Green Cotton

From Somewhere at UK RE Fashion Awards 2008

Last Thursday night, British fashion icons, celebrities and pioneers of the eco-fashion movement gathered at the RE: Fashion Awards in London to celebrate innovators in this ever-growing industry. As Green Cotton reported, this event was the first of its kind: an awards show solely dedicated to celebrating the best in organic, sustainable, fair trade, ethical fashion. Participants included models and British “It-Girls” Daisy Lowe and Pixie Geldorf, as well as designers Vivienne Westwood and Preen.

Many beloved British designers and clothing companies were nominated for awards like RE: Designer of the Year. This honor went to From Somewhere, a sustainable fashion label that manufactures its runway-worthy designs from recycled fabrics and surplus textiles. Izzy Lane received both the RE: New Designer of the Year Award along with the Estethica Prize, while Adili was named the RE:Retailer of the Year. For a full list of winners, check out the official RE: Fashion website.

Events like this are integral in helping introduce eco-fashion into the mainstream; hopefully this is the first of many! Lucy Shea, director of Futerra Sustainability Communications, was quoted on the RE: Fashion site, saying, “Britain is leading the ethical make-over of the fashion industry… tonight’s winners are tomorrow’s household names.”

Let’s hope that holds true, and continue to support ethical fashion worldwide! What do you think of the British eco-fashion industry? How do you think it compares to that of the U.S.? Any favorite designers you’d like to share? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you.

By Erin Dale

Here it is folks– another fabulous round of news from our eco-blogging clan:

Eco-Chick
Eco-Chick gets Eairth-y with some Fabulous Phillipino Eco-Fashion

Fashion, Evolved
Fashion, evolved interviews Sara Suemae, the founder and designer of the eco-fabulous line SPUN.

Green Girls
The GreenGirls.tv tells us why knockoffs and fakes are a crime of fashion.

The Alternative Consumer
Natural Wrist Warmers- Tres chic and handmade, a yummy accessory for fall, winter and spring.

Green Grechen
No Leather Here! Chic Handbags for Vegans.

Victoria Everman

What Are You Tired Of? Tell the World and Make It Change! - An interview with I’m Tired Of co-founder Dan Hoffman

Natural Wrist Warmers
Tre chic and handmade, a yummy accessory for fall, winter and spring.

Green Cotton
Congrats to the D.C. Green Festivals for a terrific eco-fashion show and impressive recycling for 30,000+

DC Green Festivals came and went, and I must say that it held true to its reputation this year—of being a remarkably exciting and fun-filled weekend. With nearly 30,000 people in attendance the 2-day event was jam pac’d with organic and sustainable vendors, speakers, exhibits, food and more.

On the eco-fashion scene, I was duly impressed by the number of exhibitors at the event. Both new and old designers, I found the quality and range of products to be a significantly greater than last year—a positive indication that demand for organic clothing is one the rise (which is in line with Organic Exchange data as well).

A pleasant surprise for me over the weekend however, was how well Green Festivals managed their event recycling.

For any of you who have been to a large conference, you know how much waste is generated on an hourly basis. It can be rather disturbing. How does one get rid of all of it? Being the Green Fest, one can only imagine the pressure on the organizing committee to do an immaculate job at recycling. And guess what? They came through.

I have been to other supposedly “green” events and the recycling program was a disaster (not hard to do). So what did they do?

First, in several strategic areas of the conference hall they placed 4 clearly labeled bins with the following:
•    Compost (for food and biodegradable waste)
•    Paper products
•    Plastics & Glass
•    Landfill (items not recyclable)

Not only was each bin was labeled properly, but there were two workers standing nearby to answer any questions in each area!!  In addition, they had a water station for free water fill up (no need to buy a water bottle!). In fact I did not see any water bottles while there—I am sure there were some, but I did not see any.

Have you ever been to an event when recycling is SUPPOSEDLY in place, BUT the containers are not labeled and there is no one sanding nearby to guide what goes where—so what results is everyone throwing trash wherever they want…ending in total chaos? Well, I am sure a lot of us have, so it is really refreshing when someone finally gets it right—especially when it is for a really large crowd.

Recycling at events like these I believe is so important not only because the volume of waste generated is SO great (and DC Convention Center for example hosts large events every week), but also because it sets a precedent. By modeling behavior in this way, it encourages those of us who might not always recycle to think twice about it. The next time we go to an unlabeled bin we might even ask whoever is standing near: what goes where?

Three cheers for Green Fest (Coop America and Global Exchange) for putting on another extraordinary event.

Lots of holiday ideas, giveways and awards this week– check out what’s on the scene:

DCGF offers some thrifty chic ensembles for the incoming administration– these are very funny, you must take a look!

Victoria Everman discusses Spirit Beauty Lounge–and has a special offer for her readers!  Check it out!

Just when you thought you had heard everything there was to be made out of bamboo– The Alternative Consumer brings us one more unimaginable product–  KAYU sunglasses made from bamboo!  In addition, part of each purchase goes toward restorative sight surgery for individuals who cannot afford it in developing countrie– what could be wrong with this purchase? For more on bamboo, see our post on Bamboo the Wonder Fiber.

Green Grechen highlights Tonic’s new collaboration with Luella Bartley for Charity & has the scoop on their giveaway!

Fashion, Evolved reports about the HUGE giveaway by NIMLI!

Win $50 Worth Of BDIH-Certified Mineral Makeup from Alima Pure from Fig + Sage.

Eco-chick shows us how Payless is taking the environment seriously in their post on Payless’ new sustainable shoes.

Green Cotton tracks RE: Fashion London’s ethical fashion source. Find out top nominees on our post.

Eco-fashion has been big in the U.K. for a while, and it’s about time it gets recognized. On November 13, British style icons will gather in London to celebrate fashion and eco-awareness at the RE: Fashion Awards. This highly anticipated event will be the first of its kind—an awards ceremony dedicated solely to ethical fashion.

The celebration is proof that mainstream fashion and the new wave of eco-fashion can go hand in hand, rather than run in opposition to one another. Model of the moment Daisy Lowe will work the runway in a customized dress by legendary London designer Vivienne Westwood. Other hot designers, including Jonathan Saunders and Preen, will be showcasing eco-chic looks, all in an effort to usher sustainable, fair trade and organic style into the mainstream.

Of course, the runway show is just part of the celebration; the rest of the night is dedicated to awarding the best and brightest ethical fashion talents in the British fashion industry. Award nominations include: RE: Designer of the Year, RE: Retailer of the Year, RE: Africa Award, RE: Cotton Award, RE: Environment Award, and more.

Nominees include People Tree (Designer of the Year, Consumer Awareness and People Award), also featured top in designer collection (photo), Izzy Lane (New Designer of the Year) and Adili (Retailer of the Year).

Got any favorite U.K. eco-fashion designers? Stay tuned to find out how they fare on ethical fashion’s big night after November 13th. Let’s hope the U.S. gets in on this trend and casts a spotlight on ethical fashion, too!

Resources/More information: Treehugger, and Vogue UK

By Erin Dale

Photosource top: People Tree, featuring Fall Designer Collection