The much anticipated Source 4 Style website went live earlier this fall and now founders Summer Rayne Oakes and Benita Singh are bringing the depths of their eco-fashion expertise in atelier style workshops to a city near you. The first one in NYC kicked off last Wednesday and attendees had the chance to network, enjoy Fair Trade chocolate and learn.

I was really blown away with how educational the workshop was. Oakes gave us a rundown on the evolving Eco Index, which is set to become the global standard and primary resource for rating in the apparel and eco-apparel industry.

My takeaways were many, but I’ll share just a few here that really stood out as action steps for brands moving forward in integrating ‘eco’ into their DNA.

1. Brands should dissect the components that make up their products to put them through the Eco Index and record their ratings. Oakes suggests that brands be conservative in this area starting out, especially if they have unknown details, to ensure that their next ratings show a greater improvement for their greening efforts.

2. Brands should be transparent with their consumers and post their results on their websites, thereby inviting them to accompany them on their environmental journey and build trust.

3. Brands can also open up the conversation with their consumers and crowd source to discover what designs their consumers want, feedback they might have, and what is most important to them regarding eco-initiatives.

4. Finally, brands that do have a ‘green story’ behind their garments should make it visible. Either via hang tags or online drop down tabs, the back story is what compels the consumer to support the brand and what they stand for in the production of the piece they are purchasing.

What I have shared in this post is only a glimpse of what is available through the Source 4 Style workshops. Check the Source 4 Style site and blog for more information. Workshops run about every six weeks. See you there!

The post Source4Style Workshop: Eco-Integration 1-0-1 appeared first on EcoSalon.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a group of roughly 100 well-known apparel brands and retailers including Nike, Levi’s Timberland and Patagonia “Have developed a software tool to help them measure the environmental impact of their apparel and footwear, from raw material to garbage dump.”

This Eco Index, similar to what appliances go through to achieve an Energy Star label is an informal software tool that asks companies to consider their environmental and labor practices. The answers to the questions translate into an eco-value score that, (when the program is ready for the retail market), will allow consumers to make a decision whether they want a product based on its index score.

Many of the companies are hoping it will be an invitation to try their product as it will set them apart from competitors based on insider know how.

The index will debut at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City next month.

While many of the questions companies must answer cover significant supply chain steps like manufacturing, shipping, and even disposal, one of the biggest eye openers for consumers will be to see their part in the equation.

The WSJ reports that for example, consumer washing of a pair of Levi’s 501’s contributes to half of the water used and carbon dioxide produced in the life of those jeans. Levi’s has already won points simply for advising consumers to wash with cold water, line dry and donate to Goodwill which puts them ahead of the curve.

Like Energy Star ratings, the Eco-Index value system will allow a semi-sustainably aware public of the need to conserve and have more of a connection to what they are wearing and how the clothing got to them.

Do you think the public is ready for this and that it will make a dent in how we consume?

Image: ecouterre

The post New Eco-Index Challenges Manufacturers and You appeared first on EcoSalon.