Sustainable style. Organic clothing. Eco-conscious attire. Green-wear. Ethically sound. Fair traded. Corporate social responsibility.
There’s a lot of ways to define an industry that until only a few years ago, was nowhere to be seen nor recognized on the runways of New York Fashion Week. This industry is the “green” fashion industry, and no, it’s not about the color green — but rather, the idea that clothing can be produced in an ethically responsible way in regards to the health of the planet and the people who inhabit it.
As a vintage clothing stylist & curator, I work with merchandise that because of it’s second-hand nature, is essentially the equivalent of “recycling” clothing. This is an example of green fashion. You are investing in attire that would otherwise rot in a landfill. You have an awareness that you do not need to invest in mass produced, cheaply made products. Through vintage clothing and green fashion, there are alternatives.
What I like to tell people to give them the most illustrative, relatable metaphor as to why they should care about the clothing they put on their body: If you had a choice between all-natural chicken and KFC fried chicken, you would [hopefully!] choose the all-natural chicken for your meal, right?
The same can be said for clothing: Why would you wear something that is the same as eating absolute crap food? I like to call this the “healthy fashion” analogy.
[via Huffington Post] GULI Collection, Spring 2011 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Credit: Emma Grady
Healthy fashion can attract a number of variables, from the materials it was made with and where they were sourced from, to the transportation of the final product and most importantly, how/where/and by whom it was made.
An important point to make is that a bitter reality of the retail industry is that most of our clothing is produced abroad. While you may scorn at the thought of sweat shop labor, you can invest in companies that create ethical working conditions and have a social consciousness as to how they can give back to these factory employees. Nike, for example, may set up a school in the village nearby to one of its factories. It’s about giving back to the world which creates your product and creating a balance of interests — the interest of the company is served by production of a quality piece, the people who have created it are well taken care of and benefit from improved working situations thanks to American influences, and the piece is ultimately made with awareness of the environment in mind.
“Healthy fashion” and its green counterparts will be showcased at New York City’s Green Fashion Shows this week. The green shows kick off tomorrow and conclude Tuesday. I’m hoping to make a few of the shows on Monday & Tuesday before meeting the RoadHug girls for our weekly pow wow. The green fashion I see will be some of the most conservatively sustainable. These will be pieces produced with recycled materials, made in the good ole’ USA and transported with the least amount of carbon footprint as possible.
The understanding that healthy fashion exists as an alternative to non-healthy fashion is the first step to becoming a girl fashionista or fashionisto. Or really — who cares if you even care about fashion. What matters is that you care about the planet, its people, and the impact you leave. Do you have a suggestion as to how you can incorporate healthy fashion into your wardrobe? Leave me your idea in the comments or on facebook!
New York City Green Fashion, Designers Featured:
WWW.ASHTONMICHAEL.COM
WWW.AURALISTUDIO.COM
WWW.YOUBRIGHTYOUNGTHINGS.COM
WWW.DRESSREFORM.COM
WWW.JOANNBERMAN.COM
WWW.MYLAVUK.COM
WWW.LUISVALENZUELAUSA.COM
WWW.MILLINERSGUILD.ORG
WWW.SAMANTHAPLEET.COM
WWW.SUSANCIANCIOLO.COM
