Yesterday, the Danish label NOIR held its first show during New York Fashion Week. The socially and environmentally conscious label was a welcomed addition to the slowly growing, yet still miniscule contingent of designers showing eco-friendly options here. NOIR worked with model Shalom Harlow for their spring campaign (above). The model is well known for her support of eco-friendly fashion. Continue reading for details on the collection and images from the show.
For Spring 2008, their fifth collection, the line was dedicated to ‘transparency’. The duality of this concept for NOIR was expressed physically with the launch of their Nu NOIR lingerie collection, while also being woven into their CSR business model. While the collection kept within the overall dark and sexy theme the label has become known for, there were some touches of lightness and color, such as the bright pink dress in a double layer of African cotton and silk. The continued use of leather won’t win over any vegans, but there were plenty of other fabrics that could garner the respect of environmentalists in general. The collection was comprised mainly of organic and African cottons, silks and oeko-tex certified fabrics in caviar grays, black and white.
Hopefully, the added presence of another eco label at the shows will underscore the diversity we can see in eco-fashion. Fashion companies and designers may begin to realize that designing with the environment in mind has little to do with adhering to any one aesthetic.
+ NOIR
+ more images of NY Spring 2008 Fashion Week >
Can’t designers use real people as models – people who ocassionally smile, eat and think real thoughts? Sigh!
Good on Noir for their environmental and social principles but these designs seem quite dull to me – not very inspiring – same old same old – yawn!
Wow, you seem a bit cynical, Rachelblue. Models are, in fact, actual people who eat, smile, and think and it irritates me when people judge them based on what they’ve seen them do for 30 seconds on a catwalk. Being pretty and slim doesn’t make them idiots. And you do realise that it is the designers who instruct the models not to smile?
That said, I agree about the designs. They’re definitely more high-fashion than a lot of environmentally conscious brands, but the styles are pretty ‘done’.
scarrrry anorexic models. vegans do eat so do lacto-ovos (thats me). Why is this still happening on the runway??? perhaps they ought to be designing clothes for the bulmexic model that make them look fat. Oh no then they’d have to loose more weight.. sorry, I’m sure the designs are wonderfully executed, but for the final display. thank you…no.
I think we have well covered the topic of skinny models here on Inhabitat. We would kindly ask that future comments be devoted to the designs.
Additionally jewlz, I know vegans and vegetarians eat, but they typically do not wear leather. That is what the post refers to.
and rechelblue the models smile plenty when they are not working, take a look at some backstage shots some time. Most designers prefer the attention be drawn to the clothes and it is fairly standard that the models do not smile during a show.
thank you,
Jill Danyelle
I loves the looks, of both the models and the fashion. The sixth picture down for example has a very theatrical quality to it. I love how the black scarf splits the white of the blouse, because against the black background it makes the model seem split in half and conflicted, as if she had two personalities, and yet she remains very placcid and calm, continually looking outward. I dont particually like the emphasis on the lower portion of the women. it seems strange to put on a baggy top and just leave the bottom uncovered or in the case of that gray dress to purposely make it sheer. I think it take away from the fashion and isn’t sexy. Why can’t it emphasize the whole woman instead of marginalizing and emphasizing parts?
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100% regarding o.us poetry, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong
I tend to agree with the overall dark grey and black look being a little ‘has been’. The fushia makes for a nice change though.
as for the models, simply put, they are ‘clothes racks’. People come to fashion shows to study the articles of clothing and not so much the models.