Eco Fashion World

Fostering the future of design talent with Industry Legends, Entrepreneurs and Innovators

AFINGO Fashion Forum will return to New York City on Friday, April 1 to host an interactive panel that connects fashion designers with esteemed fashion industry insiders. The forum will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology's K.M. Amphitheater (Building D on 27th Street and Seventh Avenue).

In a small workshop, in a small town dwarfed by its giant neighbour São Paulo, four women sit at sewing machines. Baby Ana Clara lies happily on a play mat in the corner and conversation is interrupted only by the whir of sewing machines. The atmosphere in the room is contented yet busy and the group clearly get things done: the huge piles of completed t-shirts are testament to this.

Introduced with a compelling view of why eco fashion exists today, divided into five carefully segregated chapters, written in newly established but easy-to-understand 'sustainable fashion prose', and enhanced with a glossary at the back for reference, Eco Fashion by Sass Brown is an impressive compilation of philosophy, design, art, innovation and education.

"Imagine a giant clothing store where everything is free…"

With the introduction of professionally organised clothing swapping (or'swishing'), the tradition of swapping your gorgeous-but-unwanted clotheswith sisters, cousins, neighbours and friends has just got a whole lot bigger.The phenomenon of clothes swapping continues to evolve and flourish inAustralia with residents wising up to the fact that the estimated 1.7 milliondollars a year they misspend on unused items could be put to better useelsewhere.

EDUCATION FOR CHANGE 

The conference sessions at Vancouver ECO Fashion Week (VEFW) were designed and edited to help bridge the gap between responsible education and the business of fashion. If you are familiar with Social Alterations (SA), this would not come as a huge surprise; our organization is mandated toward this end. Myriam Laroche, VEFW President, brought us on board as a partner last year for this reason to facilitate dialogue and assist/support designers and the industry to make responsible business choices at VEFW.

BATTALION Photo by Jason Hargrove

 

As Vancouver Eco Fashion Week rolled into its second day showcasing eco conscious brands, designers, and new collections for fall 2011, the runway proved to be the centre of the action. Shows by Echo Rain Apparel, Anna Talbot, Filly, Jessica Milton, The Battalion, and Adhesif warmed up the catwalk with a variety ranging from simple cuts in earthy colours to faux furs with a classic vintage feel.