Eco Fashion World

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?

On December 3rd to the 5th, at the upcoming 11th Annual New York Fashion and Design Conference, speakers will explore the link between sustainability and stewardship as embodied in the broad concept of "Heirloom," the process whereby one generation's creations become the valued patrimony of those that follow

The examination will be inclusive, focusing not only on objects that are traditionally conceived of as heirlooms but also on the materials used to create them (fibers, for example) and on other, less obvious heirlooms (like fragrance). Eco-consciousness, differing approaches to the transmission of craft, and fair trade will be considered, as well as the notion that enduring design and craft are a form of preservation.

Linking all are rituals that transform materials and objects into heirlooms. The ultimate heirloom is the Earth itself, and attention to eco-friendly principles and practices is important to the custodianship that heirloom status implies and requires, bringing about one of the central questions of the 21st century: How do we carry on the traditions of the past while meeting contemporary challenges such as the need for conservation of the earth’s resources?

Speakers will include Deborah Milner, the designer who created a sensation with her Aveda Ecoture collection and sustainable fashion favorite Deborah Lindquist.

This conference is an Initiatives in Arts and Culture event, one of a series examining precious substances with an interdisciplinary approach and a concern for sustainability. The first was Coral: Symbol, Substance, and Significance (October 2009). In April 2010, they will hold a conference on diamonds. IAC is an organization committed to educating diverse audiences in all aspects of visual culture.

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