The Green in Fashion...

"Sustainable," "organic," and "eco-friendly" are terms that are still relatively new trends in the fashion industry. It may seem like we've been hearing these words forever, but it really wasn't until early last year when major retailers and designers began to heavily market eco-conscious goods. 2009 was the starting year for many companies to seriously think about going green as many eventually began offering eco-friendly versions of their key products such as H&M's Garden Collection and American Apparel's Sustainable Edition.  However, were such beginning initiatives the first and last?

photo via: NY Times

 As sustainable development was on the rise, eco-friendly jeans was naturally one of the biggest denim trends of 2009. Brands all across the board, including Levi's, Banana Republic, 7 For All Mankind, and J Brand all offered at least one pair made with some amount of organic cotton. However, the NY Times pointed out earlier this month, that now, about a year later, none of these eco-friendly versions exist.

One has to wonder why and what does this mean for the future of eco-friendly fashion? One's immediate reaction is probably some level of disappointment. However, do not be quick to judge. Although these eco-friendly versions may no longer exist, it does not necessarily imply that environmental responsibility is just a momentary fad of the past.

photo via: Better Cotton Initiative

In actuality, many of these denim brands have realized being eco-conscious is not just about using organic products. As we've discussed many times in our earlier entries, there are dozens of other factors to consider: water use, dye impact, soil health, labor issues, fair trade, etc. Yes, Levi's no longer has their eco-friendly line, but instead, it has joined the nonprofit organization, Better Cotton Initiative. Focused on creating a greater impact, they are working with farms in India and Pakistan that focus on sustainable-agriculture techniques, water use and economic and labor issues. The Better Cotton Initiative produces cotton that uses one third less of the normal amount of chemicals and water regular cotton uses. Although Levi's will first blend this cotton with conventional cotton, the goal is to eventually use it in every one of their styles.

Levi's Matchstick Slasher Jeans from the WaterLevi's)

Considering all aspects of sustainability, last week, Levi's also launched a new line of denim called "the Water." As water conservancy is a huge concern in the global community, the new collection reduces water consumption by an average of 28% and up to 96% for some new products in the line. By simply reducing or eliminating water in their dyeing and washing process, Levi's realizes that being eco-friendly and fashion forward is not only easy, but also economically smart and morally right.

As 2009 and 2010 were the starting years for many to take a dip in the green pool, there is a slow but growing shift in the retail industry to integrate sustainable practices as a more cohesive effort. As major brands like Levi's develop their sustainability practices in a holistic approach, the retail industry has definitely matured in their methods of going green.

So before we wrap up this post, we wanted to share a few new interesting examples that caught our attention:

photo via: Reet Aus

Only using production leftovers and discarded garments, Estonian fashion designer Reet Aus truly works by the motto, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." Click here to see her latest collection!

photo via: Reco Jeans 

Perfectly mastering fashion-forward and sustainable innovation, Reco Jeans is the first and only green label certified recycled denim product. 

photo via: Ecouterre

Better known for it's 2-year wait listed Birkins, Hermes, is taking a stab at sustainability with their new limited edition  "Petit h" collection. A series of "unidentified poetic objects" crafted from defective inventory and leftover merchandise, the design team transforms scraps and defects into beautiful house adornments and fashion accessories. Leave it to Hermes to define "recycled luxury"!

That's it for today, but don't forget! MBF will cover the up-and-coming trade shows in Berlin, including the sustainable trade shows, so stay tuned and we will keep you updated with what else we come to discover!

Berlin trade shows go green: an MBF exclusive report

Photos, from left to right: Hedda William S/S09; a bag from Royal Blush; Blue Notch S/S09.

MBF brings you an overview of the Berlin womenswear trade shows for Spring/Summer 2010, where we talked with quite a few companies about sustainability and shifts in the marketplace. We were most impressed with the two eco tradeshows: Green Showroom, featuring 16 sustainable collections from the high fashion segment, and TheKey.To, with 40 collections from the streetwear and sportswear segment, including the Green platform at the Premium Exhibition.

For Magdalena Schaffrin and Jana Keller, co-founders of Green Showroom, it was their objective to give like-minded designers and buyers a press platform for high-end collections by creating a trade show that would be both eco and luxurious. At other eco fairs, they felt, there was no fit for high-end fashion lines, because they were mixed in among yoga collections and lower-priced collections.

At the showroom’s debut event, one could see amazing collections from designers such as Julia Starp, who uses peace silk and organic cotton for her line of dresses and coats; Liv Lundelius from Blushless, an avant-garde bridal collection with eco fabrics; and Reet aus, an Estonian designer who is represented by Mica Lamb, the founder of Agent for Change, a London sustainable fashion showroom. This particular collection is very feminine with an antique feel, incorporating delicate lace, organic dyes, and re-used fabrics from a textile recycling centre in Estonia. Other standout collections were Van Markoviec, a Dutch designer working with Japanese cotton certified by JOCA, the highest standard for certified fabrics and production; Jana Keller, designing Royal Blush, a handbag and jewellery collection made of vegetable-tanned leather sourced in Italy; Magdalena Schaffrin, whose men’s and women’s wear collection has a long-lasting, understated design; and Hessnatur, which has used eco fabrics since its founding in 1970, and added fair trade in 2005, growing their own cotton in Africa. After hiring the designer Miguel Adrover, they feel they have all the elements – eco fabrics, fair trade, and design – to make it a successful company.

TheKey.To, another first-time eco-trade show, co-founder Gereon Pilz van der Grinten explained that the show was created because eco collection exhibitors were asking more and more for their own independent platform. Down the line, he sees TheKey.To becoming the eco-Bread and Butter. Highlights from their first show included Redesign, which uses only recycled materials; 1000-2000 tonnes of textile waste per day comes back to the recycling compound where they are buying materials to design new garments. At Slowmo, we talked to founding partner Melchior Moss about his nearly 4-year-old label, which uses eco-fabrics and produces in Berlin with a fair price strategy and high quality. Their biggest challenge these days is how to become even more sustainable regarding packaging, transportation, and energy usage. For them, it is very important that everything they do is coming from their heart; Slowmo's version of sustainability must include great design.

At the Premium Exhibition’s Green Forum, two collections in particular stood out. Odd, an organic design house based in New York, fuses everyday objects and innovative Japanese textile engineering for their soy cashmere and milk fibre-wool blend fabrics. This collection will soon be sold in a major department store in New York, Paris and Tokyo; 1% of their revenues go to charity via 1% For The Planet. Raffauf, a rainwear collection, uses organic cotton and banana fibre fabrics that are treated with beeswax or natural rubber coating to make the coats and jackets water-resistant.

Surprisingly, Bread and Butter did not have a green platform; still, we did see some labels moving towards sustainability in their own ways. Just to mention a few, Braez, from Holland, sells a collection of tops and tunics that changes only in colours and fabrics from one season to the next. Sack’s, from Israel, also makes very plain, almost seasonless clothes; Skunkfunk, a Basque-based company, is introducing 50% of their collection with sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton. Mikel Elozo, the general director, tells us that a lot of their clients ask for organic pieces. Although they use eco fabrics, they are not marketing the eco aspect of their collection, as they fear being accused of greenwashing since they have not yet achieved complete transparency in their production process. Meanwhile, cosmetics line Uslu Airlines presented a charitable initiative: a collection of 11 up-to-the-minute colors of nail polish, from which 90 cents of each bottle’s sale would go to help underprivileged children in Berlin.

The Premium Exhibition had a very nice, relaxing atmosphere, with a more upscale overall feeling to the participating brands. Again, we saw a shift happening in the different ways to apply sustainability: Philo-Sofie, a cashmere collection of 50 sweaters, hats, scarves, and capes, is produced sustainably in close partnership with their Chinese factories. Blue Notch Jeans, a South Korean label that launched in the US two years ago, is making skinny jeans out of organic cotton denim from Japan. Hedda William from Hamburg designs simple styles meant to last: 20 tops and blouses each season, each offered in 12 colours. Instead of using a factory, her knit pieces are made by a family in Thailand.

The managing director for Germany at Filippa K, Norbert Reipert, proclaimed that they incorporate their values into the product, making it true, sustainable and reliable. They are using eco fabrics for some garments, and fair trade is a must, but their low-impact strategy still wasn’t comprehensive enough to qualify them for the green platform. Nonetheless, Reipert had strong feelings on the subject:

“We know there is a consumer out there called the LOHAS in Germany, who are really knowledgeable. But the masses just know enough to make a choice, and these masses will count in the end. [People will question,] why would you eat something based on chemicals? Why would you wear something that harms you?”

On the whole, we could see a definite shift in consciousness taking place, with many young and not-so-young labels expanding the boundaries of ethical production methods and sustainable materials, both traditional and high-tech. Needless to say, a lot of work is still to be done: What will it take to move sustainability from a trend to a lifestyle?

Want to read more? Click below to purchase the full PDF version of THE ECO TRADE SHOW REPORT JULY 2009, complete with lots of photos and in-depth designer interviews:

For a breakdown of the trends we observed at the trade shows, click below to purchase the full PDF version of THE BREAD AND BUTTER/PREMIUM REPORT SS 2010:

News flash: Green really might be the new black.

What if sustainable, ethical clothing becomes the norm instead of the exception? As apparel companies focus in on value rather than price in sourcing, that very scenario was floated at the WWD Sourcing & Supply Chain Leadership Forum earlier this month, by no less an industry player than Rick Darling, president of sourcing giant Li & Fung USA.

“I actually think [corporate social responsibility] is becoming very much an assumed trait,” said Darling. “The debates about whether it costs money or doesn’t cost money are no longer valid… I think sustainability will probably be, along with quality, the two main decision-making premises for most sourcing decisions that are going to be made over the next five to 10 years.”

Li & Fung itself is in the process of calculating the carbon footprint of its 10,000 suppliers in 80 countries, no easy task. Meanwhile, at Avon, social responsibility is no longer an optional part of doing business.

“Corporate responsibility should not be an island off the coast of your business,” said Susan Arnot Heaney, director of corporate responsibility, public relations and communications at Avon. “It is how you do your business, and people in the area of supply chain and sourcing are really on the front lines.”…

She warned that focusing on one or two issues, like human rights and working conditions, rather than the entire scope of issues under the social responsibility umbrella leaves companies vulnerable.

“Consumers, advocates, activists, NGOs [nongovernment organizations], the media, legislators — they are all really paying attention to this,” said Heaney. “It’s no longer just nice to do.”

Via WWD

Monsoon Fairtrade (London)

British fast-fashion chain Monsoon was founded with an international vision by Peter Simon, a regular traveler to India who started out in 1973 selling ethnic handicrafts on Portobello Road.  Building on their main line of bohemian, ethnic-inspired dresses, boleros and beachwear, their new collaboration with the organization Fairtrade is a small line of Fairtrade-certified cotton tees and jeans in muted tropical tones. Monsoon also sponsors Estethica, a loose group of green suppliers, and through its Accessorize brand, is supporting a workshop for Afghan female embroiderers, bringing their traditional embroidery to the British high street.