Eco Fashion World

Ayala Moriel was born in Montreal, raised in a little village in the north of Israel then moved back to Canada 12 years ago, where she has lived in Vancouver, BC ever since. While she was growing up, Moriel was exposed to the many aromatic plants of the Mediterranean, which she notes "is really the region where perfumery was originally invented and in fact, the first perfume was an ancient Egyptian type of incense called Kyphi." When Moriel moved to Vancouver, she noticed the scents of nature in this part of the world were sadly washed out by the rain. Moriel recalled the rich scents she had grown up with such as, the aromas of the salty Mediterranean breeze, orange blossoms and wildflowers in the springtime, and the scents of earth after the rain.

Jenny Ambrose was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada, also known as ‘the prairies.’ She grew up in clothing homemade by her mother and in the same way her mother worked with fabrics, her father worked with wood. He made furniture, patios and even houses. Her parents built two houses together, from foundation to decoration. After high school, she moved to Jasper in the Rocky Mountains for a year and a half before moving to the UK on her own in January 1998.

It is human nature to search and explore. Some people push a little harder than others to try new things, find ‘their place,’ and make an impact. New discoveries lead to personal growth and almost always, the influence radiates into the lives of those around the diligent movers and shakers. Andrea Rodriguez-Tarazi, the founder and designer of Knots & Stones, is one of those diligent movers and shakers, creatively converting her inspiration and taking her self-assigned role in the green revolution, armed with tiny knots, delicate seeds, and earth-made stones.

CAMILLE

Sofia Mendez-Schenone was born in Chile and also lived in Italy. Both places are filled with a known air of sensuality and an appreciation for femininity. She was inspired by women with a timeless appeal, sophistication and passion for every moment; women who look to have a good laugh and smile at life because they know who they are and where they stand. This is what Sofia aspired to reflect.

Annie O. Waterman grew up in Northern California, about an hour north of San Francisco. She was always drawn to textiles, which likely stemmed from her mother’s love for fabrics and interior design. Her father is an architect with an incredible eye for detail which clearly influenced her appreciation for technique and her obvious sense of artistic proportion.

NIXXI Photo by Peter Holst Photography

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the many events at the first annual Eco Fashion Week here in Vancouver Canada! Sponsored by Aveda, the opening night gala was the perfect hot spot to meet everyone involved. A few words were spoken by Myriam Laroche, Eco fashion Week President and Nicole Bridger, a local Vancouver designer who recently won the Fashion Takes Action Design Forward Award for Canada’s Favourite Eco Fashion Designer.

The annual Ethical Fashion Source Expo (formerly ‘Global Sourcing Marketplace’) is coming up in London on October 6th, and for anyone interested in deciphering the future of sustainable textiles in fashion, this is the place to be. Hosted by the UK’s Ethical Fashion Forum this year’s expo will take place alongside the RITE Conference at Central Hall Westminster. The one-day only event will bring together more than 50 exemplary suppliers and manufacturers who are working towards fair trade and consistent ethical standards all over the world. In addition to seminars and face-to-face dialogue with attendees, there will also be a Designer Pavilion, highlighting pioneers in the fashion field. Ada Zandition, Ciel, Reet Aus, Nara Guichon, Eva Cammarata and Worn Again, to name a few, will all be on-site. Read on for a complete list of the talent to be featured.

ANDEAN COLLECTION 

According to studies by The World Bank discussed on Global Issues:

• Almost half the world (over 3 billion people) lives on less than $2.50 a day.
• At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.
• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers.

Misericordia: Manos, Espíritu y Corazón, was created by Aurelyen and Mathieu Reumaux in 2002. In Spanish, Misericordia means “heart of mercy” and Manos, Espíritu y Corazón translates to “hands, spirit and heart” – representative of the ingredients that make this company extraordinary.

Me to We Style is a new Canada based social enterprise that is committed to providing ethically manufactured, quality apparel for the socially conscious consumer. Their product line is locally produced, sweat-shop free, made using certified organic cotton and viscose from bamboo, and created to inspire a focus that is less on “Me” and more on “We” – our communities, our nations, and our world.

Thieves by Sonja den Elzen caters to an individual with strength accented by sensuality. Edgy and sultry while conscientiously designed, den Elzen’s collections are for the woman with a femme fatale exterior or the male counterpart, both sheltering an earth-loving heart of gold.

Toronto born designer Sonja den Elzen grew up spending most of her extracurricular time outdoors surrounded by nature. den Elzen’s observations and experiences in nature developed into a deep-rooted appreciation for the environment. Her interest in fashion came from looking at editorials in magazines as a child and wishing she could have the beautiful clothing featured in the images.

How on earth does one run a lifestyle brand that’s ethical and sustainable – that helps save the earth?

Today my wife Nicky and I run our own brand, Millican, a company that produces classic travelling and outdoor bags but also encourages our customers to make conscious choices about sustainability and eco-friendly living. But that’s no easy road, as I hope this article honestly shows.

There are many yoga brands around, but not many that make you feel like practicing it non-stop. Prancing Leopard goes beyond that with their versatile yoga and casual collection that you can wear from yoga class to the café and back. Not running or simply walking, but prancing: moving spiritedly. Founders Sevda and Bert Holland had one thing in mind when they launched their line last year: love, care and organic cotton. Translated to a company that gives back to society and great clothes that support a dynamic lifestyle.

Founded in 2007 by Nikki Sayavanh, San Diego-based Nikster shows off the sexier side of green. An archetypal California girl in that she loves the beach and outdoor fun in the sun, Sayavanh designs swimwear collections that encompass sex appeal, adventure, beauty, and environmental consciousness. With a non-traditional education built on research materials, sewing workshops, textile surface design courses, and many mentors along the way, Sayavanh decided to blend her love for art, healthy living, travel, and her fascination with sea turtles to create swim apparel which brilliantly reflects her passion for all of these things.

‘Call me when you’re there’, she wrote. ‘So I can pick you up from the front of the house’. While I admire the blossoming tree in her garden, she appears. Brown hair, simple outfit and a shy smile: bag designer Ashley Watson is not someone for the spotlights. She leads me around the house to her studio in the basement. One girl is working on cutting the leather while soft music plays in the background. It looks like a quiet space where true creation can happen. And it does.

Conceived by Hong Kong-born now Brooklyn-based designer Beryl Man, ajna collections deliver a message of interconnectedness to the world of high fashion. From a young age, Man enrolled in drawing classes and had an innate interest in art history, travel, museums, and the intrinsic nature of other cultures. These elements later became the foundation for her career in fashion.

Once in a while you come across an eco fashion designer that really touches you deeply in terms of aesthetics and inspiration. Last Tuesday I had the privilege of meeting Sonja den Elzen in her flagship store in downtown Toronto. Sonja is the founder of Thieves, the brand that got headlines last February during the Green Showrooms in New York. She told me what inspired her for her A/W 2010 collection ‘Conscience’.

When it comes to morphing an ethical clothing company into an ethical fashion brand, it’s important to have all of the right elements – pure production, ethical mission and, of course, good design. When I ventured to downtown New York City to view hessnatur's spring/summer 2010 collection, there was one thing that was very clear about their mission this season: the designs are timeless and don’t skimp on quality.

The birth of Heinz Hess' ethical clothing brand came about by humble means back in 1976. When German naturalist Hess couldn't find organic clothing for his newborn son, he decided to create his own line. Since then hessnatur, based out of the German village of Butzbach, has worked with a handful of suppliers to offer completely pure clothing at a reasonable price. And now, the German company is bringing the dream of Heinz Hess to America.

The lesso: A long rectangular piece of cloth, brightly coloured and patterned, the traditional attire of Swahili women living along the coastal regions of East Africa. Since 2005, the lesso has taken on a different, rather more international role as the inspiration and centrepiece of clothing brand Lalesso, which is currently taking the fashion world by storm.