Even if you pride yourself on feeling totally at ease in the skin that you are in, there is a new collection on the horizon that takes comfort and self-assurance one step further with the fresh, ready-to-wear simplicity of ecoSkin’s Spring 2008 collection. Los Angeles-based designer, Sandy Skinner, has chosen to use a blend of sustainable fabrics and earth-friendly blends as means to create woven and draped pieces that evoke elegance as well as timelessness in their clean, green flowing lines.
Skinner uses a blend of bamboo, Tencel, and Spandex to create knits and wovens that rival the best of fluid contemporary fashion. After conducting extensive fabric sourcing and production research, Skinner concluded that in order to meet her personal standards for ecoSkin, she would need to have many of the collection’s fabrics custom made for pieces that were sustainably produced from start to finish locally. Consequently, ecoSkin opts to import its bamboo from China and then spins the fiber into yarn in Los Angeles so that the designer and her team can have complete control over manufacturing standards and fair trade practices.
“I wanted to give women a hip, sophisticated collection, as well as a sustainable product that would not leave a footprint on the environment,” says Skinner. “My vision is to continually raise women’s awareness of their options. We can combine eco-friendly fabrics with a high design aesthetic.”
Skinner’s socially responsible beliefs extend beyond the production of ecoSkin. Each season the designer plans to donate to One Percent for the Planet and Animal Actors Worldwide, as well as various other environmental and animal charities.
The ecoSkin collection will be available in early Spring 2008. Inhabitat is providing you a sneak preview of several of the fabulous tops, dresses, and separates that will soon be available.
+ ecoSkin pieces range in price from $140 – $322
+ For more information on where to find and shop for ecoSkin this spring , contact Lizzie Nodell at Dell et Ruhs Public Relations – lizzie@delletruhs-pr.com
I can’t believe this is being called green! Bamboo imported from China? spandex? Tencel?!!
Real green fiber grows in the ground or on animals; it’s not manufactured!
Real green fiber grows on animals? I wasn’t aware that animals grew “fabric” for human use…….it’s funny how a person can claim to be green and still support the fur and leather trade…..
BG, of course “real fiber” grows on animals. Think of wool, for instance, or mohair. Fantastic fibers that are used to make beautiful fabrics.
Not sure about your “support the fur and leather trade” comment, but if you meant me, you’re way off base. I support neither. “Harvesting” a whole animal has nothing to do with fibers from domesticated animals.
I am the designer and owner and I am not sure how anyone would get confused from the information in this article. No where does it say I promote hurting animals in anyway. My product is made of sustainable bamboo which grows in Asia. Bamboo does not grow in the US. The pulp is then woven into fabric in the U.S. Bamboo is 100% naturally grown and does not require any chemicals or pesticides. It is the worlds fastest growing plant and is actually a grass not a wood. It grows new shoots without any need to replant. This comes from the ground not animals. This product is also manufactured all in the US to adhere to strick fair trade practices. I support animal charities, but that has nothing to do with the product that the company is selling. Nothing is made from animals in any way. Even the buttons are made from Coconut that has fallen to the ground. If you have any other questions. Please feel free to ask and I will respond to them all.
Thanks
TinTex — Tencel is actually derived from wood pulp. Straight out of the ground, just like bamboo! You might not be a fan of the brand, but it’s just as green as a lot of well accepted “green” designers. I think it’s good to be critical of green washing, but there are ways to question what you are being fed without being overly negative. Holding every brand up to a “perfectly green” standard ends up turning off people who are just starting to get interested in ethically produced clothing. Everyone has to choose a level of green that is acceptable to their wallet and their lifestyle. This brand might not be green enough for you, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good choice for someone else who’s never realized their clothing could be green!
Hi Sandy,
I’m very curious about the process you use to “spin” bamboo shoots into fiber and why you choose to do this process in the US. I’ve read various reports of the babmoo refining processes some of which include using solvents to dissolve the raw material. Could you describe the process you use and explain why your method may be considered more sustainable than bamboo processed in China?
Dear Skaateslady
The only reason I do this process in LA is because my production is based in LA. To import everything in China would leave me with no control over the process. My fabric supplier is based in LA so I can watch them closely. The process if very technical and wold take pages to explain. There is really no benefit of me making it n the US except that I can watch the process since I am not based in China. It is no more sustainable no matter what county the fabric is produced. The garments are sewn in local US factories and the employees wages are much higher than in any China factory. That is why I want to produce locally and promote fair trade practices in the US.
Thanks
I think it’s important to understand the process, even if it is quite technical, to make an informed choice about the clothing we buy. Is there a reference that you could provide to this effect? Primarily I would like to know the chemical inputs. Secondarily, any by-products or waste-products and relative energetic requirements compared to other fiber-processing techniques would also be relevant.
Bamboo most certainly does grow in the US, I’ve got bamboo growing in my yard right now (in Savannah, GA) and at the past 2 places I’ve lived in Florida.
Bamboo does grow in the US but not in enough supply. This is why Panda’s are from China and not in the US. There is an abundance in Asia which is why we buy it from there!
I would also like to understand the process used to convert raw bamboo into fiber.
The processes I’ve read about require lye and carbon disulfide.
If the process used to produce your product does not use these chemicals, what chemicals does it use?
I have the same questions as skaateslady:
What are the chemical inputs to the process?
What are the by-products or waste-products?
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I need to know the process of making fiber out of bamboo for a research paper for school. I understand it is quite technical and lengthy, however, if you could break it down in terms that we understand. This way we can be sure it indeed eco friendly. We live in a society where we can not afford to simply take a persons word for claims they make. Thank you