Fashion, Evolved

Ecco*Eco has a peek at the fabulous John Patrick Organic Spring/Summer 2010 collection!

Learn about the exciting new materials being used in eco fashion at Eco Fashion World.

Looking to accessorize for your fall wardrobe?  Eco-Chick recommends MuiChic!

Five Natural Beauty Tips (Old School Style!) on The Eco Diva.

The lines of ethics and eco-style can get blurry–Ethical Style demonstrates the process of conscious consumerism in their Justify My Love piece.

Feelgood Style reports on the FDA assurances that, although there is still lead in lipstick,  it’s all “ok.”

I hate to break it to you, but according to The Girlie Girl Army…Leopard Print is Here to Stay.

Green Grechen’s “Must Have” this week is a yummy recycled suede pouch from Manimal.

Upcycled Fashion is an art in and of itself…and Green Lashes and Fashion is featuring some great Upcycled Finds!

The Best Eco Jewelry for Fall is right there on Greenopia!

Heidi and Seek discusses Franny Armstrong’s new film The Age of Stupid.

Who says Recycled Textiles can’t be luxurious?  Not HipHonest!

Yes, Yes, Ya’ll!  Inhabitat has a list of their Top 7 Favorite Green Shoes for Fall!

Get the Organic Beauty View of New York Fashion Week!

Are you in town for NYFW?  The Alternative Consumer has some events you don’t want to miss!

Esthetica has hand-picked the hottest ethical designers for a roundup on The GIN Lady.

Getting married doesn’t have to be stressful!  This week, The Green Girls explain How to Have Way Too Much Fun Planning Your Green Wedding!

Fashion can be a dangerous game.  Treehugger throws us a lifesaver with their post about Six Fall Fashion Disasters to Avoid.

Last year a graphic artist named Nadia Plesner decided she wanted to create something that would increase awareness about the crisis in Darfur.  She was not only dismayed by the genocide of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of men, women and children, but at the complete lack of interest shown by the west, which seems unable to tear itself away from the Britney Chronicles long enough to see what’s really going on in the world.

So, she created a T-shirt that depicted a suffering, starving, naked child carrying a mock-designer handbag and a small snooty dog.  100% of the proceeds would go to the charity Divest for Darfur.  Sounds like a good plan, right?

Well apparently, the folks a Louis Vuitton are not happy that she chose to make her handbag resemble one of their pieces.  The bag in the picture looks like Vuitton’s MultiColor design (a favorite pattern among teenage girls), and although it does not contain the LV logo anywhere on the picture, Plesner has been ordered to stop selling the t-shirts and is being sued by the luxury designer which is demanding 5000 Euros PER DAY (That’s almost $10,000 USD) as damages for the sale of the t-shirt.

Whether or not you agree that Plesner is guilty of copyright infringement (a decision that is not as simple as you might think), the whole debate should serve as a reminder of two things:

1.  Plesner is absolutely right about western consumers being totally selfish.  One of those handbags could easily feed a family in Darfur for months.  We are obsessed with crap and with the vapid and useless people that prance around this country flaunting it with a “Let them eat cake” mentality.  The French had the good sense to behead Marie Antoinette for that bullshit.  The least we can do is pay attention to the suffering of these people.  Don’t get me wrong–I like fashion.  I have a damn blog about it.  But we need to get our priorities straight.  You don’t have to give up style to give a damn about your fellow humans that would rather have a clean glass of water than all the LV bags they can carry.  Think about it.

and, 2.  Large corporations are not kind and caring souls.  They are about making money.  LV is no exception.  We can’t sit back and expect nameless and faceless entities that were created SOLELY to make a profit to care about the world.  It’s up to us, the individual consumers.  That’s why you and I and everyone else needs to THINK about what we’re buying and which companies we’re supporting.

The new world of fashion is not about being a victim and letting other people tell you what you should wear and buy.  YOU make the choice, and your choice should be based not only on the design and quality of the product, but on the willingness of the designer and manufacturer to contribute to a better world.

Did you know that women spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace? That’s a lot of spending power; and in our society, our spending is as valuable–if not more–than our vote.  That means that the power to make changes in the social, economic and political spheres rests with us:  The women who are out there buying.

Simply being conscious of our responsibility is the first step toward a marketplace revolution that must take place for the sake of our planet, our own survival, and the survival of future generations.

Big Green Purse is not only an idea–it’s a movement that was founded by author, lecturer, and activist Diane MacEachern, who has just released a book entitled:

Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World.

Ms. MacEachem was gracious enough to spend some time talking to me a couple weeks ago–about her book and her vision.  I asked her a couple questions that I felt were of primary importance to women who are just trying to make positive changes in their spending habits:

1.  What do you tell women who say it is too expensive to buy sustainable products?
“I encourage people to simply look at ways they can shift what they are already spending.  Most people don’t realize how much flexibility they have in their budget.  You’re not spending any more money, you’re spending on quality that will last longer.  We need to step in to that mindset when we’re looking at fashion, too.  A lot of the disposable fashion we buy isn’t really even that nice.  The only thing attractive about it is that it’s new. The Eco=Expensive mindset is a false assumption at this point.  Even Wal-mart is starting to sell organics.”

2.  What are some first steps you can recommend to women who want to change their spending habits to reflect their concern about the environment?
“One of the easiest first steps is to buy organic cotton underwear.  Wal-Mart and Target are even selling it now, and it’s readily available online.  Socks, active wear and yoga wear are also easy to find and very inexpensive now.  Try to resist “fast fashion”, and buy quality items that will last.  Create a style for yourself that you cultivate over time, and that you develop for yourself.  Borrow clothes, buy vintage.”

In fact, we have a lot more options today, and a great deal of our spending is done out of habit, or for the sake of instant gratification.  Choosing to spend wisely is something that we need to develop in ourselves. Consciousness requires some effort–but the collective efforts of the buying power of women in our society is the single greatest tool in affecting the changes we all want–and need–to see in our world.

For more information on Diane’s new book, see the press release.

And for more reading on the environmental impact of the fashion industry, check out the PDF:  Clothing, Handbags and Jewelry.

You can also read Diane’s blog on her website:  Big Green Purse.

Thanks again for your time and your words of wisdom, Diane!  Good luck!