You know warm days are truly coming to an end when fashion packs are racing around New York City’s famed fashion week dressed in fall looks determining what we’ll be wearing the following spring. Next week, sustainable style gets its day in the sun when the Now spring ’11 showcase goes on display. Showing menswear, womenswear and accessories from a strong bunch of independent, consciously-minded labels, the NOW Showcase has grown substantially since they launched nine designers to eighteen.

“Since we started 2 years ago we have doubled in size. I think our success is due to the honest community we have formed. Many of the designers return each season and really like the atmosphere and vibe of the show. We are non-competitive and all support and help each other out throughout the year. We have a loyal following of buyers as well as designers, its become a place people come to because they know they will see old and new friends,” says Creem designer, Raina Blyer.

Knowing that there’s enough love and goodwill to power most of New York City at NOW, we turn to the designers to ask them one question: “What was your favorite part of designing spring 11?”

Here’s what they had to say.

Deborah Lindquist

“I’m launching a whole new brand based on urban, feminine t-shirts and t-shirt dresses in organic cotton and micro modal silk blends.  I’m still doing my more couture based collection but the emphasis has shifted for spring to bustiers, sweaters, and gowns. So my new focus for spring ’11 is t-shirts and ballgowns!” – Designer Deborah Lindquist

AngelRox

“What I liked most is the organic nature in which AngelRox  continues to evolve thanks to the lovely community of customers that support it. It’s their desires and needs I listen to and create new pieces for the collection based on their inspiration.”
– Designer Roxi Suger

Jai

“This season we worked with vegetable and fruit dyes! We had a blast blending, soaking and washing! JAI is now deliciously regal!” – Designer Kizzy Knight

EcoSkin

“We’ve been working with an amazing new sustainable fabric called Sorona corn jersey and we have been busy testing different weights and processes. It is always exciting to feature fabrications that are not currently out in the market but are sustainable – this is the best part of my job. Creating amazing bodies that feel comfortable and look chic is what dressing women is all about!”
– Designer Sandy Skinner

Chulette

“We try to push ourselves. Since we first introduced organic and sustainable material into our collection last fall, we’ve done more research and designed a collection using as much sustainable material as we could while still retaining our aesthetic. It’s exciting to offer something green that is feminine, modern and sophisticated.”
– Designer Lee Phutrakul

Origin Twenty Three

“This season we are expanding the agency from strictly fashion to also include lifestyle products such as essential oils, traditional herbal tinctures and elixirs, teas and herbal honeys. Inspired by my time this summer spent studying the botanical characteristics, medicinal properties, and therapeutic uses and effects of the herbs grown on the Goldthread Apothecary, Herbal Farm farm in Pioneer Valley, Western Mass. I am delighted to be showing JAI’s whimsical Spring collection produced here in NYC and hand dyed with turmeric, strawberries and natural plant dyes.” – Origin Twenty Three Owner and NOW Showcase Co-Founder, Eileen Moran

Juleselin

SDN

Lalesso

Manisse

The post NOW Showcase: A Sustainable Curation of Design and Designers – Part Two appeared first on EcoSalon.

You know warm days are truly coming to an end when fashion packs are racing around New York City’s famed fashion week dressed in fall looks determining what we’ll be wearing the following spring. Next week, sustainable style gets its day in the sun when the Now spring ’11 showcase goes on display. Showing menswear, womenswear and accessories from a strong bunch of independent, consciously-minded labels, the NOW Showcase has grown substantially since they launched – going from nine designers to eighteen.

“Since we started two years ago, we have doubled in size. I think our success is due to the honest community we have formed. Many of the designers return each season and really like the atmosphere and vibe of the show. We are non-competitive and all support and help each other out throughout the year. We have a loyal following of buyers as well as designers, its become a place people come to because they know they will see old and new friends,” says Creem designer, Raina Blyer.

Knowing that there’s enough love and goodwill to power most of New York City at NOW, we turn to the designers to ask them one question: “What was your favorite part of designing spring 11?”

Here’s what they had to say.

modaspia

“Sewing the collection up was fun but nothing compared to styling the pieces for the look book. A sexy, ethereal sort of 20’s vibe came through when we shot it. I stayed up the night  before stringing necklaces from African beads that we draped on the model. It was a great look and different from anything we’d done previously.” – Designer Ursula Dean

Kelly Lane

“One of my favorite parts of the design process is the development of a new print for the collection and how the print then influences the creation of new styles, while also breathing new life into past styles.

Each season, the collection, and especially the print, are created with a particular theme in mind. This season we found our inspiration in butterflies and all of their beautiful stages.

Instead of working with literal shapes emerging from the forms, or even the movement of butterflies, we cast the woman as the ultimate polymorphic creature. The print was created to be a second skin, cloaking the wearer in series of hand-drawn circles that reflect the ultimate feminine form and symbol for transformation.” – Designer Kelly Lane

Creem

“This season has been exciting for me because I am working on expanding my Creem collection which is a relatively new project for me. It’s been fun to switch heads and switch customer. The concept of Creem collection is to remain seasonless, so the collections will all blend into each other and pieces will remain relevant. My favorite place on earth is the beach and being near the ocean. My goal as been to bring the wonderful feeling of calm and openness that the ocean gives me into the collection. It has been great fun spending the summer at my studio dreaming of the beach all day.” – Designer Raina Blyer

Feral Childe

“Our favorite part of designing Spring 11 is when we get together at my studio in Oakland to make the drawings and collages that will become the prints. We start each collection this way. Moriah and I live on opposite coasts, so we love the stretch of studio time we get, and the chance to catch up on each others’ lives. It’s like a working retreat. We draw and talk all day, go on hikes, and eat and drink heartily to celebrate each day’s work.

This season we wanted to make a print that would more directly relate to the construction of a garment, rather than another allover print. We knew we loved the imagery from this book TARQUINIA that’s been sitting on our studio shelf for years now. In the book there are photos of ancient tomb paintings and bronzes that we felt would look great as the cutouts you see on the print. We also wanted to create a textile print that wasn’t just another allover image; we wanted to make a print with narrative elements yet change depending on construction of the garment. I also loved making the props for the spring 11 photo shoot. I took elements from our drawings and prints, and turned them into larger-than-life 3D objects. ” – Designers Alice Wu and Moriah Carlson

Turk + Taylor

“The most exciting part of designing for spring is color and fabric. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome. It started out with a thought: “What if we made clothes out of an old hot air balloon?” And that’s what we did. Windbreakers and poncho-y dresses that are uber fun, totally out of the box showstoppers. Seams and color vary with each piece, so all are one-of-a-kind.
In addition to the balloon, we designed an oversized buffalo plaid in a similar color palate – pink, orange, yellow and blue. It’s truly amazing and perfect for a western shirt and cinched caftan tunic. We rounded out the fabrics with another custom-milled boardshort plaid, striped linen and a selection of vintage yardage.” – Designers Mark Lee Morris and Andrew Wayne Soernsen

Rebe

“My favorite part was creating pieces from mill ends that were playful and practical. I was inspired by “dots and dashes” bringing together my past designs with present concepts.” – Designer Debra Weiss

Feisty Elle

“My favorite part of designing spring 11 was challenging myself to design necklaces, something I’d never done before. I sought to use felt and bamboo in unique ways and succeeded in making some really fun, lightweight statement designs.” – Designer Leslie Yang

(Stay tuned for a second post on the NOW Showcase designers this week)

The post NOW Showcase: A Sustainable Curation of Design and Designers appeared first on EcoSalon.