London Fashion Week’s Estethica Exhibition, now in its 14th consecutive season, is the British Fashion Council’s showcase of the industry’s leading sustainable style-makers.

At the launch of the Fall/Winter 2013 exhibition at London’s Somerset house over the weekend, a number of sustainable designers who have previously graced the posts of EcoSalon were present, including Mich Dulce and Pachacuti. But it was the newcomer Rudá Rings–the work of Brazilian designer Janice Perez–that caught our attention with creations that are equal parts organic and outrageous.

Perez’s designs have indigenous roots, both in their name— Rudá means ‘the god of love’ in the indigenous Tupi Guarani language—and in the materials that she sources. The base of her rings are made of Brazilian hardwood that she reclaims from discarded furniture and demolished houses. She tops them off with raw stones—mainly working with hematite, pyrite, vanadinite, uvite and lapis lazuli—from 35 countries including Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Kazakhstan. Lastly, Perez polishes the wood with carnauba wax, sourced from a palm tree commonly found in the northeast of Brazil.

Perez never alters the stone, as she says that she likes to use them “the way nature provides it” and then craft the wood around it. Formerly a shoe designer like her father, Perez decided to start her own label in 2007 and considered creating a sustainable and eco-friendly product as her core criteria.

In order to work with the reclaimed hardwood she uses, Perez had to develop her own techniques by adapting her knowledge of several handicrafts. The ring’s shape is partially left to chance once she whittles down a block of wood to a suitable size and then drills a hole for the wearer’s finger.

The result is that each of her creations is unique and utterly show-stopping. With some of her rings taking up a whole hand, her creations could more accurately be described as sculpture than as jewelery.

The British Fashion Council’s Estethica’s criteria includes elements such as sourcing of materials, life cycle of the product, and supply chain knowledge, among others. While Perez is certainly taking heed of these factors in her designs, most impressive is her demonstrable passion for her creations, which not even a language barrier was able to mask at London Fashion Week.

“The ring needs to fascinate,” says Perez, “At the same time it needs to be sustainable. The designer will achieve that enhancing his creativity.”

Images courtesy of Rudá Rings.

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London touts its sustainable fashion posse, and they are worth the look.

After cavorting the sustainable catwalks of New York Fashion Week, EcoSalon’s Spring Summer 2013 coverage hopped the pond (in high heels, of course) to London Fashion Week’s Estethica exhibition.

Now in its 13th season, the exhibition, hosted by the British Fashion Council, showcases a selection of designers which have shown a commitment to both social and environmental sustainability. The criteria includes incorporating intelligent design principles to reduce an item’s life cycle impact, reducing the carbon footprint of transporting manufactured goods, using up-cycled or post consumer waste materials, and empowering the local communities where the products are made.

The West Wing of Somerset House was abuzz Sunday as the featured designers, with morning-appropriate flutes of bucks fizz in hand, were on board to talk about their collections. After viewing the 15 collections, we chose five standouts, which were impressive not just for their wares but also for their enlightened efforts to take the fast out of fashion.

Honest By

The headline designer of the Estethica exhibition was Belgian-born designer Bruno Pieters and his collection for Honest By, a label that is revolutionizing brand transparency. Launched in January of this year, Honest By has pledged to publish every aspect of their brand’s operations—categorized by material information, manufacturing details, price calculation, and carbon footprint—in meticulous detail on their website. You don’t have to go mining through some arcane corporate sustainability report for the specifics either; each individual item for sale has an exhaustive set of specifics listed directly underneath it.

The clean and simple aesthetic of the Pieters collection mirrors the ethos of the brand, which will begin inviting new designers it grows. When the brand launched earlier this year, Financial Times editor Vanessa Friedman called it the “most subversive etail initiative” around, and rightly pointed out the fact that up until now, “fashion, especially high-end fashion, is a business built on opacity.” We like that Honest By holds transparency as its starting point, and we hope others follow suit.

Auria x Margot Bowman

Accomplished young designer and London College of Fashion alum Diana Auria teamed up with her illustrator friend Margot Bowman for her SS13 swimwear collection. The whimsical and utterly dream-like prints were inspired by the Greek goddess of the hunt Artemis, and what might happen if the deity were to “fall from the heavens and onto the set of Baywatch.”

Using 100% re-purposed polyamide, Auria’s skivvies had prior manifestations as fishing nets or carpets; once the raw materials are procured though, the entire design and production process takes place within the UK. The design and silhouettes of the suits—which are thankfully not limited to skinny girl only string bikinis—include pieces that can go from beach to night, including a crop top that is screaming to be be paired with high waisted denim and worn to an east London club.

Carla Fernandez

Each collection of Carla Fernandez’s label is inspired by a particular state or region of her home country of Mexico. A great example of this originates in the Yucatan Peninsula, where her pieces for the SS13 Mayaland collection are heavily accented by the rich tradition of textile arts specific to the region, such as hammock making, embroidery, wood turning, and silver and gold filigree. Local artisans help make the clothes, and when the wares go into mass production, Fernandez pays the original artisans royalties to honor their original ideas and designs.

Made using mainly linen, cotton and silk, Mayaland’s luxurious wraps and ponchos—which look like the type of thing you want to put on and never, ever take off—also feature local-inspired motifs such as embroidered armadillos, adding an element of whimsy to the richly textured fabrics. Fernandez also spearheads a mobile fashion lab, called Taller Flora, which travels around Mexico to set up workshops with indigenous communities and promote local craftsmanship.

Charini

Sri Lankan born and educated both in her home country and the London College of Fashion, lingerie designer Charini Suriyage makes uber sophisticated lingerie that simultaneously empowers the women who make it. By hiring local craftsmen who are trained in various heritage textile techniques—such hand silk weaving, embroidery, and Sri Lankan beeralu—Charini attempts to prevent the decline of these traditional industries in her home nation.

The production and manufacturing of lingerie is generally a very wasteful process; intricate fabric patterns and piece-meal designs tend to leave behind lots of scraps. To combat this, Charini’s pieces are designed to have a minimum number of components and any waste is re-incorporated into production. Sourcing all her materials from within Sri Lanka and avoiding all elastic, plastic, metal and harmful dyes in her pieces, Charini also manages to design shape wear that you would most definitely want someone to see at the end of the day.

Mich Dulce

Filipino born and based milliner Mich Dulce makes hats that are fit for a British wedding out of a material that is entirely foreign to northern latitudes: t’nalak. Made from hand woven banana fibers, this material is an integral part of the indigenous T’boli tribe’s heritage, and Dulce uses it in part to revive this area of craftsmanship. Partnering with a local poverty alleviation group to hire disadvantaged women in her area, Dulce—who studied at London’s Central Saint Martin’s and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology—said imbuing her designs with a humanitarian ethos is fundamental to her work.

The earthy feel of the hats’ natural banana fibers balances out the structural shapes—including elaborate bows, bunny-like ears, flowers and clovers—and bright colors such as fuchsia and burnt orange. Her creations are at once feminine and tough, and we wouldn’t mind owning each and every one.

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Textile expressions are shaping next season’s ethical spirit

It is amazing to think that the Spring/Summer 2012 fashion week presentations have been underway for close to a month now. We kicked off the season with our announcement of the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris during the first few days of September, and now things have come full circle with the close of Paris Fashion Week today. Plenty of designer and runway celebrities have reveled in the media spotlight, but some very deserving names on the ethical fashion and textile innovation scene might have slipped under your radar. Read on for highlights of the bright new design stars we currently have our eye on.

New York

Kaelen S/S 2012 with Coclico shoes

EcoSalon was on the scene during New York Fashion Week (NYFW), and for the first time ever a (Sustainable) Fashion’s Night Out at the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan set the stage for fashion as a vibrant community outreach initiative. As a fiber and textile enthusiast, I was rather smitten with Kaelen’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection presented at Drive-In Studios. What’s not to love about cool macramé fringe and pleat dresses presented in a stand of birch trees? Designer Kaelen Haworth made wood nymph chic (and Steve Nicks redux) seem transcendent. The pairing with ethically made Coclico shoes was pure genius as well.

Titania Inglis S/S  2012 organic dip-dyed peak dress

Brooklyn-based designer Titania Inglis had a whole lot of textile brilliance going on with her latest collection featuring natural dye methods, local production collaborations, and zero-waste experimentation. I love that Titania creates garments that are versatile as a suite of designs that dovetail efficiently together.

The above dip-dyed ‘Peak Dress’, created with natural dye expert Isa Rodrigues at the Textile Arts Center, has timeless appeal. The chic styling with Bliss Lau jewelry accents the fluid geometry of the draping. The peak dress was created out of Japanese organic cotton voile with a stripe texture, dip-dyed with logwood for the gray hue, and a mix of natural dyes for the peach hue.

Titania Inglis S/S  2012 collarless jacket and pleat short

This collarless jacket and pleat short are also great investment pieces as separates to re-invigorate an existing wardrobe. Materials include a dip-dyed organic cotton denim pieced with a dead stock cotton twill for the jacket, and the same dead stock cotton twill for the short.

Ivana Helsinki S/S 2012 celebrates ethnic prints for Indian Summer

Another favorite textile-inspired line up at NYFW was Ivana Helsinki’s Indian Summer collection. Finnish designer, Paolo Suhonen’s artistic melding of ethnic patterns and graphic feather motifs pave the way for a trend-free and border-defying form of global nomadism. I like that Suhonen always looks to her Scandinavian roots for ongoing inspiration and indigenous source material as well.

London

Mary Katrantzou S/S 2012 takes digital printing for a bold ride

Designers at London Fashion Week certainly were not shy about bold innovation in textile printing technologies, and many would agree that Mary Kantrantzou is still a clear frontrunner in the wild abstraction and remixing of patterns that are mind-blowing on the runway as well as hot on the retail scene. Spring/Summer 2012 was no exception for Katrantzou, although some felt that her pop art ‘brushstrokes’ were a bit too broad this time around. Regardless, I like that this designer pushes her medium to create textiles that fuse repeat patterns in nature with a textured maps of metallic car parts.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2012 ethically-produced Poseidon Dress

Ada Zanditon was, as usual, a must-see show on the ethical fashion circuit, and in keeping with the current trend to host film or installation projects in lieu of a full-blown runway show, Zandition’s Poseisus collection did not disappoint. The pièce de résistance was this Poseidon Dress, which pays homage to the principles of biomimicry as well as the plight of endangered seahorse species off the south coast of London.

Felicity Brown S/S 2012 marries Victorian grace with hand-dyed tribal patterns

One of the most romantic expressions at the London shows was Felicity Brown’s S/S12 exquisitely dyed and adventurously draped dresses. The designer describes her intent best: “Taking inspiration from Victorian lady explorers in Africa, such as Mary Kingsley, Felicity imagined how the influence of the tribes’ women would infuse into their dresses and create a hybrid of the two opposing cultures. The stiff rigidity of the neckline and corseted bodice is reworked with fluid, laser cut silk jersey tubes that have been hand dyed with a deconstructed tribal pattern. The contrast and tension between soft femininity and strong cage like structures are another theme that resonates powerfully throughout Felicity’s work.” – S/S12 press release

Michelle Lowe Holder’s zero-waste designs at Estethica

On the accessorizing frontier, Michelle Lowe-Holder created a stunning showcase of her zero-waste cuffs, collars, and neckpieces crafted out of fabric and textile wastage for London Fashion Week’s Estethica. I also love that this designer also styles her look book shoots in a manner that defies gender, age, and racial stereotypes – totally modern, in the best sense of the word.

Milan

I am basically going to skip over the Guccis, Puccis, and The Sartorialist street style shots from Milan Fashion Week. We know that the Italians are unbearably stylish when it comes to making upcycled boyfriend jeans and cobble-crushing stilettos look killer. I am married to someone who was born in Milano, and trust me, he can make a plain white shirt look like a million bucks.

Km/a’s recycled parachute coat melds materials and conceptual storytelling

I do want to call out one of my favorite labels, km/a of Vienna, who exhibited again this season at WHITE Milano. Sass Brown has profiled them in the past on Eco Fashion Talk, and they have also been standout exhibitors at The KEY.TO during Berlin Fashion Week. Km/a’s novel approach to fusing art, fashion, and the recycling of parachute materials as well as military blankets puts whole new spin on surplus chic and textured storytelling.

Paris

With Paris Fashion Week coming to a conclusion today, I am happy to report that there appears to be a new wave of locally made, ethical fashion in France. Hélène Sananikone, owner and proprietor of Green in the City in the Marais, shared news that, now more than ever, ready-to-wear ethical brands are increasingly available and with colorful and vibrant hues for the upcoming season.

Hélène wrote to us, “When I opened my boutique only three years ago, I could hardly fill my store with French ready-to-wear brands. It was also not very easy to find these designers at the shows that I visited in Paris, and it honestly seemed as if all of the eco fashion was happening abroad. Now, more and more French eco designers have their place at the most fashionable fairs. They can develop fabrics with their manufacturers, particularly exclusive prints with Oeko-Tex dyeing. For a long time they had to be careful and propose basic colors. Now for Spring/Summer as well as for Autumn/Winter, they can dare to add colors and unique prints. Eco fashion need not envy fashion anymore. It is fashion.”

Parisian label ‘Ambryn Tribu Urbaine’ creates hand-drawn whimsy for textiles

Ambryn’s A/W 2011 illustrates eco-luxurious hues and trans-seasonal appeal

Green in the City carries French-made Ambryn Tribu Urbaine in their boutique and for Spring/Summer 2012, this indie label is offering a unique interpretation of ‘Behind the Garden’ with hand-illustrated prints and ethically-sourced fabrics. I am still savoring Ambryn’s Fall 2011 pieces – particularly the hand worked green collar on the above piece for autumn.

EELD S/S 2012 ‘Bird of Paradise’ bio-silk top made locally in France

Also not to be missed on the broadening ethical fashion scene in Paris is the new French-made label, EELD. Designer Chloe Bourrioux recently debuted her bio-silk and eco-friendly dyed pieces for S/S 2012. Added details like her support of traditional lace making techniques from the world famous Calais region and silk from Lyon makes EELD a genuinely French expression of textile rich fashion and local goodness.

Lead image: Michelle Lowe Holder, Kaelen photo by Jeannine Tan via Kaelen’s blog, Titania Inglis photos by Evan Browning,  Mary Katrantzou via Style.com, Ada Zanditon photo by Sarah Brimley, Michelle Lowe Holder photo via Oxfam.

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Fashionistas sure got their fill over the past month, what with Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris, London, Montreal and Vancouver. t was all about spotting trends, attending runway shows, and getting to know the faces behind the brands. What else was on the agenda? Seeking out the designers – like Ada Zanditon, Stella McCartney and more – who are committed to sustainable, ethical and eco practices in the production of their lines. In case you missed any of EcoSalon’s fashion videographer Greta Eagan’s interviews and clips which highlighted the main attractions, you can find them below!

NYFW Spring 2011, Highlights from Day 1, The Green Shows

NYFW Spring 2011, Highlights Day 2, The Green Shows

NYFW Spring 2011 Highlights, Nolcha

Ethical Fashion Show 2010, Highlights from Paris

London Fashion Week S/S 2011, Estethica

London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Fashion Highlights

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Now in it’s ninth season, Estethica lies at the core of London Fashion Week, featuring designers that are committed to sustainable, ethical and eco practices in the production of their lines.

Catch designer interviews and previews of their upcoming collections from Henrietta Ludgate, Minna, Lily Cole’s The North Circular, Good One and more in our EcoSalon Exclusives video below. And be sure to check out all of the rest of our coverage from London Fashion Week: Spring/Summer 2011.

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Attending the Ada Zanditon show was similar to partaking in an archeologist’s hunt for Egyptian treasures. Even the invitation for the event came in an origami asymmetrical pyramid – alluding to the theme and inspiration behind the designer’s spring/summer 2011 collection.

An award-winning and highly acclaimed ethical designer, Ada Zanditon is no stranger to London Fashion Week’s Estethica. This year, she reserved a spot in the Estethica exhibit, as well as putting on an informal runway presentation.

Her signature style – aligned with architecture and intellectual design – was present throughout. Fusing geometrical shapes from the pyramids and  more delicate prints from coral reefs, The Pyramora Collection holds a powerful balance between structure and flow.

And don’t miss some of London Fashion Week S/S 11 runway footage highlights, which you can check out in this video.

Images: Greta Eagan

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Green-focused fashion just got a lot more political with international trade lawyer and wife of the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg’s wife Miriam González Durántez, joining London Fashion Week at the launch of EcoLuxe.

While EcoLuxe is a new initiative that promotes high-end environmentally friendly fashion designers and brands, the group hopes that running alongside the brat pack of designers at the British Fashion Council’s Estethica, (the only sustainable venue at London Fashion Week) will only add to showcasing exclusive brands with a conscience. Still they want to keep things separate. This year, designers included award-winning British wool designer Izzy Lane, Elena Garcia and By Stamo, amongst others.

Showcasing is great, but getting noticed is even better – which is why they’ve brought in the big guns with González Durántez.

Imogen Fox of the Guardian writes: “Wearing a dress by the designer David Szeto, which was instantly recognizable from last year’s Liberal Democrat conference – and was therefore suitably on-message – and a white jacket by French high street label Zadig & Voltaire, González Durántez admitted that competition for coverage was fierce, ‘so we should all chip in a bit to help with initiatives like this.'”

However, her reasoning might be two-fold. The Guardian also writes that during this year’s general election, “González Durántez appeared irritated when the wives of politicians and their wardrobes became the focus of media attention,” but at the EcoLuxe launch she said that media interest in her own wardrobe didn’t annoy her.

“It’s just background noise,” she said.

One would think being handpicked by respected designers, she’d want to make more than that.

Image: Via Guardian UK: Miriam González Durántez poses with designers By Stamo (in black) and Elena (in blue) Garcia, and two others, at the EcoLuxe launch in London today. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

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