Going Fashionably Green

Spring/Summer 2008 fashion shows are happening now! Vogue and In Style’s super fabulous GIANT fall magazines are out now (but borrow a friend’s or pass yours along when you’re done reading). The air is buzzing with what’s hot, who’s hot . . . and which designers are producing sustainable lines.

Having just ended, San Francisco fashion week showed two eco-friendly collections Missing Piece and Velvet Leaf Clothing and held a “Trends in Eco-Fashion” workshop, with information on sourcing your line with natural and organic fibers.

Missing Piece is a collective of artist/designers and showcased Lara Grant, Jeremy Parr, Monica Wontorski, and Molly Rebuschatis. Their collection included felt and feather pieces, eco-friendly gowns, recycled materials, hemp and natural dyes.

Laura and Becky Carter created Velvet Leaf, a completely sustainable clothing line, in 2006 to redefine young contemporary fashion. Their Spring/Summer 2008 collection made from 100% certified organic cotton featured fashions in a soft colors like sea-foam green, pale yellow, and oatmeal.

Seattle’s first green fashion week kicks off on October 2nd. Produced by the Zella Company and co-produced by Earth Pledge, this event will celebrate sustainable fashion. Events include an Earth Pledge Future Fashion White Papers book release with green panel discussion and a green carpet high-fashion runway show. Seattle’s fashion week will include these designers and many more:

Recently returned from Italy, Anna Cohen will be presenting her sustainable ‘Italian Street Couture’ line. Her high fashion line is made from organic and natural fibers including Ingeo, bamboo, cotton, hemp, wool, and soy.

The Covet collection features clothing made from organic cotton yarns, soybean and bamboo. Not only is this collection soft, comfortable and stylish, it’s also manufactured in socially responsible factories, two of which are ISO certified.

Sling and Stones went on a mission to produce the most luxurious and best fitting jeans in the world, by being eco-friendly. Made from American-grown organic Supima cotton, the jeans are pure, leaving behind the 27% of harmful chemicals found in most jeans.

Los Angeles Fashion Week starts on October 12th with EcoNouveau, at the historically restored Vibiana. Giving props to the Art Nouveau movement (1880-1914), fashion week is sure to bring together art and architecture, as well as curvy floral and plant designs. Besides having the most cutting edge eco-fashion designers, this event also boasts visionary artist Chris Jordan, and music by an LA DJ collective.

Three designers to look for in LA this week:

1. Deborah Lindquist first showed her eco-friendly line in 2004, using environmentally-friendly fabrics such as, recycled cashmere, repurposed kimonos and saris, vintage silk scarves and sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton, organic wool, soy and bamboo.
2. Bahar Shahpar designs are playful, sexy and sustainable. After researching the history of agriculture in America and the textile industry, in 2005 she launched a clothing line called, Agricult, using only sustainable materials. Her latest project, The Four Hundred, is a sales showroom and branding agency, dedicated to high-end sustainable fashion.
3. Amanda Shi’s collection, Avita (meaning life in Italian) is glamorous and eco-conscious. Her designs are inspired by nature and its rich color palette. She uses a lot of soft, body-hugging bamboo and recently opened a flagship store in West Hollywood.

The second longest running fashion week on the west coast, Portland Fashion Week, promotes sustainable fashion in Portland’s hippest venues. Several designers will be launching their sustainable collections at this year’s event and Portland was presented with “The Country’s #1 Sustainable City” award at a Mayoral Conference in 2006. Portland is the first to construct the runway with eco-friendly materials, the models will be pampered with eco-safe styling products and the guests will be resting in sustainable-certified hotels.

Be sure to check out these designers also being showcased in Portland:

1. Del Forte Denim’s designer, Tierra Del Forte makes denim for the eco-chic woman. Made from 100% organic cotton and sewn and finished in LA, a portion of all proceeds go to The Sustainable Cotton Project. Not only is its clothing sustainable, so are the office practices: eco-friendly supplies, printing done on New Leaf paper with vegetable inks, and a website hosted by a carbon neutral company.
2. Sameunderneath has been designed for conscious individuals. The cashmere is removed by hand with a comb to help the goat with its natural shedding process. The company also uses bamboo, which is hypoallergenic and 100% biodegradable and continues to grow at two inches every hour.
3. NatureVsFuture blends sculptural design with natural and sustainable fabrics. It’s cutting edge, elegant and futuristic. Nina Valenti, designer and owner, says it’s “a new breed of organic futurism via clothing.”

Sustainable fashion is definitely in style. I’ve only mentioned a few of the designers that are being featured. Soon every store will be carrying something made from super soft bamboo, recycled fabric or organic materials. This is a fashion do, that won’t turn into a don’t any time too soon.