Fashion, Evolved

As NYFW draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on just how huge the fashion industry is.  There are literally hundreds of designers creating thousands of new pieces each year.  A small percentage of those are ‘green’ designers, but they are absolutely making a dent in the industry by demanding the highest standards of fabrics, construction and manufacturing–growing their lines with grassroots marketing.

I’d like to show off the Fall/Winter 2009 lines of some of my favorite green designers.  These collections may seem to have very little in common when taken at first glance.  But they are all the same where it counts:  Their makers have constructed them with a higher purpose.

The following collections are either on sale now or will be within the next few weeks.

Brook There

You can read my feature post about Brook There, the homegrown line that is “inspired by the idea that ‘there’ often represents a place we’d rather be, and that fashion is the vehicle that can transport you from fantasy to reality, or from here to there.”

Spun

My interview with Sara Seumae of Spun is a glimpse into what it takes to startup a new label.  Her line is deceptively simple.  They look very “ordinary” on the hanger, but when you put them on they fit beautifully–and they are extremely versatile.

Doie

Named after the designer’s fashionable grandmother, Doie is eternally feminine, hip and colorful.  In an eco fashion world that seems to be obsessed with neutrals and minimalistic lines, Doie stands apart as sheer loveliness.

Elena Garcia

Elena Garcia blends daring design, traditional techniques, and luxurious, eco-friendly textiles to create beautiful, timeless pieces for women of all ages.   As Garcia finds her inspiration from the world around her, she believes it is her responsibility to protect and preserve this world in which she lives.

Ivana Helsinki

IVANAhelsinki is an independent art& fashion brand. It brings delicately together Slavic rough melancholity and pure Scandinavian moods. It´s balancing between white arctic summer nights and endless winter sadness. Eerie hovering isolation and intense starkness.  IVANAhelsinki has been the only Scandinavian women’s wear brand ever to be accepted to the official Paris Fashion Week “IN” Show calendar.

Kelly B

The intention behind Kelly B is to create unique and comfortable clothing for the conscious consumer.  Kelly’s first two lines have been produced with all organic cotton and other natural fibers including bamboo and organic cotton.

Lela

Lela is a collection of sportswear made manufactured in Canada, made with the top-of-the-line fabrics that are environmentally-sensitive and milled exclusively for the designers.

Nature Vs. Future

Nature Vs. Future designs are a self-generated product of imagination blended with the designer’s passions–architecture, furniture, music & art.  Working with the body as the palette, balance, line quality, rhythm & movement are incorporated into each piece.

Nixxi

Simplicity embodied  in clean silhouettes and organic fibers.

Prairie Underground

Prairie Underground was conceived as populist clothing for serious, daily wear.  Each piece is designed to be multipurpose and defines a new category of dress, one that crosses the boundaries of active wear and loungewear and redefines day to night dressing.

She Bible

She Bible started in the kitchen with a hand-made screen printing press and has grown into a cut and sew label offering reliably sexy and comfy pieces perfect for kicking up dirt and kicking up your heels. All goods are sewn and printed in San Francisco.

Two of Hearts

Inspired by color blocking and abstract paintings by Mondrian, Two of Hearts’ fall line embraces the modern art house look with pops of vibrant colour. Designed to be easy-to-wear and easy-to-layer, the collection lends itself nicely to the stylish and artsy woman’s wardrobe.

Mountains of the Moon

Check out my feature post about Mountains of  the Moon and it’s designer Melissa Baswell. MotM is a fresh, youthful line with an established online presence.  It manages to be both hip and feminine without compromising its ethics.

When I first started writing about sustainable fashion, I scoured Etsy.com because I found that a lot of small, independent sustainable designers were using it as a retail outlet.  That’s when I first discovered Brook There.  I was immediately drawn to the use of color and the artistic lines of the clothing–a far cry from a lot of the earth toned knit simplicity I saw in other ‘green’ designers.  Finally, last month I was able to contact designer Brook DeLorme for a phone interview to find out more about her line.

According to her website, her company name “was inspired by the idea that ‘there’ often represents a place we’d rather be, and that fashion is the vehicle that can transport you from fantasy to reality, or from here to there. The roots of the line are based in my early work during college creating one-of-a-kind clothing from ‘found’ fabrics with a very deconstructed, raw, but ultra-feminine style.”

During the past few months, Brook has been developing her company’s main site in order to sell directly to online shoppers.  She also works with boutiques that carry her clothing and still keeps her Etsy store open as additional outlets for sales.  She’s also just added a line of organic underwear that is both eco-friendly AND sexy.

Originally, Brook started out designing and selling clothing using exclusively recycled materials.  I asked  her what prompted her to go green as a designer and she told me that “It wasn’t a matter of choosing to go green.  Sustainability is simply integrated in to my personal life in all areas.  To use these fabrics just makes sense.  I use the concept of eco-fashion in my marketing, but I don’t think of it as something out of the ordinary.  It is just the way I live my life and that translates to my design work.”  After a few years, she chose to switch from recycled materials to organic fabrics, which tend to be easier to come by and to maintain continuity.

In addition to using sustainable fabrics, Brook also uses U.S. based manufacturing.  She hand makes her own samples and sources her bulk orders to a small local, family-owned factory.

So what kind of woman wears Brook There?  According to Brook, “A lot of female designers design for themselves.  Clothing I wear has to be comfortable but look neat and chic and practical.  My clientele tends to be urban and in creative professions.  They can (and do) wear unusual clothing.  They are educated, well-read and care about organics and sustainable products.”

She went on, “I call my design aesthetic ‘thoughtful clothing’.  I really take care that pieces are interesting both inside and out so that the wearer has an experience that the viewer might now.  I design from an abstract place–a concept or emotional state–not from literal experience and this is how the pieces and each collection gets their name.”

From a small startup design company on Etsy, Brook There is a real success story–a totem for struggling young designers who are attempting to create their own lines without million-dollar marketing budgets.  Visit her site and see what makes Brook There a true fashion destination.