 "Photo: Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week")
Say goodbye to those granola stereotypes of the environmentally conscious. Being green has never been more in style.
This week, some of Los Angeles' most talented up-and-coming designers debuted their spring 2008 collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, where the hottest trends focused on eco-friendly garments. Twice a year, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week takes place in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Berlin to showcase the newest and hottest designers. This season focuses on eco-friendly initiatives. The biannual event, a series of fashion shows throughout the Los Angeles area, has become a much bigger event over the last few years.
Although Fashion Week is still not as popular as those in Paris or New York, "there is so much talent in L.A., and the fashion market in general has grown so much - there are so many more designers," said Vogue associate producer Caroline Wolff.
As the city faces an assortment of local environmental challenges such as increased smog levels, water contamination and land pollution, it was both timely and appropriate that celebrities, designers and stylish Angelenos supported the ecological theme that dominated this year's shows.
Among the week's environmentally driven shows was EcoNouveau, an original event promoting ecological awareness through fashion, music and art. The show was produced by BOXeight, a Los Angeles-based organization committed to restoring downtown's artistic community, and was held at the rejuvented building that was once the cathedral of St. Vibiana in the historic downtown district of Los Angeles.
The designers' spring 2008 lines presented innovative ways of incorporating organic materials into the clothing. Among the designers were Bahar Shahpar, whose womenswear line Agricult was made solely with sustainable materials, and Amanda Shi, whose body-conscious designs, were created using organic fabrics and bamboo plant.
"It's really important to bring fashion and issues of the environment together in a glamorous way," Los Angeles local Leah Forester said.
And that's exactly what designer Gary Harvey did, using recycled products to construct his eco-couture line of avant-garde dresses.
The show also included the work of local photographers such as Sebastian Copeland, whose landscape pictures of natural resources reflected the event's environmental focus. EcoNouveau's objective of emphasizing and encouraging ecological respect was notably successful, as almost 1,000 people came to support the designers and their spring eco-fashions.
Fashion Week, which kicked off last Sunday at the ultra-mod Smashbox Studios in Culver City, embraced a whole new look - everything was green, including the designers, fashion shows, sponsors and overall production.
Among some of the most innovative details of the event's production were the use of recycled paper for the programs and gift bags, as well as soy-based ink for the printing of show schedules. To limit environmental impact, the tents, lobby tables and staging equipment were largely made from recycled products. Fellow sponsor DHL added their fair share of eco-friendly touches, including a "Shipping Spot" that allowed guests to send mail straight from the venue using DHL's recycled packaging materials. Also available was their newly manufactured reusable envelope, recycled plastic bags for guests to carry their swag in, and lastly, complimentary butter cream cookies wrapped in biodegradable cellophane. Los Angeles' most stylish noshed on the circulating organic appetizers from Whole Foods Market and enjoyed the nature-inspired décor of the event. The lobby of Smashbox Studios was completely transformed into a jungle, with potted palm trees, hanging bamboo light fixtures and dark-wooded furniture to accommodate the mojito-sipping guests.
The shows featured 28 of Los Angeles' coolest designers, who unveiled the hottest eco-fashion trends for Spring 2008. Ecoganik, a California-based line of womenswear made completely from organic fabrics, showcased earthy-toned mini dresses and lots of cream-colored separates. The models' hair was wavy and free flowing, with bands of twig branches entwined with moss across their foreheads, reflecting the environmental cool of the collection.
Evidence of Evolution's runway show continued the green theme featuring a collection of environmentally supportive clothing made from 100 percent organic cottons, denims and hemp silk. Key pieces of the line for women were loose, bell-sleeved mini dresses, racerback tanks and cotton leggings, while the men's styles included electric blue hoodies, yellow denim pants and vintage polos.
The natural show vibe mirrored the unpolished look of the clothing, as models casually walked down the runway with wind-blown hair and nude makeup. With an audience including "Entourage" star Adrain Grenier, the collection received rave reviews and a standing ovation.
"The organic fabrics were comparable to those of fine fabrics, which aren't as eco-friendly," patron Cynthia Archuleta said.
The Green Initiative Show, presented by The Gallery Los Angeles, featured a group of environmentally friendly designers including Peligrosa, Rene Geneva, Wet Cement, Vintage China, Protect the Element, M the Movement, Artesania and Demano. Each used different alternative materials to create unique and functional ready-to-wear collections. Designer Rene Geneva managed to produce very refined silk corsets, made solely from organic materials.
"[The show was] surprisingly better than I thought it would be, because [the clothes] were so wearable, and it was a fun twist that the garments were all made from organic fabrics," said Jennifer Chan, senior fashion and beauty editor for Telepictures Productions, Inc.
It was these pro-environmental shows and their nature-inspired lines that were all the rage at Fashion Week this year.
"Every year, L.A. Fashion Week gets better and better and the eco-friendly movement will make it stand out more," said Shruti Dhalwala, a freelance writer for People Magazine and USC alumna '06.
