[tott]

You know, since we have a thread on fair trade and a new thread on Noir (who seem to be socially conscious) I was just wondering: Is it time for designers to finally start producing more ethically sound collections? It would certainly bring a lot of publicity and goodwill to the companies that would pioneer a switch. Imagine if a label like Prada, Versace or Chanel would start producing their collections ethically, the impact could be huge.

Would it work? Would the quality of the materials be good enough? Would it be a lot more expensive? Is there a large enough production of high quality raw materials to support a general switch? And are the materials used today really that "immoral" to begin with?

And most importantly, do consumers want this? Do they really care? I doubt that hardcore Greenpeace members would run to Gucci or Chanel en masse if their collections were sounder, but maybe someone considering Valentino would sway towards Chanel? Is "ethical" a real selling point in the real world?

Do we really care?