California Apparel News

Is green really the new black? Los Angeles gears up for eco-friendly runways.

In a climate where last season’s designs are often shunned in favor of the latest and greatest items, excess is a way of life. The style set is not often willing to part with the undeniable pleasure of acquiring seasonal must-haves (nor would retailers want them to). But the fashion industry is becoming increasingly aware of its environmental responsibilities and therefore reforming design and production processes, as well as supporting eco-conscious endeavors.

“It is not a trend,” says eco-fashion pioneer Linda Loudermilk, “as evidenced by a plethora of innovations that have come to the forefront, thus inspiring designers and creators. The funding put into the new cyber-technology dictates that the garment industry is committed to change.”

Retailers including Barneys, Shopbop, and Tobi, to name a few, are also aiding in the efforts to make fashion more socially conscious by offering eco-specific departments and supporting “green” brands like C&C California, Zooey, Edun, Del Forte, Stewart&Brown, Loomstate, and Beau Soleil, among others. Erin Crandall, head buyer of Shopbop, says reaction from consumers has been very strong, and the company plans to add up to five more lines to its eco section for Spring 2008. Crandall looks at a variety of things in choosing eco designers: type of dyes used (preferably soy-based), fabric content, the use of renewable energy sources during production versus those that give off toxic chemical emissions, packaging, care instructions, and tags, among other considerations.

“Our primary motivation was the importance we feel this kind of initiative has in the market,” says Crandall. “There are so many talented designers emerging in this niche, and we feel strongly about supporting them and hope many others follow their lead. We are also happy to see that many of our current vendors are joining this initiative and are coming out with eco-friendly groups within their current lines.”

M-BFW@SS Reduces Footprint on the Runway

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios also hopes to be a leader in the eco movement by highlighting eco-friendly designers at the Spring/Summer 2008 presentations. Additionally, Smashbox Studios is partnering with The CarbonNeutral Company to measure and reduce CO2 emissions. Transporting equipment and the electricity used to light the five-day event uses fossil fuels. Saving CO2 somewhere else in the world, specifically at an Indian wind farm and a Mexican forestry project, will offset each tonne of CO2 produced during the weeklong event. Via this process of matching CO2 emissions with CO2 savings from verified projects, the result is that the event will have a net zero carbon footprint.

Designers and sponsors of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios are also encouraged to go green by “thinking and acting in a way that respects the environment.” The World Green Car of the Year 2007, the Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC, “the world’s cleanest diesel,” will be showcased in the tents.

“Our objective this season is to raise awareness about the importance of going green,” says Davis Factor, spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. “Our goal is that when you leave the tents, you will be more conscious about the environment. If you are not currently doing things to support this effort, then we hope that after our event you may think twice when it comes to recycling, buying a hybrid car, or leaving the lights on.”

It Isn’t Always Easy Being Green

Los Angeles–based design duo Ali Alborzi and Andrew McCarthy of the line Evidence of Evolution are among the designers presenting at M-BFW@SS. Launched in December 2004, Evidence of Evolution debuted eco-friendly designs for Holiday 2007 with an exclusive collection for Barneys’ Green Holiday program. “We have always been very close with Julie Gilhart, and she has guided us for some time with our main label,” Alborzi explains. “When she told us she was doing a “green holiday” for Barneys, we didn’t hesitate to jump on board. We have always been very conscious of our choices in fabric. We finally decided to make the leap into the organic world with the news from Barneys.”

Though certain pieces in the collection are exclusive to Barneys (it is the only department store that stocks the line), Evidence of Evolution’s eco collection is also being sold at fine boutiques worldwide. The designers are very proud of the latest eco collection, which features unique dye techniques in a range of fabrics, including organic cotton jersey and hemp silk charmeuse.

“The organic fabric market is not as bountiful as the rest of the fabric world,” says McCarthy. “But we have found some amazing connections and mills who have a great interest in making a difference in how fabric is farmed and finished. Our men’s collection features a slim, deconstructed suit in a premium organic sateen cotton. For women, we are featuring fluid, organic-cotton voile dresses.”

Adds Alborzi, “We have not sacrificed any of our creative and innovative silhouettes or vision to produce this collection. The approach we have taken is to take the biggest risks with regard to dye techniques and fabrics and then figure out how to make it sustainable. The result is a vibrant and conscious collection that stands out on its own.”

“Our collection is very sexy, sleek, and chic,” McCarthy continues. “What we have seen in the eco-fashion world is mostly dull colors and loose-fitting silhouettes. So we designed a very tailored and romantic line that stands out and will be compared to many high-fashion designer lines, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice style to be green.”

Evidence of Evolution is working very hard to make both of their lines 100 percent eco-friendly. “Our Green label is 90 percent due to our dyeing process. Though we use very low-impact dyes and no VOC [volatile organic compounds] water-based paints for our silk screens, they are still not 100 percent organic,” the designers explain. “We also offset our carbon footprints by participating in Carbon Free Business, a partner of carbonfund.org.”

EcoGanik, designed by Genevieve Cruz, is also among the eco designers showcasing their Spring 2008 collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. Considered one of eco fashion’s leaders, EcoGanik has been producing eco designs for four years.

“We want to create awareness, and if I can assist in bringing people to slowly change their lives to help the world 1 percent at a time by eating, dressing, recycling, it’s a great accomplishment,” says Cruz.

Cruz will be showing 35 looks at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios with the theme “The Evolution of the Flower Child and Music.” “I will show the trendy rock ’n’ roll flower child from the ’60s and ’70s (from the Beatles to Deep Purple) to the sexy ’80s (Stevie Wonder), and ending in the flower child of today [current music of today],” she explains.

Using 100 percent organic cotton Supima jersey and organic French terry, Cruz designed a range of looks, from shift dresses to high-waist trousers and jumpsuits for Spring 2008. When asked how the line has evolved since its launch four years ago, Cruz says, “The line has just become such a part of my everyday life and style that I feel it has evolved to be a line of casual-chic that is pure and full of style. So every collection is always better than the previous, because I am constantly striving to create clothing that makes women feel sexy but always comfortable.”

Rene Geneva Design, an Austin, Tex.–based label, is also among the eco exhibitors at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. Making her fashion week debut, Geneva is noted for working with indigenous tribes, small villages, and fair trade labor in developing countries. The eco-focused designer uses Sustainable Biodegradable Product–rated hemp blends, Tencel, “peace” silk, SKAL-certified organic cotton, and bamboo, as well as rare fabrics made from tree bark and hand-woven silk. The majority of Geneva’s designs also have carbon-neutral certification. Additionally, the company supports the Sun Power Project, which will implement the installation of solar electricity in a Central American community, as well as the Scraps for School program, which uses fabric scraps for children’s art projects.

Rebecca Rich, the new designer for Los Angeles label Tart Collections, is also moving in an environmentally conscious direction and operating under the company slogan “High Fashion, Low Environmental Impact.” Tart’s signature jersey fabrications are made from micro-Modal, which is an environmentally friendly fabric. Key eco pieces in the Spring collection being shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios include short, flirty dresses and long, fluid gowns. “The entire line right now is low environmental impact, meaning we do our best to use environmentally friendly fabrics when we can,” says Rich. “And as an added benefit we use fair-wage labor, and the line is manufactured in Los Angeles. I wouldn’t label us an ’eco collection.’ Instead, we strive for low environmental impact. We are becoming more aware of eco-friendly methods and using them wherever possible.”

Vibiana Welcomes Fashion Masses

Offering another unique Spring 2008 presentation is the EcoNouveau group. With a respectful nod to the Art Noveau movement, EcoNouveau co-producers Rob Ganger of Pollinator Media Group and Sarah Shewey of Pink Cloud Events are contributing to Los Angeles Fashion Week with a “green stiletto” by showcasing eco-fashion designers in a non-traditional runway show on October 13 at the restored Vibiana cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. With a mission “to drive the green movement deeper into the local/global consciousness by highlighting the most exciting and fresh output of great designers, artists, musicians, activists, and businesses in the most artful and accessible ways possible,” EcoNouveau will provide another outlet for eco-conscious fashionistas and artists.

Designers Gary Harvey (London), Bahar Shahpar (New York), and L.A. local Amanda Shi (Avita) will present their Spring 2008 collections on a 77-foot runway in Vibiana’s main hall. Dubbed an eco-couture designer, Gary Harvey debuted his first collection earlier this year during London Fashion Week with eye-catching frocks that included a dress made from seven Hawaiian shirts, a fishtail gown made from 28 army jackets, and a denim gown made from 42 pairs of Levi’s 501s in various washes. Harvey, the former creative director of Levi’s Europe, also has positions with Adidas, Stuuml;ssy, Junya Watanabe, and Vivienne Westwood on his curriculum vitae.

Also at EcoNoveau is self-taught Brooklyn designer Bahar Shahpar, who will be presenting her third womenswear collection of sustainable and chic fashions with a focus on vintage tailoring and modern aesthetics. Los Angeles contemporary designer and boutique owner Amanda Shi of the line Avita will be showcasing her latest designs, as well.

Adding to the visual panoply with showcases in the cathedral rectory will be art from photographer Sebastian Copeland, Seattle-based photographic artist Chris Jordan, Los Angeles underground legend Geza X, Los Angeles–based outdoor photographer Ian Shive, Brazilian graffiti artist and photographer Alexandre Orion, and fashion photographer Erik Lang. The eco event will also showcase businesses committed to environmental sustainability.

The Greening of Los AngelesBringing a “theatrical edge” to Los Angeles Fashion Week, designer and eco-fashion pioneer Linda Loudermilk will be showing her Spring 2008 collection on October 17 at the Helios House “green” gas station on Olympic and Robertson boulevards in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles. In addition to hosting the event at a thought-provoking venue, Loudermilk is honored to have Origins and Lexus Hybrid Living as sponsors for the runway presentation. “The luxury and creative ingenuity that Lexus demonstrates is aligned with our vision,” she says. “The extreme research and development that Origins has committed to is highly respectable.”

Trenesa S. Danuser, vice president, global communications and strategic alliance for Origins, says, “Linda Loudermilk’s respect of nature and commitment to the environment mirrors Origins’ core values and complements the spirit of our brand.”

Inspired by the “refreshing winds of spring,” or “Winds of Change,” as Loudermilk calls it, the latest collection brings “airy, transparent fabrics, sparkly metallics, crinkles, and blown-around patterns” to stylish consumers. Utilizing breakthrough fabrics like mud-dyed linen and vegan silk, as well as wood pulp, sasawashi, linen, seaweed, and organic cotton, Loudermilk has crafted an “unexpected and whimsical collection full of wearable dresses draped askew, solar trench coats, jackets zippered akimbo, and short pants.”

Highlights from the collection include a curved, twisted jacket in metallic linen and organic cotton; a voile trench made from five tiers of ruffles; a natural mud-dyed dress, shaped with little pin tucks; and a knee short in wood-pulp denim. “We have been innovative in developing a diverse palette of couture fabrics that make our line very different,” says Loudermilk.