Dear Earth apparel launches their own online boutique.

The recipe: Take a bit of organic rocker and a splash of vintage and mix well with contemporary graphic prints. The result is the newly launched Dear Earth label and online boutique.

Deriving inspiration from music, the moon, and popular culture, designer and owner Daniele Moore has created an organic luxury lounge wear collection composed of leggings with fun details such as ruching, snaps and zippers, sexy skirts made with re-purposed sequined material, and sheer graphic tees featuring messages like “Drums Please,” and “Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, Love.”

Moore was born in Philadelphia and started sewing in her twenties as a creative outlet, and because she needed some comfortable clothes to teach yoga in. As she started to receive compliments on things she had designed and her mind flooded with new ideas, her appreciation for fashion expanded. Although Dear Earth styles are mostly casual wear, Moore says she loves details like pleats and ruffles that you see more in couture lines and has fused these elements in the more casual styles.

Moore says the earth inspires her every day as she watches sunrises coming up over the ocean in Miami Beach.  “Gratitude and appreciation for our earth and the energy it gives me makes choosing sustainable fabrics and practices very easy. The inspiration, the choices and the final product have all become one-if that makes sense,” says Moore.

Working with materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, peace silk and soy, Dear Earth also uses a dye method called Fiber Reactive, in which the fibers and the dye make a permanent bond which not only produces long-lasting color in the apparel but also minimizes dye run-off which is harmful to the environment.

“So many people have no idea about fabric and fiber meanings and they do not make the connection between a t-shirt and a plant. I really enjoy watching people make the connection which I believe increases appreciation and awareness of the Earth. I created Dear Earth to share this,” says Moore.

How patterns and prints in sustainable fashion might cure social malaise.

I sometimes get really down on fashion. There seems to be no justification for colorful pageantry in a world that is literally coming apart at the seams. A military prisoner is unjustly stripped to his underclothes or less while in prolonged solitary confinement; women work their fingers to the bone in suffocating garment factories overseas; and teen models starve themselves to death for the glory of walking the runway as expressionless hangers. It is a grim concoction to ingest along with our daily intake of international news and toxic environmental affairs.

Is contemporary fashion simply a cheap visual band-aid or a deep soothing salve for less than savory current events and crises? I really can’t say, but as one friend confessed to me recently, “You know, I sometimes just need a little fun.” This was coming from a person who I consider to be a devoted animal-rights activist and discreet risk taker.

How do we incorporate luxe fashion and bold new prints and patterns into our wardrobe when we know that others might be spying on us to monitor just how indulgent or fashion-frivolous we sneakily are? Does guilt-free fashion even exist with the increasing scrutiny and lambasting of even the most valiant green carpet efforts?

Sustainable style is a great way to celebrate looking good while also rolling up one’s sleeves to delve into the pervasive mucky-muck. This is not to say that conscious-fashion cures all, but rather that visibly better ways of doing things set us on the right path to improving conditions for folks we may never meet as well as those within our immediate sphere.

With this in mind, I wanted to highlight some of the most eye-catching prints and patterns from several sustainable fashion collections of 2011. Informed choice and awareness can be a very sexy thing. The first step in altering seemingly irreversible patterns of behavior and excessive consumption begins with the right statement we make in our cheeky and unique personal style.

Electric Street Style: JoAnn Berman

Nasdq Robo Coat and turban by designer JoAnn Berman

One cannot talk about transformative fashion without referencing the street-smart repertoire of designer JoAnn Berman. This GreenShows favorite is a pistol and a half on the sustainable style scene and an editorial wizard when it comes to gritty and electrifying storytelling. Her techno-ikat digital prints and recycled vintage textiles really typify the extremes that one woman will go to in order to engage you in the fun of artful dressing and kick-ass combos. These colorful pieces available on JoAnn Berman’s online shop are total investment pieces, both for your closet and the alter ego that you would like to get to know better but have not yet met at the crossroads. JoAnn Berman’s designs coax you to get on with it already, and fashionably barrel ahead for the real work that needs to get done.

Historic Nostalgia: Feral Childe

Feral Childe’s Spring/Summer 2011 Tarquinia Collection

No surprise that Feral Childe tops the list for arty prints and historic references with their Spring/Summer 2011 ‘Tarquinia’ collection. Moriah Carlson and Alice Wu don’t hold back when it comes to textile studio experimentation and art school wit.

These latest designs unearth a whole new spirit in sustainable fashion with their laser cut detailing, sumptuous silk crepe flow, and triangle motifs on organic-cotton jersey blends. I love the hip layering effect of the ‘surplus nylon mesh’ tops, and the versatility that these pieces provide in any climate. The Tarqquinia collection offers clear optimism and an irresistible Mediterranean palette even if you have not stepped foot out of the office for several weekends in a row due to pressing deadlines and a world-changing agenda.

Native Modern Textiles: Lina Rennell

Lina Rennell Spring/Summer 2011 collection, featuring pineapples and aloe  (Rock Sunhat and Aloe Tank)

Textile/fashion designer Lina Rennell just keeps on making beautiful things without all of the hoopla and self-consciousness that typically goes with the territory, and this, for me, makes her a rather likable fashion role model. Lina incorporates green fabrics and low-impact craftsmanship into everything she does, and her limited edition production model guarantees that her exquisite designs are true fashion statement pieces. The  SS 2011 ‘Aloe Tank’ of 100% organic cotton voile literally soothes one into a state of, ‘I’m OK, You’re OK’ serenity and cool-collectedness. All of Lina Rennell’s designs are ethically made in Northern California, upping the brilliant factor even more.

Non-Linear Lyricism: BOA Studio

One-of-a-kind hand drawn illustrations on BOA Studio’s designs

My recent trip to Istanbul was all about local textile and eco-fiber research, so my visit would not have been complete without meeting up with designers, Sena Cevik and Seray Cengiz of BOA Studio. This trailblazing duo has been promoting sustainable fashion on the shores of the Bosphorus and beyond for several years now, and their signature black & white graphics are like nothing else on the planet. BOA Studio has been focused on working with organic ‘pamuk’ (cotton) since the early days of their label, but as of Spring 2011 they will be introducing their new ‘Eko-logik’ collection of edgy graphic statements on superfine bamboo fabric. The team opted to begin working with bamboo as they believe strongly that organic cotton simply uses too much water. The bamboo fabric that they are now sourcing suits their standards for low-impact and responsible design.

BOA Studio, mind over matter meets pure green thinking

It is hard to sum up how inspiring Sena and Seray are as a new generation of designers who have put down roots in their native country to support the textile traditions that reside there. Add to this their deep commitment to agricultural biodiversity, cultural preservation, and urban gardening, and it is no surprise that their designs transport you to wherever you need to be as someone who is both grounded and a believer in making the impossible possible.

lead image: Lina Rennell/Beklina; all other images courtesy of the designers; JoAnn Berman’s photos by Nina Berman

From deep in the heart of Texas, Koch designer Nicole Musselman is starting to build a fashion brand that we can’t help but get heart palpitations from.

Floaty caftans made from silk and hand-printed with Egyptian Beetle graphics, buttery linen shifts with fishermen striping and beading, and organic cottons with delicate gold origami birds – breathtaking. The best part? Each item is getting prepped for spring deliveries at a boutique near you.

Musselman says working out of Dallas is inspiring, with so many creative fashion industry women working both alongside and for her.

“I feel like the city of Dallas for years only worked with large companies pushing out high volume designers so it’s been great to be here and able to work with such great people and be in the workrooms with them as much as possible,” says Musselman whose line is all sewn and hand printed in Dallas.

In her workroom, a team of six women sew her collection which features statement pieces like layering jackets paired with loose sexy tops and boy shorts, dresses that can be worn off the shoulder or belted with shell belts and hand-stitched bags that tie around the waist to show a little leg.

“I love the idea of pairing the very dressed up crystal trim with the more casual fabrics like burlap linen and fisherman stripe linen, a juxtaposition of seriousness and playfulness, a way to look dressed up without trying too hard. Essentially, this is what the brand is all about, a lifestyle that encompasses an eclectic outlook, travel and the everyday,” says Musselman.

When asked about whether moving forward she’ll be incorporating more sustainable fabrics into her line, Musselman, who recently joined the True Collaborative Showroom based in Portland, Oregon said thanks to the help of the showroom which houses lines like Prairie Underground, Clary Sage Organics as well as PI, she thinks she’s in good hands.

“Right now we’re at about 50 percent for sustainable fabrics but for fall we’re looking at more like 75 percent. I think people are just becoming more interested in how and where their clothing is made and taking interest in it which makes using more sustainable fabrics for designers like me, easier to incorporate.”

Feral Childe, a bi-coastal collaboration of Oakland, CA, based designer Alice Wu and Brooklynite Moriah Carlson, has sped to the forefront of sustainable design labels, most notably for their refreshing prints and inventive styling details. The brand’s following is comprised of all ages of women who want something unique for their closet and know these two designers will never let them down.

The duo is fortunate enough to be able to manufacture in New York City where Carlson is based – so why would they ever want to produce their line in China? Is the backlash so bad against the entire country that now it’s all Chinese we sneer at? Wu, of Chinese descent, and I recently had a conversation about whether it was insulting, all the negative connotations from the entire sustainable community regarding China.

Offshore manufacturing? That’s just something designers have to do. Many are doing it in China. The best way to look at all this and your feelings on China is to support the handful of designers who are manufacturing from China, the right way.

Alice Wu and Moriah Carlson, designers of Feral Childe

Here’s what Alice Wu had to say about it:

“Our company, Feral Childe, is proud to be able to manufacture our garments in New York City, and hope to do so for as long as we can. I prefer to manufacture in the US but am frequently dismayed that ‘Made in China’ has such negative connotations, especially within the green community. I think that before you dismiss manufacturing in China as completely unethical, you have to look at what ‘Made in China’ really means.

We have all read about worker abuse and fraudulent manufacturing practices, horrific pollution and so on. But these days, it’s almost impossible to have an apparel business without China being involved in some way, simply because we don’t have all of these options domestically. These overseas options can still be eco: many organic and sustainable fabrics are sourced from China, whether from the raw materials or to the milling of the fabric.

Hang tags and labels are often outsourced to China even if you order them from a US-based company. But those can be green too: at least one Chinese company uses non-toxic inks to print hang tags on recycled paper and garment labels made from recycled polyester. I know American eco-designers who have made the choice to produce in China. And they are in China up to six months out of the year, overseeing their production. They tell me that the working conditions are fair and that the sewing is quality top-notch.

Obviously, there are reputable suppliers and manufacturers in China – if we want to do business with China, we are the ones who have to do our homework and steer clear of the bad apples (and there are no doubt a bunch of them) and push China for greener business practices. China is fast and smart and it is in their best interest to clean up their negative image, and they are already working on it. I think we’ll start hearing an explosion of green innovations in China within the next few years. They know the world is watching. It’s going to take awhile for the negative image to go away, but there are a growing number of young Chinese entrepreneurs in various business sectors who care about green, and collectively they can make a difference at home and abroad.”

I work with many sustainable designers and one of the more common questions I’m asked is usually about who another designer uses for manufacturing or dyeing. I will never forget the loss of a U.S based non-toxic dyeing facility that one of the designers below regularly used – and eventually had to close its doors.

Another designer had asked me to ask her (as if we were in high school) where she did her dyeing and I suggested, “She’s really nice and will tell you. Just ask her.”

That designer never did and so the business went under.

I wonder how many more stories are out there where designers were too nervous to ask about production and so stayed mum.

Mom always told me, the dumbest question was the one that never got asked.

I caught up with six top sustainable designers to ask them a simple question: Do you think the more sustainable designers share their sources, the stronger their field will become?

Here’s what they had to say.

Nicole Bridger, I think it’s great for us eco designers to work together and help each other out. We are stronger as a collective for sure. The only thing to be careful of is that we don’t all end up using the same fabrics and colors, the different lines can end up looking the same. So for that reason it is important to keep your individual aesthetic. But I think its possible for us to work together and be mindful not to have the same fabrics.

Celeste Lilore, RESTORE Barriers for entry become points of “cooperation” when sourcing is shared. It takes a village and building community will help move sustainable fashion to mainstream.

Davora Lindner, Prairie Underground Most designers in this category share a short list of resources. Sourcing unique sustainable textiles is more about buying power than availability. Purchasing greater quantities increases your options and makes the price per yard less expensive. The ability to source overseas expands your options a good deal, but again these are custom production orders with high minimum yardage.  We focus on textile categories in our small collection to ensure that we can move forward with new fabrications in a manner that is realistic for production.

Alice Wu, Feral Childe Yes, if designers collaborate on sustainable sourcing, the field will be stronger. Currently the variety of sustainable fabrics available to independent and emerging designers is fairly limited since not only is there not that much variety in color and fabrication, it can be difficult to meet a 1,000 yard opening order minimum that some suppliers demand. If suppliers see that sustainable designers have staying power in the marketplace it may encourage them to lower their minimums and offer greater product variety. There is a golden opportunity out there for a U.S-based independent sustainable fabric sales rep to connect the dots – someone who’s got the relationships both with designers and suppliers who can help us pool together our needs for new fabric production orders as well as find takers for production overrun fabric.

Tara St. James, Study NY My short answer is yes. Absolutely. To elaborate, I am a huge proponent of open source material and transparency in manufacturing. Luckily most sustainable designers seem to agree with me and are very forthcoming with their resources and ready to share their contacts. It allows independent designers to share resources without the burden of production minimums, while affording them lower costs and share shipping. If only the rest of the fashion industry were to adopt the same philosophy, it would allow for not only larger exposure for sustainable textile vendors, but more demand on traditional manufacturers to implement sustainable practices.

Gretchen Jones Yes and No. Collaborations are all about the partners. Is each artist bringing to the table some new perspective and referential material?  Can the collaboration maintain each others individual voices, while supporting the complimentary elements?

To me, as a designer whom struggles with the connection to sustainability and ethical business practices vs. my high fashion, yet independent aesthetics. I believe the success of a collaboration would and will only be successful [and heighten the eco movement] by walking the tight rope between style and morals. I want to diversify, I want to diffuse. I know my strengths, and am very aware of my weaknesses. Collaborations are about building each other up. I think, when done thoughtfully and with intention to elevate, collaborations can certainly lead to progression for sustainability.

I personally believe the only way we will make a change, is to create and manufacturer competitive, forward and quality goods.  The sustainable design community must produce with the focus on ‘fashion first,’ after all, we are a part of the fashion industry, we will always be able to do so ethically, the challenge is in creating at the high caliber design of those competing with out their environmental in mind. We change minds through changing perspectives. Collaborations could and will, create opportunity to express with support, deliver with quality and produce competitively. In turn – we change minds and grow our community through shared experience and story – not just a dress.

Image by Pheezy

Over the past few years we have witnessed the exponential growth of sustainable fabrics. And we are all aware that this is a movement and not a trend. Organic cotton, hemp, tencel, recycled polyester and organic wool are gaining popularity, evidenced on the international runways and in fashion media. By now most of us are familiar with the advantages of sustainable fabrics that includes fewer toxic chemicals, reducing the amount of textiles dumped into our landfills, and producing in a closed loop environment.

But consumers are still largely dependent on non-sustainable fabrics like Polyester, Lycra, Spandex and Gortex to name a few. These fabrics hold properties that we have grown to view as necessities, like stretch, durability and price. So how do we discover a sustainable alternative?

CRAiLAR® Organic Fibers is touted to be the foundation of the first truly sustainable yarn in the apparel industry, and poised to become the revolutionary next step in sustainable fibers.

CRAiLAR is developed by Naturally Advanced Technologies (NAT), in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada. It is an ingredient, much like Lycra or Gortex, except that it is completely sustainable. NAT’s hope is that apparel companies who currently use common blends like cotton/lycra, will shift to using a cotton/CRAiLAR blend. If blended with other sustainable fabrics, this new technology could have a significant impact on the apparel and textiles market as a whole.

The fibers are made from hemp stalk, which is not commonly used in apparel because of its rough texture and stiffness. The all-natural CRAiLAR process transforms the rough hemp stalk into a velvety-soft, yet strong and durable, textile fiber. The enzymes used in the process are all natural and GMO free, and the result is a fabric that is soft and supple like cotton, and has the same performance traits, so it is cool and comfortable to wear year-round. NAT claims that it is even better than cotton because it reduces shrinkage and has more tensile strength than cotton. It looks like cotton, dyes like cotton, fits the same and washes the same.

Hemp is known to be one of the most sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly crops that requires no irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It can grow to 14-feet in just a few months, producing multiple yields within one year. While many plants deplete the surrounding soil of vital nutrients, hemp is beneficial to soil, and actually improves its condition. Industrial hemp absorbs carbon dioxide – the most prominent greenhouse gas in the Earth’s atmosphere – at five times the rate of the same acreage of forest.

The problem that hemp faces is that it cannot be grown in certain countries, including the United States where it is illegal. While more hemp is exported to the U.S than to any other country, the United States Government does not consistently distinguish between marijuana and the non-psychoactive Cannabis used for industrial and commercial purposes.  Some states have defied Federal law and made the cultivation of industrial hemp legal. These states – North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, West Virginia, and Vermont – have not yet begun to grow hemp because of resistance from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

CRAiLAR Organic Fibers are sourced mainly from Canada as well as a few other countries in Europe where its growth is not illegal.

CRAiLAR is currently undergoing approval for third party GOTS certification, however NAT does claim that the entire life cycle can be certified organic, making it eco-friendly from beginning to end.

It is too early to know what the cost implications of CRAiLAR are at this stage, but recent trials sponsored by Hanesbrands Inc. reveal that blending it with cotton significantly reduces manufacturing costs by reducing shrinkage and improving dye uptake. The resulting savings could bring the final cost closer to that of regular cotton, as opposed to the premium paid for organic cotton (which in some cases is as much as 60 percent higher).

NAT’s intent is to make CRAiLAR Organic Fibers a household brand name. They’ve already teamed up with Patrick Yarns, a world leader in the manufacturing of high-performance industrial yarns, who has successfully blended CRAiLAR with a number of natural and synthetic fibers.

I am impressed with this new technology, and I love the fact that it is derived from hemp. However, it really comes down to what CRAiLAR is blended with because that will determine the overall sustainability of the garment. If it is blended with conventional fabrics, then it really is only a slight improvement. And then there is that argument that any change is good change. However, if blended with organic cotton, tencel and other sustainable or certified organic fabrics, then the final product definitely meets my standards and gets a full thumbs up.

Images: CRAiLAR Organic Fibers

Reusing? That’s a priority for GG2G founder Dayan Moore whose handbag line is created completely out of recycled restaurant seating vinyl, billboards, bicycle inner tubes, recycled glass bottles, P.E.T and other sustainable fabrics. All bags are even lined with organic cotton or salvaged fabrics to add to their sustainable design.

GG2G stands for Green Goods 2 Give and 2 Get and after visiting their online store, you might be gifting a lot from how inspired you feel. After all, who do you know that has a recycled restaurant seat or billboard bag?

Says the GG2G site: “All billboards are sourced locally (not shipped around the entire country) cut locally, washed locally (using Seaside Naturals non-toxic cleanerâ„¢, a local company) and sewn locally, thus reducing our carbon footprint dramatically. Our webbing is made in the USA, and whenever possible our notions are sourced in the U.S.”

Not only is the brand keeping viable material from entering the landfill, but GG2G is donating a portion of each sale to Farm Sanctuary, a hardworking group that works to end cruelty to farm animals and promote compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy.

This little gem of a bag, the Gyoza clutch, is one of the pieces made from recycled restaurant seating vinyl, and if you’re feeling unlucky and don’t want to take the chance you might not win, you can go to the site and buy it straight out. There are also a few color choices – so if you do win, Dayan has offered to send you swatches to pick from and then she’ll send. Sound good?

Not to mention if you do purchase this beauty of a bag, GG2G has vowed they will give a percentage of all Gyoza clutch proceeds to Farm Sanctuary which means three things:

1. You just got a great bag.

2. You joined the vegan movement surreptitiously.

3. You helped a group of people who want to make sure animals are never made into a bag.

A trifecta indeed.

Just leave a comment below for your chance to win!

(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)

It’s been an exciting time monitoring sustainable fashion in the media recently. Some of the greatest challenges to making eco fashion mainstream are being met by dedicated movers and shakers who are speaking out. They’re addressing central issues such as; lowering the cost of sustainable garments, increasing leadership from established apparel brands, and increasing the availability of eco-materials to emerging designers, just to name a few.

At last month’s RE:Fashion Summit in London, Harold Tillman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, proposed tax breaks for fashion businesses to increase affordability and consumer access to sustainable fashion. “Sustainability within the fashion industry, the second largest employer in the UK, needs to be more than just personal choice, it needs to make sense for businesses and consumers. We are calling on all parties to recognize the impact that tax breaks could make on one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative industries by supporting those who are working in a sustainable way and making it attractive to all businesses to be more ethical. If UK citizens can get tax breaks on more energy efficient cars and other sustainable products, why can’t they wear their values with pride and get tax breaks on ethical fashion?” Congress, are you listening?

Speaking at the fourth annual Social and Environmental Responsibility in the Global Supply Chain conference at Stanford in April, Levi Strauss executive Michael Kobori (besides revealing mind boggling discoveries such as it taking the equivalent of 53 showers to make a pair of 501′s), shared what the apparel company is doing to encourage investors, other brands, and suppliers to be more green. He believes sustainability is the next driver for supply chain value – “It is an exciting time: consumer and societal expectations of companies are changing. You can lead, influence and benefit from the change or be left behind.”

Proving herself one of sustainable fashion’s savviest pioneers, eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes launched her latest venture, S4 Style, an online exchange that connects fashion designers with suppliers who trade in sustainable materials. Oakes explains, “Let’s say you wanted to make that outfit in sustainable tweed, organic cotton and maker buttons. You could go online, source the material, see what inventory the suppliers had, and get a sustainability rating,” she says. “It’s a design and innovation platform to really get the cool (stuff) out there.”

Image: bsdfm

I’ve loved what NatureVsfuture® designer Nina Valenti has been doing for awhile now, but how to accurately explain her collection isn’t easy to do since it’s so different than a lot of other lines.

That’s why when I went to the NatureVsfuture® site and saw her describing it as an “Artistic expression of organic futurism via clothing,” I was happy she could do it for me.

The label’s name was inspired by the designer’s belief that there is a “constant struggle between nature and future, a pressure between organic forces and technological ones. The more we advance the more we need to consider nature before we deplete it. In this tension to find balance is the living energy of the collection and hence the name.” says Valenti.

Her visions of balance lie somewhere in blending sculptural design with natural and sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, organic wool, hemp, soy, bamboo, seacell® (seaweed), lyocell (wood pulp), Ingeoâ„¢ (created from corn), along with recycled and technological fabrics such as Polartec® (made from soda pop bottles or industry waste).

And by her incredible talent in persuading us that futuristic is also very wearable, our futuristic visions of earth fashion are saved (we won’t be wearing recycled tin foil suits and cotton booties while walking through our galactic space vessels).

Thanks for clarifying Nina, and for the record, I’ll wear your angled dresses and asymetrical shirts anytime.

Want to try your hand at participating in a futuristic, eco-fashion utopia sometime soon?

Then meet Nina and a full line-up of sustainable designers at EcoSalon Shops! in NYC on June 4th!

Raina Blyer launched her line, Ryann, in the summer of 2005, with the idea to use fashion as a platform for environmental and social issues.

On her site she says: “I was not a scientist, but could use what I knew and loved to help make a difference and get a conversation going with issues that were so important to me. I wanted Ryann to be an example of a business run with love, creativity, responsibility and integrity that would hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

Designer Raina Blyer

Five years later, Blyer is consciously evolving with her line creating feminine tops tailored skirts and luscious summer frocks out of sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, soy and peace silk.

And because she believes in timeless pieces that you’ll love to wear more times than humanly necessary, designs by Ryann are made to comfortably fit you and your lifestyle so that you feel, says Blyer, “like a true fashion warrior.”

Waahoo! That’s my fashion warrior call I’ll use when I see you at EcoSalon Shops! on June 4th.