It’s
not everyday that Hong Kong’s glitterati are alchemized into green
gems, but this was the case on Thursday, October 30 when celebrities
and socialites gathered at the W Hong Kong for Eco Chic HK, an eco fashion event showcasing some of the hottest sustainable fashion labels currently on the scene.
The star-studded event was organized by Christina Dean and the Hong Kong non-profit, Green2Greener, and served as a celebratory, fashion-forward occasion to promote environmental sustainability, both locally and globally.
The green carpet that sprouted outside of the W Hong Kong was also an
occasion for attendees to donate couture garments of their own that
were later auctioned to benefit socially and environmentally
responsible charities. The World Wildlife Fund, Civic Exchange, Friends of the Earth,
and The Saint James Settlement were all beneficiaries. It was a great
way to usher in the new fusion of luxury and sustainable style in a
city known for high-end retailing and elite shopping.
The
eco fashion runway show of the night featured eco couture by
international designers Diane von Furstenberg, John Rocha, and Thakoon;
vintage designs by Chloe, Dior, Chanel, and Versace; and local design
stars such Barney Cheng, Cecilia Yau, Kanchan Panjabi, Ruby Li.
Ready-to Wear eco labels included eco chic designs by Bahar Shahpar, Cri de Coeur, Deborah Lindquist www.deborahlindquist.com, Eco Boudoir www.eco-boudoir.com, Lara Miller, Meiling Chen, Mika Machida, and Popomomo, to name a few.
CHRISTINA DEAN
Given that the night promoted recycling covetable vintage pieces for
charities while also highlighting some of the freshest, most innovative
designs in the eco fashion world, one might conclude that Hong Kong’s
fashionistas are indeed on the path to ‘green and greener’ attitudes.
Recycled chic might be slow to catch on in a cosmopolitan city known
for sleek architecture and shiny facades, but the positive spin seems
to be the increasing acknowledgment that sustainability must infiltrate
the luxury goods market (and the markets overall) if fashion is to
survive in this fragile global economy. The promotion of eco textiles
and cleaner manufacturing practices, not to mention improved labor
laws, must also be embraced in a hemisphere that has, to date, not been
known for the greenest, fairest standards. Top down or bottom up, Eco
Chic Fashion is here to stay, as it seems as if every one wants a piece
of the action as a means to promote lasting, sustainable style that
redefines luxury as we know, wear it, and share it.
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