Fashion with a Focus Eco-Ethical-Organic-Sustainable-Enviromental

[Hanne]

For those interested there is a fashion suplement in todays Financial Times with with a green focus.

Editors Letter:

Green is the new Black

It seems every day, another e-mail lands lauding products that are "Fair trade!", "Organic!", "The perfect ethical gift!", "Organic eco leather!", "Vegetarian!", "Sustainable!", "Green!" Help.

We are drowning in a morass of do-gooding words, without any sense, really, of what they all mean. Rock star/activist Bono says - at Davos, in high-level meetings with presidents and prime ministers and Bill Gates - "shopping is politics" and consumers can change the world with their wallets. The argument: by opting to buy products that add an ethical or eco dimension to style as opposed to products without one, consumers will drive the behaviour of big brands. It's their spending power, stupid.

But what's the difference between eco and sustainable; organic and green; ethical and fair trade? And exactly how organic is organic clothing, really? (Hint: not as organic as you might think.) As the high street embraces the environmental movement, Diesel's new spring/summer advertising campaign features a projection of how cities could look in the future thanks to global warming (parrots in St Mark's square!), London Fashion Week devotes a big chunk of space to ethical designers, and magazines from Vanity Fair to Town & Country publish "green issues", it's impossible not to wonder: is any of it really serious D long-term, committed, irrevocable - or is it just (dare we say it) another fashion trend?

Can big businesses really be big greenies? Just how good is good enough? The answers may surprise you.

Vanessa Friedman
Fashion editor

(links to articles in the titles)

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: Luxury's little green secret
"... shhhhh, because Burberry don't want you to know that they have cut energy use in their stores each year for the last three years. ..."

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: The cotton wars
"... there's no question: fashion is going eco. But just how much -and how sincerely - remains the topic of a raging debate. ..."

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: The next big natural thing

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: The hand-made's tale

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: Location, location, location

FT REPORT - BUSINESS OF FASHION: Gold Standard

 

[ilaughead]

Thank-you! These look interesting; it'll be interesting to see how long 'green' will last.

 

[zamb]

i will check back on this later.
however i think it will last a long time, as this is not a Fad but a serious lifestyle for a lot of people.......... enough to give the movement staying power.
i honestly believe a lot of it is hypocrital though

 

[Scott]

recycle,recycle,recycle.....recreate and handwork everything. not only is this eco-friendly but it can also be immensely inspiring and creative. really,there's so much stuff out there,why do we always need to produce everything?

 

[surver]

take a look at:

www.nau.com

 

[misssakura]

I don't think it's fad...merely because more and more people are realising that it's a nice way to live and a nice way to create. Not only that but I think being eco friendly and having eco friendly societies is more futuristic than the robotic futuristic ideas of yesteryear...somehow the idea of a clean livable and regenerative society seems attainable so it's exciting! Onto the future!

 

[telepathicgoat]

Thanks for posting. It will take me some time to rread it all tho

might have to bookmark it!

thanks!

 

[CanonMan]

I think that if it gets a big enough boost it will just become second nature for products to be green. So yes in a way it might just be a trend, but to the point of where everything is produced that way so there's no difference in the products that people wont have to "think" about choosing green products.

Green products are more expensive right now, because there is a serious lack of green production on an industrial level. But if people start buying and showing that they want green the industry will follow and gradually develop better and more efficient ways of producing green products on a mass production(cheeper) level.

ex. the process of obtaining energy resources like coal, and oil was an expensive in-efficient process. But once the demand was there and these companies realized the money they could get. The technology for obtaining larger quanities with more efficiency (more $ in their pockects... sadly not so good for the environment) of these energy resources was rapidy growing. No different with anything that grows to a level of such high demand.

I don't know how well I did with trying to convey that theory. But I think you guys get the point I'm trying to make.

 

[HeatherAnne]

Really like the way the Fair Trade & Human Rights Clothing thread has taken off in FID and, similarly, I wanted to revive this thread [originally from D&C] with some info about Eco/Environmental friendly brands. Anyone know of any?

Saw this in Vogue the other day, thought it would help get the convo going again.

Green Sleeves: Crippen's Elegant and Eco-Friendly Suit by Emily Holt

“It wasn’t like we were trying to do an eco thing. But when the mill told me the fabric was hemp, I became Woody Harrelson right then and there,” says designer and accidental environmentalist Susie Crippen. As part of her new eponymous label launching this spring, the Los Angeles–based East Coast native has included an off-white suit made of organic, nature-friendly fiber. Its origin was intentional.

“For years I’ve been searching for a white jacket and the whole idea of that old-school smoking jacket is really appealing to me,” Crippen says. That it also turned out to be less harmful to the planet is a happy coincidence.

There’s no doubt the suit is having a moment, given what was on the spring runways at Balenciaga, Haider Ackermann, and Givenchy. And as a cofounder of J Brand, Crippen has a knack for clothes that are simultaneously practical, flattering, and simple. This suit, with its easy drape, neutral-color fabric, and unencumbered design, ticks off all those boxes as well as the one marked quintessential Californian cool. In other words, it’s the kind of thing that works with stiletto sandals or Birkenstocks (be they authentic or Celine's fur-lined iteration).

The sense of elegance it carries reflects Crippen’s desire to create grown-up pieces. “I think there’s something with our generation of women. We get older but look younger, but I don’t want to dress like a teenager and I’m not ready to dress like a señora,” she says. “There seems to be something missing for women between the ages of 35 and 60 who are not ready to jump over to Akris yet.”

This is where the other elements of Crippen come in. There is denim, of course, but there’s also a strong selection of streamlined and sophisticated essentials, like full pants cropped to just above the ankle and blouse-y, dark tunics. The look is relaxed.

“I’m very interested in creating clothes that are not precious because I don’t live a precious life,” Crippen says. “I don’t really know who does.” Definitely not Woody.

vogue.com

 

[fashion doctor]

This Montreal designer (Mariouche for Harricana) has been around since the 1990s and her brand concept is quite innovative, I think: it's recycled fur, but recycled into beautiful and really warm pieces ('cause it can get pretty cold out here!

http://www.harricana.qc.ca/index.php/

And I like how she shows the story, i.e. "before" and "after", of some of her items.

 

[softgrey]

Eileen Fisher is a brand that is really dedicated to this sort of thing...
there is a whole section on their website for their Eco Collection

http://www.eileenfisher.com/EileenF...ategory/Eco_Collection_f14.jsp?bmLocale=en_US

the also have a separate website called Ampersand dedicated to their "broader efforts to protect the environment, empower women and girls and preserve traditional crafts and cultures..."
http://www.eileenfisher.com/EileenFisher/collection/ampersand/ampersand_shop.jsp?bmLocale=en_US

http://eileenfisherampersand.com/

 

[softgrey]

another reason to spend the money on Eileen Fisher...
Our secret repair program
by Alyssa Benjamin

Snaps break, moths attack. Living with clothing for a long time involves wear and, sometimes, tear. If the unexpected happens, we’re at the ready with needle and thread. The EILEEN FISHER Repair Program, started in 2005, has been something of a secret. As part of our commitment to timeless design, we’re letting the word out.

Kaeo Valentine at our Distribution Center in Secaucus, NJ, where EILEEN FISHER’s repair program is managed by Tess de Mesa and Christina Reyes.

It’s simple. If you have an EILEEN FISHER garment that is missing a button or has a broken zipper, bring it to one of our retail stores and fill out a form. Wait four to six weeks. Pick up your item. Wear it out to dinner.

“Our customers are completely taken aback that we don’t charge for this service,” says Gaetan Benson-Karr, Customer Service Associate. “I think in the beginning we did it on such a small scale we didn’t realize what kind of precedent we were creating. Now, we’re starting to become known for it because other companies don’t do it.”

When a customer brings in clothing that is missing a button or has small moth holes, many EILEEN FISHER stores partner with a local tailor or seamstress. If a customer chooses to go to her own expert, they’ll reimburse her for the cost.

“A lot of our customers are scared to try repairs themselves,” said Joan Kauffman, manager at our Copley store. “We understand, because the clothes are expensive.”

When a problem is beyond the scope of local talent, items are shipped to a quiet corner of EILEEN FISHER’s Distribution Center in Secaucus, NJ. There Tess De Mesa and Cristina Reyes of Quality Control complete most repairs. Sitting amid boxes of yarn, trim and buttons, Tess works the sewing machine, while Christina (“Golden Fingers”) is an expert with a needle and thread.

In order to make sure they have the necessary materials on hand, they keep a stock of yarns from the past three or four years. When they don’t have the gauge or the color they need, they send an item back to our factories to be repaired, a process that can take up to six weeks to complete. Garments that need matching snaps, zippers or specialized trims are also sent to the factory that made them.

That twelve-year-old turtleneck with a hole? “I was amazed that we could match the yarn and mend it,” says Ava Branch, Customer Service Manager.

Repairing items rather than replacing them keeps clothing in customers’ closets and out of the landfills. “The ultimate expression of sustainability is to be able to continue to wear an existing garment as opposed to replacing it with a new one,” said Jim Gundell, Co-Chief Operating Officer & Facilitating Leader.

Back in 2005 items that needed buttons or elastic waistbands arrived in groups of twos and threes. Now, they come by the bin-full. In 2012, over 800 repairs were completed, all at no cost to the customer.

Once the word is out, will the program be inundated with repair requests? Jim Gundell isn’t worried. He says, “We are committed to doing whatever we can as a company to extend the life of our garments.”

 

[fashion doctor]

^ Wow! That's really impressive and interesting. I had no idea any companies did that. I wonder if it fosters greater loyalty to the brand... Thanks for sharing.

 

[HeatherAnne]

I had no idea about the sg, and it's one of the most innovative fashion-related things I've heard in a long time. Definitely going to browse her clothes a little harder now.

 

[YoninahAliza]

I agree with you HeatherAnne, its really innovative to offer such a service. Eileen Fisher is known for their sustainability (like using hemp, organic fibers, and being Bluesigns certified) but I think this makes them even more topnotch. To be honest, its the sort of brand I wouldn't typically shop at (often it feels a bit too 'old' for me, I'm only 21 after-all), though I do have a really wonderful black sleeveless button down from them (that I stole from my mom ). I looked around Eileen Fisher's website after reading this article and I noticed a few items I'd probably wear so I'll keep them in mind for the future. I'd much rather support a company like Eileen Fisher that promotes longevity of clothes rather then a company whose clothes fall apart after a few washes which is such an unethical business practice.

 

[softgrey]

my pleasure...

the EF company has been going through an update and you'll find a lot of more modern pieces mixed in with the old faithful pieces that they are known for and which their very loyal customers regularly come back for...

i really recommend their knit linen t-shirts/tanks/dresses...
they have nice styles and the colours and quality are lovely...
i also love their silk jersey basics and their tunics for layering...
as well as what they are best known for, which is really cozy sweaters and scarves...

i have piles of EF that i mix in with all my other stuff...

they have cuts and styles flattering to most every body type depending on which one is right for you...

lots of stuff in stores that isn't on the website either and they do different stuff for the south because of the temp difference from season to season...

i can't say enough good stuff about the company, really...

 

[Sugo]

Here is another "green" brand with beautiful clothing.
http://minaolya.com/

 

[superria]

Really cool links! Thank you so much ill look into them all one by one!

 

[superria]

At the end of the day, you know theres no such thing as 100% sustainable. And there are some brands that, in my opinion are using the 'eco-fashion' trend as a way to hike up their prices, increase sales, and make them look good. For instance, fast fashion brands like H&M can hardly be sustainable with the amount of clothing that they make, not to mention their quick collection turnover and low quality basically promotes disposing of tons and tons of clothes, and yet they too have their own eco-fashion line. I think that for a brand to truly be considered as sustainable, they would have to embody the entire aspect.

On the other hand, one great part of all this eco fashion marketing hoopla is that consumers are now more aware of these issues. But it kind of makes the whole aspect questionable when some brands are doing it for selfish gains.

(http://fashionbi.com/newspaper/fashion-brands-and-noble-causes-giving-more-or-taking-more)

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ There will always be cynics latching on to every positive trend. That shouldn't make the positiive development suspect, it should make the cynics suspect.

What makes you say there's no such thing as 100% sustainable?