Green Options

The time has come.  The wait is over.  The brand-new, highly anticipated, hottest beauty glossy to hit newsstands is green and it’s gorgeous!

Natural and organic beauty is no longer a niche industry. It has and continues to flood conventional markets as consumers ask more questions than ever about product safety and purity. The rapid increase in organic beauty sales is due, in part, to consumer awareness of hazards in their synthetic and toxic counterparts. Higher standards have become prevalent even for the average consumer thanks to mainstream media spotlights on lead in lipstick, estrogen-mimicking parabens and BPA in plastics.

Though it may not seem like an ideal time to launch anything in our current economic state, there may not be a more perfect time than now for Organic Beauty.

Unicorn is an award-winning women’s designer wear label with great character, founded by Ireland-based French designer Sophie Rieu. Collections are made from the finest locally-sourced organic and natural fabrics. Her garments are elegantly understated, and flatter the female form with particular emphasis on detailing and finish.

November 2008 dates the launch of the Moksa Surya brand and collection in London. Uganda born designer Farah Damji of Moksa handmade in London offers us a sneak preview of her Spring/Summer 2009 ready-to-wear assemblage of fourteen pieces.

Pictured is a Freedom Tee fondly titled Tree of Life. The black applique flowers are from a roll of vintage silk found in a charity shop in Cape Town. The beads, sequins and crystals are a combo of new and recycled.

The style is timeless, Bohemian-exotic. To sum the quotes up, Nina creates sustainable apparel and accessories that are beautiful, sexy and fun.

Nina is the fashion inspiration for ROMP, whose collection is certified organic by the Soil Association and GOTS approved for natural dyes. UK’s Soil Association is one of (if not the most), strictest certifiers on our planet.

Top celeb NY makeup artist, Rose-Marie Swift works in the fashion industry on photo shoots for VOGUE, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and most recently at LaCoste RTW Spring ‘09 Fashion Show where she used her own, absolutely brand new line of organic cosmetics.  She knows beauty and the dangers of toxic beauty products and how they can greatly effect health.  After years of exposure to conventional products, her health began to drastically decline.  She started to lose her hair and memory and begun having panic attacks.  After having lab tests done she was asked “Do you work in the cosmetics industry?”  She had toxic levels of heavy metals, lead, cadmium, aluminum, barium and mercury; along with high levels of pesticides and other chemicals.  The lab technician said “I can’t believe you’re even walking around!”

Landing in the U.S. just last month, Antipodes (pronounced an-tip-a-teez) is a high-end certified organic skincare range from New Zealand that’s hailed as “pure New Zealand nature in a bottle”.  It’s coveted in Europe and featured in Harper’s Bazaar, VOGUE and Marie Claire to name a few.  The new Sephora store in Hong Kong that opened last Friday is offering the line amongst their natural/organic selection indicating they are “impressed by the beautifully fragrant range and the exquisite green wallpaper patterning of the packaging”.  Three Antipodes Concept Stores also opened within the last few months in Korea and the company is in talks with some big retailers and spas here, which if any indication means the craze is likely to hit the states soon. 

Time for fall/winter fashions and when it comes to staying warm in freezing temperatures, the eco-minded public feels left in the cold by more than the weather. There aren’t many choices beyond synthetics. So what’s the solution?

The answer lies in one’s moral perspective on what constitutes a sustainably made garment. Some find it strange when a petroleum-based synthetic is praised while natural materials like fur and wool are condemned.

The most exciting fashion aspect of recycling is art. Wearing art as jewelry is common, but not so true when it comes to clothing. It takes a special talent to make stylish clothes from recycled materials, — an artistic talent.

Hence, I am honored to introduce you to Thai designer Nunthirat “Koi” Suwannagate, who approaches her work through the prism of art. Each piece she designs is a completely unique, one-of-a-kind handmade garment, and reflects her own personal vision.

Koi has a thing for vintage cashmere and incorporates the recycled material into her collections. Her signature style is to hand-sculpt the cashmere into fabulous rosette appliques. She also designs with organic cotton and silk. The combination is a richness and superior softness that Koi says is the epitome of luxury and pure indulgence.

Koi’s talent to enhance and beautify the natural contours of the female body are obvious, but less emphasized in the press. I think it’s because each admirer is hypnotized over the construction details, and speak less of the drape that allows fluid movement and ultimate comfort. Yet the press is dishing loads of favorable reviews from the pages of W and WWD, Vogue, Bazaar, and much more.

There are many reasons to overcome fashion’s destructive downside.

Well if I was to honor a rubber tube design award, the winner would be the Pieces Goddess, Christa De Leeuw Van Weenen for Zuss Fashion Design in The Netherlands. This freaky, fashionable, wearable art is not only cool, it’s fashionable recycling at it’s best!

Sorry, this Strapless Adventure sun dress is SOLD. But you get the idea. Check out the site. All items could be appropriately displayed in an art [...]

Oh how I get my kicks discovering unique designers with eco style! Just in time for the Summer Solstice, I share admiration for Enamore, founded by designer Jenny Ambrose 20004 in the seaside city of Brighton, UK.

This striking empire-line Jeanie Halter Dress is made from a blend of hemp and Tencel®. It has delicate strawberry shaped organic cotton lace detail and ruby-red satin bow detail.

Know that Tencel® is a [...]