People everywhere have been hailing green as the new black. –And they are not referring to dresses in hues of pine and pistachio, but green-style: the eco-friendly revolution that is fast becoming the equivalent of shoulder pads in the 1980s.
While eco-fashion once evoked images of tie-dye, Birkenstocks and hippie hemp, international designers such as Stella McCartney have re-vamped the previously unfortunate image of the ‘eco-chic’.
Eco-friendly fashion began its transition from hippie to hip at the autumn/winter 2005-2006 New York collections, where designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Norma Kamali and Imitation of Christ showcased their eco-friendly fashion in a one off show: FutureFashion.
The brainchild of non-profit organisation Earth Pledge, FutureFashion encouraged designers’ innovative use of all things “eco-ganic”, meaning all fabrics deemed organic and environmentally friendly such as: silk, biopolymer, recycled polyester, bamboo, corn fibre, organic cotton and wool, and the ever faithful hemp.
These natural fabrics are unlike conventional cotton as they are not subject to large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers to ensure yields are kept artificially high.
The fashion industry is well known for their cotton harvesting which, during the course of production, uses 25 percent of all pesticides consumed annually. Cotton yields currently cover an area of more than 80 million hectares, the equivalent of five percent of all cultivated land. Associated with the production of conventional cotton are many environmental, health and socio-economic problems such as: the contamination of grazing cattle, water wastage and land contamination.
By stitching together ethics and style designers have rebelled against the use of conventional cotton and in doing so have not produced a fashion trend, but a fashion revolution, creating clothes with a clear conscience. Not only does green fashion employ environmentally friendly materials but may also ensure fair employment conditions, fair trade, guarantee no harm to animals, and work to limit the impact of production and transportation on the environment.
Taking this trend to a wider fashion audience was speeded due to the involvement of British superstar designer Stella McCartney. Bucking fashion’s obsession with animal furs, be they brush tail or broadtail, lead to the launch of her signature range of shoes and accessories, including PC platforms certified, “suitable for vegetarians”.
Australian designers and stores are also taking some high-heeled steps towards healing the world’s environment. Designer Lisa Gorman has also accessorised her new season collections with a little green. Gorman wanted to reward customers who buy green power at home, ride their bikes to stores or catch trains and trams.
They also choose their suppliers carefully to make sure they also do the right thing by the environment, from stationary suppliers through to freight forwarders; and do not consider a new supplier if they don’t have an environmental policy.
In April, Gorman also launched their Ship Shop: a carbon neutral shopping oasis in a shipping container – where you can peruse Gorman’s Organic offerings. All Gorman organic clothing is made from organic yarns, or fibers grown in the wild and chemical free – including their 100% organic denim jeans. There are also no carry bags! Larger Australian chain stores such as Sportsgirl and Sussan have also introduced ranges featuring organic cottons.
It seems certain that a casual dress code no longer applies when it comes to the issue of global warming and by embracing this trend we may just become cooler, and that is a good a reason as any to go green.
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