EcoSalon at NYFW: ORGANIC by John Patrick

ORGANIC by John Patrick gives us his “beautiful vision” of sustainable fashion.

To the toe-tapping tunes of The Beatles, designer John Patrick debuted his Fall 2012 ORGANIC collection at a boutique event space in the Garment District for New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Under the heading “A Beautiful Vision,” the show featured a romantic collection inspired by a Julia Margaret Cameron photograph called A Beautiful Vision, Julia Duckworth, taken of Cameron’s niece (and future mother of painter Vanessa Bell and writer Virginia Woolf) in 1872.

Using the photograph as a starting point, collaborator and illustrator Mike Ellis interpreted his own “beautiful vision” in graphics for the invitation and show set. “When the illustration came I was stunned at how magically he captured what I was thinking and feeling,” Patrick said in a press release.

The fall line itself was heavy on textures and textiles, with a dizzying array of eco materials parading down the runway, including handmade metallic lace, sustainable recycled wool, biodegradable cotton cupro, vegetable-tanned leather, hand-loomed Angora, and a kaleidoscope of digitally printed silk from London. Patrick also worked with North Carolina-based Raleigh Denim on a handful of jeans in the collection.

The event marked the first New York Fashion Week runway show for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist – he had previously hosted presentations – and featured environmentally conscious model/actress (and long-time John Patrick fan) Shalom Harlow in the front row.

Here, some of our favorite looks and snapshots from after the show.

Images: Jessica Marati, Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs

Jessica Marati

Jessica Marati currently resides in New York City and covers travel and sustainability for EcoSalon. Catch her weekly column, Behind the Label.