Eco Fashion World

Nicole Bridger - Photo credit: Jesse Winter Photography  

We were hit with a little spring fever as we watched the runway shows at Vancouver Eco Fashion Week this season.  From beautiful draping and fun florals to gorgeous crochet swimwear and a show dedicated to vintage lines, the spring/summer 2012 collections brought together the best in eco friendly trends for having fun in the upcoming sun. 

In addition to the runway shows, Eco Fashion Week also hosted a trend seminar by Carly Stojsic of WGSN, a designer panel and DJ shopping hours. Whether the attendees watched the latest trends on the catwalk, drank and danced their way through the vendors or gabbed with Eco Fashion Week’s always fashionable president Miriam Laroche, EFW Season 3 added to the bi-annual event’s growing reputation for the place where eco and fashion come together.

  Anna Kosturova - Photo credit: Sharif Sharifi and Alfonso Arnold

Anna Kosturova - Photo credit: Jay Lee for Eco Fashion Week

 

Second Denim - Photo credit: Jay Lee for Eco Fashion Week  

Second Denim is where functionality meets style. The runway show featured a ballerina showing off the versitility of their jeans. Jumpers, scarves, charming western inspired shirts, cute dresses and flirty floral prints gave a nod to vintage style in a fresh spring color palette. Among our favorites from the show were a bold print floral maxi dress and a super cute cropped denim trench with oversized hood.

Jujube - Photo credit: Sharif Sharifi and Alfonso Arnold  

 

In flashes of marigold and rich earth tones, the Jujube collection wowed the crowd with gorgeous draping and ruching in luxurious eco fabrics. The show truly lived up to the designer’s four core values: Love the Earth, Love People, Love Originality, Love Quality.

 

Sitka rocked the runway with one of the best combinations of functionality and fashion, a true representation of Canada's west coast active outdoor life style. As designers of surfboards as well as clothing, Sitka's fun and funky collection featured men’s wear and flirty floral dresses perfect for the beach.  They sent their garments down the runway with models sporting gumboots and one even with a fishing rod. (Remember the ax from last season?) Their great mix of nature inspired styles brought a chic and fresh look to outdoor casual style.

What can we say? Nicole Bridger’s show summed up what eco fashion is all about. Her fresh, simple, and inspirational approach made dressing sexy easy. Inspired in meditation by a vision of the rising sun, Bridger’s collection 'Allowing Grace' was created from a calming earthy palette with pieces focusing on beautiful draping and effortless elegance. Her show featured a mix of traditional runway and dance showcasing the versatility of her eco friendly collection.

  Trunk Show by Misty Greer - Photo credit: Jay Lee for Eco Fashion Week

  Trunk Show by Misty Greer - Photo credit: Jay Lee for Eco Fashion Week  

As the hands-down most rocking show of Eco Fashion Week, Misty Greer’s Trunk Show featured burlesque dancer Melody Mangler from Vancouver’s own Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society and funky couture vintage-inspired frills. Greer's sexy, sassy and colorful show got everyone involved as models and dancers alike rocked their inner pinup girl sashaying and shimmying their way down the runway to songs like “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix.  Originally finding her inspiration in the L.A. rockabilly scene, Greer told us after her show that she has now found new muses for her handmade designs in Vancouver’s lively burlesque scene.

Myriam's Closet - Photo credit: Peter Jenson for Eco Fashion Week  

Featuring classic and elegant styles from the best of vintage, Miriam’s Closet displayed a beautiful assortment of classic colors like splashes of bright reds, greens, yellows and purples.  We loved the high waisted slacks and shorts and the cute finishing touch of tying off blouses instead of tucking them in. Accessories that also caught our eye included the unique use of belts and scarves.

Downtown Betty added flair to their show by using bikes from one of Eco Fashion Week’s sponsors, Opus Bikes, in their show. Specializing in eco friendly garments that lean towards the chic beach vagabond look, this brand creates effortless fashion forward styles that also allow you to ‘tread lightly’ on the earth.

  LRMA - Photo credit: Peter Jenson for Eco Fashion Week

As one of the few shows at Eco Fashion Week that focused on menswear, LRMA showcased sleek and slender trousers and khakis paired with bold button-ups in what seems to be the popular print for spring and summer: floral.

  Shefelt - Photo credit: Sharif Sharifi and Alfonso Arnold

  Shefelt - Photo credit: Jillian Warren

As one of the most cohesive shows of Eco Fashion Week, the Shefelt show awed the crowd with its eerie gothic music and use of masks on the runway.   But all show aside, the unbelievable handmade garments more than held their own. In beautiful rich earth tones and textures, each garment was gorgeously handcrafted and detailed featuring felted wool and silk. The show was a strong representation of wearable art.

Prophetik by Jeff Garner - Photo credit: Jillian Warren

After long awaited anticipation, Jeff Garner’s headlining show “Rebel Yell” on the closing night of Eco Fashion Week veered away from his typical and gave us a taste of vintage inspired whimsy. Although the menswear held more true to his past visions, Garner’s newest collection seemed to jump forward in time from antique to vintage for the women’s collection.  His walk through time was accompanied by special musical guest Caitlin Crosby and by stunning repurposed vintage jewelry by Mary Kay Samouce.

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