STYLE FILES: Fashion beyond the runway

Source: theweekender.com
By Rachel Pugh

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

It’s trendy to be environmentally friendly. Well, let’s hope this isn’t a fad that fades. Whether it’s practicing sustainability tactics, reducing the amount of plastic water bottles or eating more organic foods, going green seems to be all the craze. And the fashion industry has picked up on this. With new designers creating lines made of entirely eco-friendly fabrics and others actually donating a percentage back to environmental causes, the industry is no stranger to getting behind a message. Health enthusiasts have been designing T-shirts with health-conscious messages for years and even the early introduction of hemp accessories was a symbolic “natural” gesture.

But let’s not be mistaken. Going green in fashion does not mean less green from your wallet. High end knows no maximum, and this goes for tree huggers as well. You will pay more to be organic, be it at the grocery store or boutique. But how can you put a price on good health or saving Mother Earth? That’s for you to decide.

If barefoot and hemp isn’t your style, do not worry. You can dress to the nines and still be conscious of how your wardrobe impacts the environment. There are plenty of stylish lines that use 100 percent cotton or other natural mediums. Here are four top designers to watch if you’re thinking about making the switch to responsible fashion.

John Bartlett

This designer set up the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund, a nonprofit which distributes money to dog rescue groups that save dogs from kill shelters. His sweatshirts, T-shirts and pajamas all sport a Tiny Tim image and are made of all-natural products including 100 percent cotton and eco-fleece, which is an organic cotton/recycled poly/rayon blend. With every purchase, 10 percent goes to the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund, or you can simply make a flat donation.

http://www.johnbartlettny.com

Camilla Wellton

The line consists of custom tailoring, so each style is designed specifically for the customer. Wellton uses only 100 percent cotton for each item made. She also carries a jersey line, most of it which is organic and made of materials such as bamboo, beech trees and hemp-silk.

http://www.camillawellton.com

Lara Miller

A designer out of Chicago, Miller’s entire philosophy embraces a “green” lifestyle in the materials she chooses and her own personal workspace. She also manufactures locally to support Chicago’s sewn-products industry. Reusing old patterns made of O tag paper that would otherwise be thrown away by other local companies and scrap material from formerly produced products, Miller also chooses fabrics with low-impact reactive dyes. Due to the controversy over how natural soy and bamboo actually are, Miller sees to it that her soy and bamboo are made by a hydrogen peroxide manufacturing process rather than a chemical manufacturing process. Other natural products used in her lines are SKAL certified organic cotton, hemp, vegan ahimsa peace silk, organic wool, linen, lyocell, flax and soy fibers, hand-loomed bamboo and recycled organic cotton.

http://www.Laramiller.net

Stewart and Brown

Karen Stewart and Howard Brown launched their environmentally conscious company in Los Angles in 2002. Donating a percentage of all sales to non-governmental environmental and social-welfare nonprofits, Stewart and Brown designs all represent sustainable living. Using organic cotton, Mongolian cashmere, Merino wool, yak down, Tencel gauze, hemp silk charmeuse, hemp jersey and linen, Stewart and Brown also use recycled garment fabrics from factory surplus. Each product purchased also provides garment care instructions to ensure durability. Seen in magazines such as G Living, Eco Focus, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Vogue and others, these designers are making a splash by practicing ethical business standards.

http://www.Stewartbrown.com

Tip: OrganicPortal USA - Organic Clothing, Textiles, Accessories & Shoes

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

23.12.2011

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