Green Options

A couple weeks ago, Kelli announced that Chicago’s fourth annual Fashion Week kicks off today, but not without the absolutely brand new addition of MoSS.  Curated by Pivot Boutique, Chicago’s first boutique dedicated to eco-fashion, this event will “features clothing, accessories and furniture that inspire and respond to current form and function necessities, without compromising our environmental abilities to meet future needs“ .  Featured designers and collaborators include Annie Novotny of Frei Designs, Lara Miller, Alice Berry, Jane Palmer and Marianne Fairbanks of Noon Solar, Joshua Height of Brickermade and Michele Fitzpatrick of Verde Design Studio.

Stay tuned next week as Fashion Week hits Portland…

While eco-friendly fabrics are showing up in more and more designer collections and stores, we often don’t hear enough about the dyeing and finishing processes that accompany them. Conventional dyeing methods often involve toxic chemicals, harmful to the wearer and the environment.

I recently hosted an event at Pivot where Chicago designer Annie Novotny of Frei Designs demonstrated how she naturally dyes some of her garments and accessories with pomegranate juice. First, select a 100% pure juice (no sugars or additives). Pour the juice in a large bowl and add some vinegar and water. The vinegar helps to set the color and also adds brown into the hue.