Project Earth Day is a unique annual showcase of the most innovative brands in sustainable design, and serves as a NYC-based celebration of leadership in the fashion, interiors, and green building industries. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Through the Looking Glass: An Exploration of Scale and Proportion’. The event’s organizers propose a metaphoric play on dimension: “Our wonderland is present-day New York City, viewed through a distorted lens – where big is small, small is big, and the worlds of building and fashion collide through an exploration of scale.”

Bahar Shahpar, the show’s uber-talented stylist and co-producer, in partnership with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), will no doubt put an urban chic spin on new directions for the eco fashion frontier. An amazing roster of sponsors have also contributed generously to this year’s showcase of sustainable style.

The seeds of the future are encapsulated in the hearts and minds of student designers, and Project Earth Day’s organizers recognize this fact by hosting a student design competition each year. This year’s prizes are eco bountiful and the media coverage will be extensive, so for the finalists whose designs will be voted on by a distinguished panel of guest judges, this is a fabulous opportunity to generate buzz around one’s budding label or collection. Project Earth Day is a great way to identify new eco fashion talent, as we saw with last year’s outstanding winners: Amira Marion (Grand Prize), Maritza Romo de Fusco (Second Place), Judy Lee (Third Place), Ashley Newsome, and Daphne Woo (Honorable Mentions). Stay tuned for our follow up coverage on both the runway presentation of the student competition and the night’s featured fashion designers.

2008 Grand Prize Winner: Amira Marion (Parsons)

“In these modern times, individuals, companies, and even countries often consume more than they produce, using resources and creating waste in disproportionately large shares. This has seemed to work until now, but things are clearly not as they seem. The time has come for us to shift the weight and take a step back to consider a different reality – one where size is relative and small changes can have a huge impact. True sustainability is ultimately a carefully achieved balance between commerce, humanity, and the environment.”

+ Project Earth Day

+ Tickets for Project Earth Day

+ Project Earth Day 2008 on Inhabitat

+ Project Earth Day Student Competition 2008 on Inhabitat

2008 Second Place Winner: Maritza Romo de Fusco (Parsons)

photography by Jill Fehrenbacher

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