Eco Fashion World

Conifer wins the award for best portrayal of a standard San Francisco boutique filled with lovely women’s apparel.  I say “portrayal” because Amy Mautz’s store is unpretentiously so much more.  Mautz engages eco sustainability from the salvaged wood floor and shelves to the inventory which includes not only notable eco-designers Organics by John Patrick, H. Fredriksson, and Stewart+Brown, but also her own locally made designs.

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL DIAZ 

I am blessed to have been born and raised within a beautiful culture which has infused every part of my life, from the language, dance, music, art, and food, to an appreciation for family, friendship, togetherness and affection. The magic in this world recently granted a wish of mine through a long awaited visit with a large part of my family on the Caribbean island of Cuba, the country where both my parents were born to which I traveled over 9 years ago with my mother for a first visit. Last time, I carried with me stories I had been told all my life and held no other expectations. It was my first time in a third world country, my first time meeting many family members, and my mother’s first time back since she and her family left the island when she was 15 years old. I enjoyed my trip but I think I was in a state of disorientation and shock for a large part of it. I was more observing and not so much taking part. This time, I vowed to delve deeper into that culture which runs deeply in my veins and I wanted to incorporate my work in fashion and the arts into my trip. As I researched art and fashion of the present Havana, I hit the jackpot. A google search led me to Dionisio Abad Jarrosay Ruíz.

A preview of a thrilling new alliance between swimwear brand Speedo and sustainable fashion label, From Somewhere, was just recently revealed at Estethica, the British Fashion Council’s ethical fashion area at London Fashion Week.

The ‘From Somewhere with Speedo’ collaboration represents a series of creativity-infused projects commissioned by Speedo through which unsold stock and surplus pieces from the Speedo LZR Racer suit (discontinued in January 2010 for racers due to revisions announced by FINA, swimming’s governing body) will be used to fabricate new styles. The limited edition capsule collection that is still in development includes a statement dress constructed purely of Speedo LZR Racer suits which will be auctioned for charity.

Fashion is ever-evolving as are we (we hope) and with each passing trend there is a pile of clothes left in our closet or our bottom drawer to dispose of. What if you could conveniently place that pile of clothes in a nearby recycling bin? Now, in at least one city, you can

With a résumé that includes model, television host, best-selling author, environmental activist, and social entrepreneur, Summer Rayne Oakes, the woman dubbed the first eco model, took a ‘time out’ amidst her demanding calendar of events to sit down and tell me about her present day ventures, aspirations for the future and some of the fashion items she is currently coveting.

Jamie Lim was going about her life, studied economics in undergrad, and was working full time at an investment management company when she stopped and thought to herself, “I don’t think anything about the way we currently live makes sense any more.” She went over this topic in her mind and mulled over aspects of the food we eat, the cars we drive, the amount of things that are thrown away and the daunting statistics related to poverty and hunger.

It all starts with an idea; an idea you can’t let go of, an idea that inspires you to the point of breathlessness each time you think about it. You know if you don’t act on it, it is going to haunt you for the rest of your life. This is your time to bare all, your moment to pour everything you have into something you love and truly make a difference. These few sentences describe the birth of Banuq.

Most eco fashion stores I visit are rather small shops, often off the beaten track. But asap is a big two storey space in the midst of a vibrant area in Milan's Garibaldi district. There is a reason for this as Carla Lasorte and her husband Alberto Zanone have developed a vision for asap since 20 years. 'We call our brand 'as sustainable as possible' because we realize that being one hundred percent sustainable is impossible. Instead, we try our best to do as much as we can in our product design, manufacturing processes and distribution. For us, quality is key to sustainability'.

FYE (For Your Earth) is an eco-friendly sneaker brand launched in 2009 that is setting fashion trends while demonstrating respect for the environment and mankind. The result of several years of careful planning to fulfill a dream of delivering ethical yet fashionable sneakers, FYE shoes are gaining popularity for more than just their good looks.

Future-fashion design platform Not Just a Label will launch an organic t-shirt collection to affirm it's eco sense. Three designers from the NJAL roster were chosen for their sustainable sensibilities to express their style identities using a classic t-shirt as their canvas. Launch date is June 23 and t-shirts retail for £ 55.

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!