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New York Fashion Week has come and gone, and devout fashionistas have since migrated onto London for the next wave of Spring/Summer 2009 showings. We still have more details to follow up from events here in NYC, but we wanted to sneak in a quick report on the much-talked about British Fashion Council’s Estethica exhibition at London Fashion Week. Created to showcase eco fashion that meets fair trade and the most rigorous sustainable design standards, Esthetica has become a go-to guide for the latest ideas and innovations on the green style circuit. Now in its fifth season, we were excited to see some new names added to the line-up as well as some old favorites that continue to build momentum on these shores and across the big pond.
Super flirty ‘Minna’ collection crafted from recycled antique fabrics, lace, and silks
September 2008 welcomes yet another outstanding season for Estethica as folks catch on to the vast options now available in eco chic dressing and couture. Originally created as a British Fashion Council initiative to promote the best of British ‘eco-sustainable fashion’, the exhibit and well-attended event at London Fashion Week has become the global fashion industry’s standard for promoting the best of eco, fair-trade collections. This hand-picked showcase is also a great way for like-minded companies to band together, network, and show a united front for ethical practices and methods when it comes to manufacturing and green materials. Fifteen new labels have joined the line up for Spring/Summer 2009, and we are excited to show you a few of our favorites and picks. Estethica is co-curated by Orsola de Castro, founder of green label From Somewhere, Filippo Ricci and The British Fashion Council.
From Somewhere’s recycled vintage collections
Orsola de Castro, has stated ‘This year the Estethica vetting has been the most exciting so far, new emerging labels are showing us that the message has finally hit the mainstream: edgy design and eco passion really can go hand in hand.’ This is great news, not only for eco fashion designers on the rise, but for evergreen favorites who are gaining increasing support as viable alternatives to mainstream houses. Stay tuned for more coverage on ‘ethical fashion’ as Inhabitat crosses the channel in mid-October for reporting on The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris.
+ London Fashion Week/Estethica
+ “Will Ethical Fashion Feel The Pinch if London is Squeezed”/ The Guardian (Sept. 17, 2008)
+ The Ethical Fashion Show
+ Ethical Fashion Forum
Just love Orsola’s ‘From Somewhere’ label, now if only they ‘d start recycling pieces for men!
I also definitely agree with Orsola when she says ethical fashion is now increasingly mainstream, not only has the showcase grown from 15 to 37 designers but part of the esethica showcase this year saw the govt launch its Sustainable Clothing Action Plan which involved the likes of M&S, Sainsbury and Oxfam. Now with govt support, it will be a fantastic couple of years ahead for ethical fashion!
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