Eco Fashion World

What to do when you've been working for fashion glossy's for thirteen years and are tired of writing about the season's trends? You have a few talks with government officials and the founder of Oslo Fashion Week and give birth to NICE! I meet Tone Tobiasson in Café Bacchus in downtown Oslo where she passionately narrates about NICE. Although NICE started as a Norwegian concept, it has quickly moved to become the Nordic Initiative for Clean and Ethical Clothing. The collaboration between five Scandinavian countries aims to move the fashion industry beyond eco labeling with a comprehensive program involving fashion schools, new legislation and a Code of Conduct.

In 1,5 hours, Tone guides me through the founding stage of NICE up to its mission for the next ten years. 'I'm so grateful for this financial crisis you know, because there's only one way out there and that's of course GREEN!'. There is really an overall awareness concerning what's locally produced and ethical. Like our national costume the Bunad , everyone has one and wears it to special occasions. I got one when I was a young girl and still wear it because it adjusts to your growth. The knitwork and quality is amazing, it can't get any more ethical than that! A more modern take is the brand iiS, a knitwear brand run by a small family company situated on the south west coast of Norway. Or what about Green Square that uses a fabric called Nipon for its collections? We'll be hosting a bunch of celebrities for the Fashion Summit in Copenhagen this year and I don't mind seeing George Clooney in one of their eco suits! Or Adrian Grenier, you know him, the guy from the 'Devil wears Prada'? He is in Alter Eco at Planet Green…….

Her phone rings and she starts talking in the melodious Norwegian that relates to Dutch but sounds exotic even to me. I see a glimpse of the former glossy journalist enjoying the glamorous side of fashion. One reason a lot of us might be into it in the first place. 'My daughter, if she can borrow my Chanel handbag', smilingly. 'We always got so many things at the magazine I was working at: bags, clothes, make-up. Well, she can keep it, I never use it'. This woman clearly has another purpose in life by now.

Comments (3)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form