorts and bras, we can also include stockings, leggings and socks.

A dark night. A full moon. A deep forest. A weak light blinking through the trees. Come closer and spot five faces hulled in black capes around a big pot heated by fire. This is not the Middle Ages, it's the year 2009. And these are not witches brewing some magical drink, but NYC designers experimenting with organic dyes.

In 2001, my old roommate moved to NYC, to Williamsburg to be more precise. A year later, she came back for a visit looking even cooler than she had when we lived together. Turns out she was under a lot of pressure, the locals had playfully nicknamed her Bedford Ave. subway stop “the catwalk”. She was also the one who introduced me to street fashion magazines, which back then, were only popular in Japan. The underground catwalk was already taking shape.