Eco Fashion World

EVGENI PETKOV

With fashion weeks in major cities now having come to a close, the future of eco and ethical fashion is shining ever brighter as momentum continues to build for authentic sustainable fashion offerings. From NY’s The GreenShows to London’s Estethica to Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week to Hong Kong’s EcoChic Asia, the word is definitely out that a global shift is taking place as designers adopt strategies to responsibly source and produce their latest collections. In certain regions, eco fashion initiatives still do not have the same organized support, but talented individuals are finding resourceful ways of contributing within their communities to the green fashion phenomenon. Given that I will be reporting from Eastern Europe for the next few months, I thought that a round up of talent from this corner of the globe might demonstrate just how varied the offerings are here. Evgeni Petkov, Ceca Georgieva, Reet Aus, and Isabell de Hillerin are all standout designers and artists who use local materials as original expressions of Eastern European cultural and ecological awareness.

Body-con recycled streetwear label Goodone’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection has been picked up by high street giant Topshop to be sold at the flagship store on London’s Oxford Street.

Pieces available at the megastore and on Topshop.com include a black fitted dress and body with cheeky crochet panel inserts, an aran knit bomber jacket and Goodone staples – the contrasted panel sweatshirt and dress.

ELVIS & KRESSE

If eco fashion should abide by trends is a much debated question, but no doubt there are trends that could accelerate the work of the many talented designers and beautiful brands we know. Have a look at these and be inspired.

Last week in Hollywood a casually cool Halle Berry was spotted wearing a LIV GRN eco-friendly t-shirt. The comfy scoop neck tee retails for $48 and is available at Kitson Boutique.

Recently in Bryant Park, the location of New York Fashion Week, dogs strutted their stuff down the ‘cat’-walk for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Pet Fashion Show. The event epitomized the recent trend of extending fashion to our four-legged-friends; it’s not simply a matter of keeping our pooches warm and dry – they have become an accessory to brush down, dress up and show off. According to Joan Volpe, who co-ordinates the fashion institute’s Center for Professional Studies: “Pet apparel and related products represent a close to $50 billion industry that is proving to be comparatively recession-proof.”

No one knows fashion like the ladies of Sex and the City 2. No one knows eco-fashion like Ecoist, makers of the original recycled candy wrapper handbags. In the film, Ecoist’s Silver Mega ($178), is worn by Samantha Jones (actress Kim Cattrall ), proving that upcycled fashion has reached the top echelon of celebrity style.

Creating new products from waste materials or used items has three distinct benefits for manufacturers: it gives them access to free or inexpensive materials, it lends their products an aura of sustainability, and it provides embedded stories that sellers can share with consumers, and that consumers can share with their friends. Five examples of upcycling we recently spotted:

Vancouver based eco brand Flora & Fauna will bring some west-coast eco-y goodness to Toronto! Starting tonight until this Sunday, they show at the Clothing Show in the Exhibition Place. If you subscribe to their newsletter now, they will give you a special coupon discount of 10% off all purchases from $50. Visit them at booth 563 in the eco fashion section.

ELOISE GREY

Shine a light on your mom this Sunday and treat her with some fabulous eco fashion gifts! We already gave some suggestions to make or buy your mom something special earlier this week. Here are some other suggestions for this special day.

Few items are as versatile as the shirt dress especially during those tricky in-between-season months. The shirtdress is perfect to wear loosely over jeans layered under Bibico knits. With heels and some big bracelets, even a simple organic cotton shirtdress can become a sexy evening outfit. I can't stop wearing my DeuxFM and Loyale shirt dresses and love to share these pieces with you.

The word home, in our minds, is typically synonymous with the words comfort and safety. What better place to start in transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle? You don’t have to install solar panels and go off-grid to save money, protect the earth and be healthier. There are many small ways to collectively make a big difference every day.

Love it or hate it, this weekend you’ll be surrounded by pink and red hearts, it will be impossible to eat in a restaurant without ordering a “lovers” menu for two and all the roses at your local flower shop will be sold out. Here are some ways to make the best of your Valentine’s weekend, whether you want to bask in its sugarcoated glow or just take advantage of some great sales and events!

With the disappearance of the Eco Fashion World MAG off our homepage, we don’t want to leave you without any MAG inspiration. So here are some online eco fashion glossies that continue to bring you the finest on ethical fashion and beyond.

Do you combine a love for Mother Earth with beauty and grace? Are you between 18-26 years old? Then compete for the title Miss Earth in a beauty contest that takes place around the UK!

Your grandfather’s watch, your aunt’s ring, your mother’s wedding gown, a few of the objects that get passed down from generation to generation, carrying the history of your family. But besides their durability and symbolic quality, what makes a object a heirloom?

How do you boil down the essence of ethical and eco fashion in one article for people who’ve never even heard of the concept? In most mainstream media articles we’ve come across, the answer has unfortunately been “poorly”. Not so in a recent article in Montreal paper The Gazette.

With Black Friday quickly approaching, be inspired by these innovative ways to shop!

We have previously reported about companies that let consumers rent expensive clothes instead of buying them. The latest to join the herd is New York-based Rent the Runway, which allows women to rent designer dresses. The concept is simple: you browse through RTR´s collection, order your dress and receive it the next day. The cost is around 10% of the retail price and ranges from USD 50-100. RTR offers customer friendly extra services like the same dress in a second size to ensure it fits and another dress as back-up style for just 25 USD. Brands currently on offer include Just Cavalli, Helmut Lang and Hervé Leger.

Subscribe for our newsletter now and win the new book by Summer Rayne Oaks! Eco Fashion World spoke with this topmodel and ecopioneer about her latest projects and favorite products.

EFW: What new/exciting/innovative things do you have on tap in the coming months?
SRO: One of them is 'Extreme' photo collaborations with Peter Beard and Above Magazine that strike at the heart of woman’s strength and her innate connection to nature. Another is S4, a new online venture that will allow designers to search, rate and purchase more sustainable materials so they can spend less time researching and more time designing. We plan to launch the beta site this January. A third thing going on is a brand new season of Zoe&Zac: you have to check out the Mulberry boots, they’re a hipster’s dream! The last exciting thing I'll share with you is the re-launch of Portico Home. It’s the best in bedding and bath with an uncompromising focus on fashion and the highest environmental standards. The rest I’ll save for later, life is to be savored in small doses.

Ethical weddings are becoming more and more popular and the amount of ethical wedding events is on the rise. If you live in Portland and you intend to have a green wedding, don't miss out on the Eco-Elegant Wedding Show taking place on November 21 from 11am-4 pm. Held at the newly renovated Platinum LEED certified Center for Architecture building which is located in the Pearl District, the event will showcase some of Portland's premiere wedding vendors, all of whom are committed to offering eco-friendly and sustainable products for brides & grooms looking for local solutions

Over the past few months, designers like Brazil’s Milena Hamaní, among others, have experimented with recycled bottles to create sustainable fashions. Textile companies have also become involved in the production of yarns using this material. And now, Swiss label Switcher will create part of its collection from recycled PET bottles.