Eco Fashion World

Anna Herman grew up intrigued by the details of how things worked. This crossed over into her interest in fashion from a very early age. The elements and processes of clothing design were something she was so fascinated with that after attaining a degree in Fine Arts and operating her own store in Missoula, Montana (a hemp mecca), she contemplated the many life damaging aspects of the garment industry and immersed herself in the world of vintage shopping. She made new things, remade old things, and found herself still wanting to do something more for the world of eco fashion.

Herman organized a sewing workshop in the top floor of her Victorian home, created Herman’s ECO INC., and with the intention of filling a gap, she coordinated and introduced the Green ECO Fashion Show, a fashion show solely focused on sustainable garments. The Green Eco Fashion Show was launched in 2009 and showcased designs from Sympatico, Satch & Sol, Ethos Paris, and Anna Herman herself. The conclusion of the show represented a personal success for Herman, who had incorporated natural fibers in her creations for as long as she could remember. It also represented her contribution to sustainable fashion as a whole. Herman agrees the eco fashion industry has evolved in leaps and bounds but also feels the garment industry is slow to make the necessary changes and she wants to do her part to push for more accountability and action.

SATCHSOL

As the Green ECO Fashion Show’s second year approaches, Herman looks forward to doing her part in eliminating sweatshops, regulating or banning the use of harmful chemicals in the garment industry, contributing to increased awareness and enforcing the practice of Fair Trade. In the future, she would like to expand the Green ECO Fashion Show to travel to other cities and collaborate with like-minded artists in the production of the show.

The upcoming show will be held on Saturday August 21, 2010 in the beautiful Yellowstone National Park, which pours across three states in the U.S. in the northwest region of the country. A Best ECO Designer of the West contest will be held in conjunction. The entry fee for designers is just $50 and six garments may be submitted for presentation. The criteria are that the garments be constructed of organic cotton, hemp, silk, wool or a recycled material and that the garments were constructed with respect to fair trade practices. If the entrants are not present, a video will be sent after the show and items will be returned in a timely manner. Herman hopes to attract eco designers of all types from all over the world, including grassroots companies whose contributions have a great impact.

ETHOS PARIS

Herman mainly uses 100% hemp in her designs and manufacture takes place locally in America. All items are designed, dyed, cut, and sewn in one place to further reduce their carbon foot print. On a personal lifestyle note, Herman and her husband Carl grow some of their own food and they operate a local farmers market.

Herman believes in the preservation of our planet but also stresses the importance of what we expose our skin to through the garments that we wear on a daily basis. Through her initiative she aims to change how the world shops and says to remember the four W’s: Where was it made? Which materials were used? Who made it? What were the laborers and craftsman paid? Anna Herman believes it is not just about the visual outcome of the garments that you wear, it is also very much about the details of what went into each item from design to materials to labor. The clothes we wear represent much more than a few cloths cut and attached by thread; they represent what we want for our future and for the future of our planet.

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