Eco Fashion World

PURIDEE

Last Saturday March 20, “The Green Initiative – Humanitarian Fashion Show” took place as part of The Gallery LA’s “Fashion Weekend” at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. The show was organized by Mikey Koffman of The Gallery LA and Ally Maize, founder of The Green Youth Movement (G.Y.M.*) and dubbed LA’s “green teen”. The event was very energizing for the fact that designers were willing to take risks and emerge from the shadow of economic malaise. These were my favourites:

Emily Factor (grandaughter of Max Factor) is a green designer I hadn’t seen until this show, and she got me with shape & figure, and the successful use of some very elaborate and colorful fabrics that could easily go awry. I’m definitely heartened by progress in the diversity of eco-friendly textiles. Factor featured a few different palettes, consisting of mixed or layered solids and prints, along with some skirts, mini & full-length dresses made out of the richest ornate blues! Your eyes want to eat this turquoise all day long, and Factor’s tailoring, so crucial with attention-greedy fabrics like this, was quite good, marrying fabric to female in a way that communicated strength and delicacy simultaneously… 21st century femininity at its most stylish.

EMILY FACTOR

Lindee Daniel’s Puridee featured texturally lush, dense gowns, some of which Daniels herself calls bridal, but the kind of non-traditional bridal that (a), can be worn elsewhere, and (b), I wish more bridal would dare to be. My favs were her gowns that were slit open in front from waist-down and either revealed another layer of full-length dress or even a loose flowing slack. Emerging quietly onto the LA scene in December 2008, Daniels says she has been thriving in custom orders, and saw this show as her first foray into the wholesale arena. Keep your eyes on Puridee to also launch a line of organic cottons this year at a more everyday price point.

Parker unveiled new one-size-fits-all pieces along with Lizzie Parker cores. She experimented with double and triple dying, creating some marbled, even acid-wash type looks, all in sustainable fabrics and dyes. Her look pictured here was my personal favorite of the show. Sometimes a look just speaks to you. Opening her own store in Seattle in 2009, Parker says in some ways she’s learned more in a year of retailing than all her years as a wholesaler. “As a designer we try so hard to be super innovative and unique, and on the runway you absolutely want to make that splash, but some of your basic things are what sell best and sustain your business.” Want a scoop? Starting this Thursday, in concert with Badjoan, every single piece from Parker’s show will be available cut-to order, all under $140. You’ll get it within two weeks, and cut-to-order means low to no waste.

LIZZIE PARKER

Gotten a taste of the G.Y.M. looks showcased last Saturday? You can visit this gallery for a full slideshow of the show’s looks.

*G.Y.M. educates youth and their families on steps to reduce their environmental impact. They bring presentations into schools, and provide “green kits” with everything from re-usable grocery bags & water bottles, to shower-timers and even junk-mail-reducer kits. Not afflicted by small thinking, Ally Maize’s ultimate goal for G.Y.M. is to collaborate with educators and politicians to “create a practical and research-based environmental course of study [for] every elementary school … across the nation.” In the time since G.Y.M. was founded (when Ally was 15), she has seen Al Gore personally accept an award from her organization and for this fashion show, she has teamed with one of LA’s path-finding green fashion, arts & production organizations.

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