By Summer Bowen
Eco fashion is enjoying a recent boost in popularity, but in many cases the movement has shifted from green to greenwashing [0], and from the three R’s to the three B’s: buy, buy, buy. We’ve got a newsflash for you: fifty cute canvas bags does not an eco-fashionista make.
Trends are now settling down a bit and smart fashionistas are realizing the difference between consumerism and environmentalism. After all, fashion is a part of our culture, and culture is a reflection of society.
Rather than buying into the three B’s, we chose to focus on the two M’s — mindfulness and moderation — instead. The designs you see here were thoughtfully culled from fall collections of the latest and greatest eco-fashion designers with a special eye on domestically manufactured clothing from smaller local designers. We chose moderately (read: things people will actually wear!), being mindful also, that an eco-fashionable closet is not one filled with brand new pieces but an eclectic mix of the latest and greatest combined with the gems we already own and supplemented with second hand and vintage pieces. And so it was styled accordingly with a mix of new, vintage, and pieces of the model’s own wardrobe.
In keeping with our theme, our photo shoot team met in a central location, walked to each destination, ate organic [0], used mineral makeup, and had “solar powered” natural lighting. In the end, it was a collaborative effort of likeminded people done with moderation in mind.
Above: Jack wears a long-sleeved organic cotton tee from Loomstate [1].
Sachi, left, visits the farmers' market in a Modaspia [2] surplus fabric top.
Modaspia's Ursula Dean fell into eco-fashion because of her love of fabrics. A designer first and foremost, Ursula focuses on fabric, fit, and comfort with a bohemian style that always includes “something that’s a little bit different.” For years she’s been sourcing dead-stock surplus fabric (the last 50 yards or so leftover from mainstream designers). “I’ve been buying them for ages,” she says, “before I even realized what a benefit it was to the environment. You are using something that’s already available instead of feeding into the production of conventional fabrics.” Lately she’s been looking at other sustainable fabrics, and while she’ll continue to use dead stock, we can look forward to some up and coming organic fabrics in her collection. Ursula produces her entire collection in the San Francisco Bay Area with women-owned and run manufacturing companies.
Delphia, center, is wearing an organic cotton dress by Stewart + Brown [3] and Jack wears an organic cotton tee by Loomstate. The girls shine in Larenim Mineral Makeup [4].
Here, Delphia wears a soft organic cotton dress by Perfectly Imperfect [5]. Her fresh-face look is courtesy of Larenim Mineral Makeup [6].
After eight years as creative director and head designer at massive fashion label Three Dots, Jadie Kadletz decided to make her move to organic fabrics. Why? She realized the destructive impact of conventional clothing on the environment.
Believing that change is brought about by example, Jadie started her brand Perfectly Imperfect in 2005 and has been inspiring change ever since. Fresh, simple, and well made, the line itself has grown organically, beginning with well-cut tees and growing into a stylish knit collection with incredible draping and beautiful color stories.
Perfectly Imperfect has multi layered value system including domestic labor and sustainable materials, and an overarching philosophy of wabi sabi — the belief in simplicity, quietude, and rustic beauty.
Handmade wooden shoes by Mohop [7].
Sachi steps it up a notch in this black number by Raw Earth Wild Sky [8]. Her ecolicious glow is courtesy of Larenim Mineral Makeup [9].
Comfort while wine tasting, free movement while dancing, and fashionable class while in a business meeting, the Raw Earth Wild Sky line is the ultimate fashion partner. A perfect combination of well fitted and worn-in, the line is inspired by nature, not in the crunchy tree bark way, rather in the way that a stream winding through the woods is easy on the eyes. The ladies behind the label, Karen Kananen and Samantha Robinson, met 12 years ago, and because of their common passions—love of fashion, concern for the planet, and the birth of their daughters—they decided to create a fashion label with a conscience. Using organic cotton exclusively, the duo is committed to “'in-sourcing” as opposed to “out-sourcing” by hand-making the entire line in Los Angeles.
Delphia wears an organic cotton dress by Perfectly Imperfect while Jack sports an organic cotton long-sleeved button-down shirt and hemp tie by Sustainable Collective [10].
Stylist: Summer Bowen [11]
Photographer: Kristy White [12]
Makeup: Larenim Mineral Makeup [13]
Models: Delphia Weissert, Jack Wisner, and Sachi Ujifusa