Text, Vivian G. Kelly and Laura Wood
Runway Images of Ecoganic runway show, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Images of Beau Soleil courtesy of Beau Soleil.
Images of Eco Gem jewelry, courtesy of Hovey Lee
The big news at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios [October 14-18] was the strong green initiative. Three months prior to the shows, a press release went out [from IMG Fashion] announcing that “the twice yearly event in Culver City, CA will be ‘greener’ in October, with a focus on sustainability, eco-friendly fashions and designers.”
Below, we highlight jewelry, cosmetics, and two eco collections.
Jewelry: Designer Hovey Lee’s Eco Gem collection at the Design Suites
The Eco Gem collection is under the umbrella of the designer’s larger Eco-Jewelry Collection.
We met Ms. Lee in her booth at the Design Suites, drawn in by her colorful gumball cocktail rings. Ms. Lee is committed to sourcing her raw materials from Fair Trade and ethical vendors who pay fair wages and protect workers’ rights. The entire Eco Gem collection is made of Fair Trade natural sustainably harvested, untreated gemstones, coral and crackle painted nuts. [Some of these same materials are also used in her premier Eco-Jewelry Collection].
Ms. Lee’s biggest challenge is to get enough eco gems from her suppliers in Thailand, China and Mexico. We admired her coral bracelet an especially rare sight in light that coral reefs are one of the most endangered eco systems on the planet.
Laughs, Ms. Lee, “So, if you love something, snap it up because there won’t be another one exactly like it ever again!”
www.hoveylee.com
Cosmetics: Smashbox Cosmetics supports charity initiative
Just like Eco Gem’s Fair Trade Initiative, Smashbox’s contribution to Trees for the Future helps both people and the environment.
Smashbox Cosmetics debuted the GREEN ROOM SPRING 2008 COLOR COLLECTION at the LA shows. With the purchase of every GREEN ROOM product, a Moringa tree will be planted in a developing country by Trees for the Future. The leaves of the Moringa or "Miracle Tree” are actually edible and provide
nutritional value and a self-renewing food source. More trees also mean a healthier planet for everyone. All GREEN ROOM packaging is biodegradable or recyclable and all products are made with environmentally friendly formulas so it's beauty you can feel good about.
www.smashboxcosmetics.com
www.treesftf.org
The Beau Soleil Eco dress collection at the Design Suites
Designer, Anne Salvatore Epstein, launched her eco-friendly dress collection
after she and her husband recently adopted an eco mindset. Upon discovering she was pregnant the couple morphed their glamorous NYC lifestyle into one that is "Simple. Modern and Organic.”
Vincent Lucas, from Earthaware Organics, the fabric manufacturer for Beau Soleil, had us touch the incredibly soft fabric made out of bamboo, which is a sustainable material. Ms. Epstein also uses vegetable-dyed organic cottons and vintage tencel, as well as recycled leather trims. In the past, the costliness of eco fabrics has deterred designers. Happily, the price at Beau Soleil is lower than you might suspect because bamboo grows quickly, replenishing itself at a rapid rate. This new mindset, coupled with Epstein’s career experience at Marc Jacobs and IISLI, opened her eyes to how harmful standard manufacturing processes can be to the environment.
There were just a few shapes, but the one we loved most, the sweatshirt dress, [v-front with dolman sleeves and patch pockets] was sold out and on reorder.
BEAU SOLEIL is available at Intermix and Shopbop.com
www.shopbeausoleil.com
Also of note, next door to Beau Soleil, we checked out Alternative Apparel’s new Alternative Earth Collection. Highlights were eco heather hoodies for adults and children using organic cotton and recycled polyester.
www.alternativeapparel.com
The Ecoganik Spring 2008 show
Designers Genevieve Cruz and Mallary Sante took us on a trip back to the early seventies, with accompanying music by the Doors and models dressed as flower children complete with headbands and wildflowers strewn on the runway. The collection itself was right in line with the theme, soft pigment dyed colors: mauve, gray and rust looked well with the hippie sandals that accessorized the looks.
What worked: a cotton strapless top and pant and a quintessentially seventies number, the bell sleeved V-front mauve dress.
Look to Ecoganik for some great lounging outfits. The cream shirred waist mini dress would be a good choice if you lived in Miami or LA. The jumpsuit with spaghetti straps looks new again as an option to the hostess patio dress that’s predicted to be the rage for spring 2008.
Best in show:
Showing that eco can look modern, not just hippie: the high waist double-breasted shirt with super snug khaki shorts and high heel sandals.
The hair and makeup, particularly the hair evoked the late Janis Joplin, wild and frizzy and topped with wreaths made of flowers and silk butterflies. The makeup was a tribute to Mother Earth – grass green shadow, flushed cheeks and frosty pink lips.
Ecoganik is an active member of the Organic Trade Association which certifies all aspects of the manufacturing process to ensure that the consumer is buying a truly Earth friendly garment.
Note: For more great eco fashion, see the Evidence of Evolution collection available at Barney’s this spring.