Artistic license might be just the cure for what ails us each fashion season.

With fashion week season slowly melting away the deep winter freeze here in Europe, it is promising to feel a bit of stylistic heat from the recent runway shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. Autumn/Winter 2013 might be the last thing on our minds as we struggle to channel coral-hued resort ensembles, but looking ahead can be a good thing when so many creative dimensions are at play. The sculptural experimentation seen on the catwalks during January and early February have demonstrated, perhaps, that smaller European design houses know how to take risks with conceptually bold approaches to their collections. Whether through extreme knitwear, origami fold wearables, or cool geometry, the license to explore fashion follies seems hyper-real in combination with a sustainable edge.

One of the things that I like about the smaller European shows that take place before the heavy-hitter line-ups in New York, Paris, London, and Milan is the excitement that comes from supporting local talent in style geist outposts where fashion schools and converts to sustainable style are looking to cure their fashion malaise. Perhaps this is also why some of the recent catwalk presentations can afford to be a bit more theatrical, as designers present their works as part of a storytelling continuum and with textile innovation as a creative selling point.

Designer Isabell de Hillerin’s MOSAIC collection (photo by Amos Fricke)

I was so impressed last January with the public interest in Berlin Fashion Week – anyone could attend the presentations at the Lavera Showroom (RSVP’s required, though). Berlin has demonstrated increased momentum on the green fashion frontier with venues like The GREENshowroom, The Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, as well as this year’s first Slow Fashion Awards. I was smitten yet again with Berlin-based ethical fashion label, Isabell de Hillerin, who sources many of her woven and embroidered textiles in Romania. Isabell’s new MOSAIC collection encourages the wearer to experiment freely in order to find lasting styling solutions and wardrobe combinations. The designer shares, “Playing with balance, this latest collection is inspired by its individual parts that collectively form a mosaic of colors and shapes. Rich and contrasting fabrics fuse with soft shapes to define a new whole. Folkloric handmade Romanian materials combined with clean cuts represent a position between new design and tradition.”

Princess Máxima (center) at The Green Fashion Competition during Amsterdam Fashion Week (photo courtesy of Style.com)

The much-anticipated Green Fashion Competition at Amsterdam Fashion Week generated quite a bit of interest this season, and the finalists definitely demonstrated a range of eco solutions to the three-piece runway presentation. Much of the excitement was centered around the event’s VIP guest, Princess Máxima, who won major points by attending the runway competition at the Westergasfabriek (Amsterdam’s equivalent to Bryant Park). Winners of the event included Amsterdam’s own Studio Jux and NYC’s ethical fashion it-girl, Carrie Parry.

Carrie Parry’s bold eco separates at The Green Fashion Competition in Amsterdam (photo courtesy of the designer)

Designer Carrie Parry takes the prize at The Green Fashion Competition (photo by Patricia Fewer for Hegedus Style)

Mark Smith of Style.com shared the following comment about having a real live princess at the Green Fashion Competition: “Carlien Helmink of Studio JUX, the fair-trade brand that scooped first prize for its chic collection of Nepalese-produced dresses, said, ‘She (Princess Màxima) was so enthusiastic and even told us that she had expected the jury to choose us as winner.’ New Yorker Carrie Parry, who won the Category Two prize for most promising start-up, was also impressed. ‘Having a real princess witness the unveiling of your designs is pretty much a fairy tale, isn’t it?’”

2011’s Green Fashion Competition winner Elsien Gringhuis kicked off the catwalk event (photo by Patricia Fewer for Hegedus Style)

The stuff that fairy tales are made of just might turn the tide of fast fashion. Eileen Moran of Origin 23 feels that cities like Amsterdam are definitely at the forefront of a green fashion revolution. She shared the following with us after completing the circuit in Europe during the past two weeks, “In the merger of the French Federation’s Pret a Porter and Who’s Next Paris, they decided to eliminate the So Ethic section this season. Many of the designers and buyers who have been going to that show for years to seek out what’s interesting in ethical design, moved to MINT at Modefabriek in Amsterdam or to one of the many shows in Berlin, including the GREENShowroom. I really feel that Amsterdam is going to be the next epicenter for eco and ethical fashion. In speaking with buyers, the press, and consultants, most feel that Paris is now more a place to go for fashion week runway shows as well as The Ethical Fashion Show, but Berlin and Amsterdam are steadily taking over as the destinations for trade shows.”

As a counterpoint, I found it interesting that Brazilian-born Priscilla Camargo, the founder of Hegedus Style in Amsterdam,  felt that only three pieces by each designer on the Green Fashion Competition’s runway lacked a bit of depth in terms of presenting a broad cross-section of eco and ethical fashion expressions. Priscilla commented that she was better able to understand the message of designer collections during her visit to MINT at Modefabriek. That said, she was extremely impressed by the designers’ creative efforts and the enthusiasm of the crowd, but looks forward to the event gaining more applicants from abroad for 2013. You can read more of Priscilla’s coverage via her blog.

Green Fashion Competition finalist Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda’s ‘Calafuria’ collection featuring recycled fiber knitwear (photo by Peter Stigter)

As a knitwear enthusiast, I was excited to see the recycled fiber creations of Green Fashion Competition finalist, Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda – who we previously featured in our article Plying A More Fashionable Fiber Frontier. Zaida’s Calafuria collection pays homage to a natural beach reserve in Tuscany that features rock formations called “tafoni.” These other-worldly forms are mimicked by the “weathering” and “cementation” of materials and surfaces in the designer’s organic pieces. Natural fiber and eco-friendly methods used include hand-spun textiles, scraps or pre-consumer waste gathered from designer studio production floors and textile centers as well as organic cotton that was naturally dyed and batted with PET recycled batting. Dead stock wool was also recycled for  the “aveolo” pieces that were stunningly tinted with natural substances and then hand-embroidered.

Dutch designer Iris van Herpen’s wearable art and ‘escapist’ sculptural couture (photo courtesy of The Wild Magazine)

Three-dimensional experimentation and extreme silhouettes were also featured prominently in the Paris Couture Fashion Week presentation of Dutch designer, Iris Van Herpen. Whether wearable art really leads us down a path of statement piece activism or even multi-purpose fashion, is debatable. That said, many of these creations do allow us to explore metaphors and vocabulary related to organicism and mimicry of nature. Both Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm and Copenhagen Fashion Week  designers seemed to be sharing this message as well – in combination with thawing out fashion lovers on blustery winter nights.

V Avenue Show Repair at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm

Gaia at Copenhagen Fashion Week

Stine Ladefoged’s extreme knitwear at Copenhagen Fashion Week

Beckmans College of Design at Copenhagen Fashion Week (photo by Kristian Löveborg)

lead image: Winde Rienstra, photo by Peter Stigter

The post Fashion Week Season Kicks Off In Europe With An Artistic Edge appeared first on EcoSalon.

As a fashionista and an eco-advocate, I am absolutely in love with the Danish eco-luxury collection Noir and their newer street label offered at a more price conscious level, Bllack Noir. “We want to be known as the first brand to bring sophistication and sexiness to corporate social responsibility,” says Peter Ingwersen, founder of Noir, with a smile that exudes confidence, commitment and passion.

These days, I find that young fashion consumers are not only concerned with looking chic and stylish, but that they care deeply about corporate social responsibility. I recently had the chance to sit down with Peter during Copenhagen’s Fashion Week to talk about his inspiration for his latest collection and emerging trends in the eco fashion world.

Q: What was your inspiration in launching Noir with a focus on sustainability and eco consciousness at a time when these concepts were far from mainstream?

A: In 2005, when the idea of NOIR came to be, the zeitgeist and megatrends were environmental concerns regarding CO2 emissions and the global concerns of melting icebergs, which gave me the idea of bringing a deeper level of meaning, such as planetary awareness and corporate social responsibility into the fashion industry. I come from the fashion industry, and I knew I wanted to stay within the scope of fashion.

Q: In which areas does Noir fare best?

A: North America and Western Europe are the areas where Noir does best. This is directly related to the level of education in those regions. It requires a higher level of awareness on a larger global scale in order to make conscious purchasing decisions regarding the products we consume, such as fashion. Of course, those countries also have the level of funds required to purchase a high end fashion label.

Q: Does the concept of green fashion work as a business model?

A: Setting out to revolutionize an industry and change people’s behavioral patterns and level of awareness takes time. It’s important to take a step back and create a long-term five year plan; then execute step by step. It is imperative that innovation comes from the heart.

Q: What do you think is the hottest new trend in eco fashion?

A: Technology will save us all. I think that man-made fibers are truly amazing and will be the new hot thing in eco materials. We will all need to overcome our prejudice that natural made fibers are more ecofriendly. Producing organic cotton takes an incredible amount of water to produce, which we now know is not as sustainable as we once thought it was. I believe that man-made fibers are truly the next hot trend in sustainable fashion.

Q: The use of leather and fur is a bit challenging in some eco circles. What is your take on using these materials in Noir’s collections?

A: NOIR designs with leather and fur. We are not Mother Theresa and our focus sits with the cotton production, environmental concerns and socio ethics in the manufacturing. We cannot focus on all aspects of the supply chain. We do fashion, and secondly, we ensure a sustainable supply chain in our key focal areas. And in this order.

Peter shares his vision for a better tomorrow in the following interview:

The NOIR SS11 collection is a tribute to renew femininity, celebrating the female shape and paying tribute to all strong and beautiful women with a delicate, yet very modern silhouette and sculptural look for spring/summer 2011.

Fabrics are heavily emphasized by Illuminati II, Noir´s own organically grown and fair traded cotton from the heart of Africa, combined with a mix of the most delicate silks, laces and of course Noir’s signature styling, leather. Colors are very light and soft like nude rose shades, morning mist powder greys and hazy midnight blues set off against very strong black and clean white.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post written by Sandja Brügmann. Sandja is managing partner of Refresh Agency, a leading specialist PR and communications agency focusing on the green lifestyle market [LOHAS – lifestyles of health and sustainability]. She has served leading brands at the cutting edge of the LOHAS phenomenon such as GoodBelly, Crocs, Sterling Rice Group, Addis Creson, Clementine Art, FASHIONmeGREEN, SNAP gathering, Vickerey, Neve Designs and Chocolove. Sandja was born and raised in the fashion-centric and sustainability-minded Denmark. She grew up in a household run mostly on solar power by an entrepreneurial mother and an eco-conscientious father. Her career began, after receiving top honors at University of Colorado, Boulder, as a Scandinavian-focused renewable energy researcher for Financial Times, before she served as Marketing Manager for lifestyle company Gaiam. Sandja’s vibrant and passionate commitment to inspiring positive planetary change, without compromising on style, is visible throughout her work. “My passion is to bring fun, adventure, style and sex appeal to living a greener and more sustainable lifestyle,” she explains. Sandja’s aw-inspiring sense of style and her global “˜finger on the pulse’ has made her a sought after eco trend spotter. Her written work has been featured in Scandinavian PURE Magazine, IN Magazine, USA-based leading green lifestyle media EcoSalon, LOHAS Journal and Elephant Journal. Sandja is a certified yogini, a Danish national team Olympic hopeful archery champion and she adores her daily lessons as a parent. Follow Sandja
on Twitter!

Images: Copenhagen Fashion Week

The post NOIR: A Scandinavian Fashion Label Oozing Sexy Social Conscience appeared first on EcoSalon.

Underneath a typical Danish grey sky with a VIP press pass in hand, I take my strong curiosity and board the 80’s geometric print decorated Copenhagen Fashion Week media bus. I can’t wait to find out how green and sustainable fashion is faring in the vibrant Scandinavian fashion scene.

Copenhagen Fashion Week consists of four separate fair venues including CIFF (Copenhagen International Fashion Fair), CPH Vision, Gallery and Terminal-2 – a slew of trend fashion forecast press conferences and a large variety of Scandinavia’s most creative and luxurious parties and events.

The trend forecast by Parisian color and fashion trend agency Nelly Rodi predicts – among other trends – an added emphasis on “sharing.” Eco-terminology like new zen, slow life, daily intimacies, ecology, eco-clean, respectful materials, city gardens and humanized urbanization were among the buzz words describing the Spring/Summer 2011 fashion trends at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Is eco and sustainable fashion on the radar screens of attendees at Copenhagen Fashion Week? I asked a handful of Scandinavian fashionistas.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post written by Sandja Brügmann. Sandja is managing partner of Refresh Agency, a leading specialist PR and communications agency focusing on the green lifestyle market [LOHAS – lifestyles of health and sustainability]. She has served leading brands at the cutting edge of the LOHAS phenomenon such as GoodBelly, Crocs, Sterling Rice Group, Addis Creson, Clementine Art, FASHIONmeGREEN, SNAP gathering, Vickerey, Neve Designs and Chocolove. Sandja was born and raised in the fashion-centric and sustainability-minded Denmark. She grew up in a household run mostly on solar power by an entrepreneurial mother and an eco-conscientious father. Her career began, after receiving top honors at University of Colorado, Boulder, as a Scandinavian-focused renewable energy researcher for Financial Times, before she served as Marketing Manager for lifestyle company Gaiam. Sandja’s vibrant and passionate commitment to inspiring positive planetary change, without compromising on style, is visible throughout her work. “My passion is to bring fun, adventure, style and sex appeal to living a greener and more sustainable lifestyle,” she explains. Sandja’s aw-inspiring sense of style and her global “˜finger on the pulse’ has made her a sought after eco trend spotter. Her written work has been featured in Scandinavian PURE Magazine, IN Magazine, USA-based leading green lifestyle media EcoSalon, LOHAS Journal and Elephant Journal. Sandja is a certified yogini, a Danish national team Olympic hopeful archery champion and she adores her daily lessons as a parent. Follow Sandja
on Twitter!

The post Eco-Clean, Humanized Urbanization, and Slow Life: Trending Terms at Copenhagen Fashion Week appeared first on EcoSalon.