Eco Fashion World

Already a fashion darling with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Burberry, young actress Emma Watson, who made her mark in the famous Harry Potter films, is now showing us her own brand of magic. It turns out this fashionista has a knack for design and a compassionate spirit, she picked British fair trade fashion label People Tree to showcase her talent in a new collection that has just hit the online store to our great delight. Striped dresses and tees? Check! That perfect little heather blazer? Check! Affordable prices? Check again!

Using celebrity power to make good things happen is not a new concept. A face that is already in the spotlight, a name that is well-known worldwide, a person that people respect and admire – when some one who fits that description speaks, people listen.

Dating back to the early 1900s, post-war and post-prohibition era, when men had just returned from war and women who had labored during the war were ready to enjoy a social gathering, cocktail parties became the chic thing to host and attend. And what fabulous social event goes without the accompaniment of a full blown fashion show?!

Pamela Andersen, Heather Mills and Emma Watson are all part of a new trend. The new black is no longer just wearing green apparel, but launching your own organic fashion line.

Back in 2005, some of the first stars to launch an eco fashion line were Bono and his wife Ali Hewson when they revealed their fair-trade brand Edun. Since then, even more celebrity eco clothes have appeared on the runways. Today you can buy eco jeans designed by Sheryl Crow, vegan shoes by Natalie Portman, and recycled t-shirts and gear from the rock band Radiohead.

Favoring western designs and customs over their own traditions is a common characteristic of people in non-western countries. From a fashion perspective, this is problematic because it makes us all look the same. From a cultural perspective, it's dramatic because it makes us loose authentic techniques and crafts that people have been practicing over centuries. Copy-paste behavior results in a minimum dull look and designers who stick their neck out deserve some appreciation.

Bibico will join the Shared Talent India project run by the London College of Fashion’s ‘Centre for Sustainable Fashion’. The project has selected six designers from the UK and six designers from India to create a shared collection and promote sustainability & fair trade fashion. The collection will be exhibited at Monsoon’s stand at Esthetica, part of London Fashion Week in September 2009. As mentioned by Marie Claire bibico is one of the exciting new ethical brands out there!

In case you didn’t know yet, Karl Lagerfeld twitters! And love him or hate him, if you’re curious about fashion, you’re bound to be curious about Karl.