Eco Fashion World

The little black dress recently experienced a sustainable make over ala Eliza Starbuck’s ‘Little Black Dress’ (LBD) for Bright Young Things. The premiere edition of this timeless fashion staple was launched two weeks ago at Maryam Nassir Zadeh in NYC, and Bright Young Things were on hand to demonstrate their creative interpretations of a garment that already has quite an impressive track record. The cool black dress at the heart of Bright Young Things was conceived in 2009 by independent fashion designer Eliza Starbuck when she teamed up with Sheena Matheiken, founder and fashion plate for the 365-day challenge called The Uniform Project. This now legendary fashion experiment involved wearing one dress every day for an entire year in order to raise charitable funds as well as highlight the potential for maximizing on a single garment via creative accessorizing and the clever use of fashion finds buried or forgotten in one’s closet.

Starbuck took on this design challenge and successfully helped to create the perfect little black number that could be worn on all occasions and in a variety of fresh ways. Bright Young Things is the latest re-incarnation of these efforts via a LBD that can be purchased online by women everywhere and then used as a template for expressions of unique personal style as well as trans-seasonal layering.

Made locally from high quality cotton piqué (with a hint of lycra) at the affordable price of $185 US dollars, the Bright Young Things Little Black Dress can be worn in any setting - at work or at a cocktail party, at a conference or a concert, on the street or on the beach.

“Through her line, Starbuck engages fresh dialogue bred from the idea that fashion should not be obsolete each season. She aligns herself with the philosophies of the Slow Movement – not only in terms of using alternative materials and local production practices but as an opportunity to create new relationships and meaningful, individual experiences with fashion. Discouraging mediocrity by promoting the aesthetic value of an everyday go-to dress, Bright Young Things encourages individuality by giving freedom back to the consumer with a dress that is universal, yet one-of-a-kind.”

The fun part, as if styling your LBD each time you don it is not groovy enough, is the community created via the Submit a Photo page of the Bright Young Things’ website. Followers can easily upload images of themselves sporting their unique interpretations of the LBD, reflecting their unique personalities, locales, personal views, and even day-to-day fashion fantasies.

Starbuck has also ensured that no LBD goes unwanted as she only makes as many dresses as she receives orders for, marking a new era in fashion production ala a slow design dialogue between designer and consumer. Good things come to those who wait, and Bright Young Things everywhere are already spreading this message with personal style.

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