Designers Push Environmentally-Friendly Clothing and Designs
Fashion is trying on a new shade of green in high-end clothing and accessories this spring.
Designers are pushing nature-inspired styles that are “environmentally friendly” and “socially responsible.” Think clothes made from pesticide-free cotton and produced under humane working conditions.
Among the fashionable looks are a $430 silk dress with wicker detail from Cynthia Rowley, a Jimmy Choo clutch with wooden beads appliqued on suede for $1,495, and a $10,000 shell- and-diamond cuff bracelet from jeweler John Hardy.
Bergdorf Goodman, New York City
Retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman have added such clothing, footwear, accessories and jewelry. Barneys New York said today it is adding such goods to its 17 stores and is planning an environmentally themed Christmas promotion with Rudolph the Recycled Reindeer as a mascot. The lower-priced H&M chain will introduce its first full organic cotton clothing line in March.
Linda Loudermilk, known for her ecological designs, staged a fall fashion show in New York on Feb. 1 that included evening gowns made of hemp satin and reclaimed faux fur.
The technology used to incorporate new textiles like bamboo in fashion has improved. In turn, designers have made these clothes and accessories more chic, fueling demand from fashionistas.
“There is no question that there is an enormous opportunity,” Bloomingdale’s Chairman Michael Gould said. “People are developing an affinity for companies that can talk in a meaningful way about being friendly to the environment. But you can’t give up quality, fashion and newness.”
The U.S. market for goods and services designed to improve the environment and increase social justice is estimated at $229 billion, according to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. The Broomfield, Colorado-based group is a network of companies with environmentally sustainable business practices.
Studies have shown that three-quarters of the U.S. population says it is willing to pay a premium, usually of about 10 percent, for socially responsible products, said Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Finland, Minnesota-based nonprofit Organic Consumers Association.
Yet unlike organic food, which follows various certification standards set by federal regulators, there’s no such watchdog for eco-fashion, so it can be difficult to find “the real deal,” Cummins said.
It’s uncertain whether consumer interest will translate into big sales, since the trend has lost favor in the past. Saks has cut back its offerings of the Edun line of organic clothing, promoted by U2 singer Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson. Saks spokeswoman Lesley Langsam Kennedy declined to comment. Esprit’s Ecollection of clothing made from organic and recycled materials in the 1990s didn’t survive that decade.
“Before, the clothes were too ethnic, the fabric not quite right,” said Lynda Grose, one of the creators of Ecollection who now teaches a sustainable design course at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. “This wave around is more stylish and is more in sync with the marketplace. The whole industry is going toward more advanced product.”
Retailers and designers are forging ahead. American Apparel produces trendy clothing, some of which is made with organic cotton, at reasonable prices. American Apparel said it pays its workers, all of whom are Los Angeles-based, an average of $12.50 an hour.
In her show, Loudermilk, whose clients include actress- activist Daryl Hannah, displayed minidresses, jackets and other pieces manufactured from organic as well as recycled materials, including Japanese rice paper wool, reclaimed lace, even human hair.
“I want to create beauty that has respect for the planet,” she said backstage after the event, which was sponsored by Lexus, which makes three hybrid car models.
Designer Stella McCartney, who has been at the forefront of eco-fashion with leather-free handbags and shoes, has just introduced an organic skin-care line at Sephora called Care.
Holt Renfrew department stores in Canada sell a Danish line of women’s clothing called Noir, which gives a percentage of its revenue to fund medicine and business loans for African cotton workers.
“This is not a fad but an important long-term global trend,” said Barbara Atkin, a fashion director at Holt Renfrew.
[via Bloomberg]
