New York Fashion Week got a glimpse of a growing trend in fashion with Vaute Couture’s vegan show.

Anna Wintour would surely shudder at the lack of fur, but vegan fashionistas rejoiced as the first all-vegan animal rights fashion show hit NYFW last week when Vaute Couture took to the runway. Designer Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart expanded on her established outerwear and tee shirt line with ready-to-wear tops, dress, pants, skirts and sweaters all made from vegan and eco-friendly fabrics.

It couldn’t have been better timing for the vegan debut at Fashion Week. Just last week, a huge victory came for animals and animal advocates as the EU announced a permanent move away from allowing the sale of any cosmetics that have been tested on animals. And the vegan diet continues to gain popularity with celebs, athletes and politicians advocating a plant-based diet. Just recently, Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, urged his city’s residents to consider adopting a vegetarian diet.

And Hilgart showed off the glamorous side of veganism with sexy garments that were both lively and edgy. Colors were rich  in blacks, blues, greys and tans, reports Ecouterre. Hilgard also highlighted the development of new fabrics, including a luxe organic cotton velvet, recycled Thinsulate, 100 percent recycled satin and organic fleece, according to Ecoouterre. Hilgart said: “I want to show that we don’t have any excuse to wear animals.”

The show was sponsored in part by the Humane Society of the United States, one of the biggest animal advocacy groups in the country. The show also included several dogs (on the runway!) that were available for adoption.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Images: Courtesy of Eco-Chick

The post First All-Vegan Fashion Show Debuts at NYFW Fall/Winter 2013 appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Fair Fashion runway show, held during New York Fashion Week, shows us that fashion can look good and do good.

When attending fashion week, it’s easy to become overwhelmed (and slightly disturbed) about the sheer amount of clothing that designers put out every season, much of it produced less than ethically. A nice counterpoint to this was the NYC Fair Runway Show, held on Thursday at co-working space Wix Lounge in NYC.

The runway show was organized by the NYC Fair Trade Coalition, an all-volunteer grassroots organization dedicated to educating consumers about the value and importance of fair trade and promoting fair trade businesses in NYC.

Kibonen|NY (also top)

Featured designers included Kibonen|NY by Cameroonian designer Kibonen Nfi, inspired by traditional Cameroonian garments, REBORN by Soham Dave, which fuses the old and new with contemporary leisure clothing, filling a niche for authentic pieced and hand crafted from natural materials, and mccoll&clan, a New Jersey-based SEE (sustainable, eco, ethical) label committed to a design and business ethos that supports more sensible ways of innovating fashion.

REBORN by Soham Dave

The models wore vegan shoes by Monisha Raja of Love is Mighty, a brand dedicated to preserving indigenous arts, tribal culture and craftsmanship in India. Makeup artist Lacey Elliot used products from Josie Maran’s vegan, eco-friendly line.

mccoll&clan

After the show, guests were treated to samples from fair trade makers of tea, root tea, chocolate and quinoa vodka. There was also a marketplace, featuring pieces from the runway show.

Fair trade may not yet be a buzz word in the fashion world at large, but maybe this fashion week runway show could be the start of a greater discussion of the topic? We certainly hope so.

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At New York Fashion Week, Suzanne Rae presents a new, minimalistic take on feminine beauty.

Initially inspired by Francesca Woodman’s photography, Suzanne Rae‘s collection for spring/summer 2013 “explores a woman’s curious ability to be both delicate and strong.”

“Pairing this with minimalism, which often carries masculine overtones” the designer says, “the collection seeks a balance, reflecting a more progressive and less conventional expression of femininity.”

The collection, which premiered during New York Fashion Week yesterday, at the Philippine Center in Manhattan, seems to be a return to basics for Suzanne Rae. The color palette was restrained and featured low-key neutrals, like we’ve seen in the collections of many other designers this fashion week. Soft hues of light and dark gray, off-white and khaki were complemented with gorgeously nuanced shades of gold and blue. It all seemed to signal a return to beauty in fashion.

Materials ranging from soft silks and knits to stiff cotton and linen were mixed to create textural interest while maintaining a long and flowy silhouette. The show was styled by Lotte Sindahl, with bold accessories by WXYZ Jewelry (including amazing Egyptian inspired collar necklaces) and shows by Solestruck and Ma Petit Shoe.

In all, the collection represented a return to wearable basics in beautiful colors and materials.

We also took a peek backstage after the show:

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British sustainable label Rapanui brings eco-fashion to sea by staging the first-ever fashion show held aboard a commuter hovercraft.

I’ve seen fashion shows in many strange places, but never on a hovercraft. Probably because it had never been done, until this past week when British sustainable fashion label Rapanui staged a guerilla-style fashion show on the Isle of Wight ferry crossing.

The show, which was held in advance of London Fashion Week, was a collaboration between the award-winning eco-fashion brand and Hovertravel, the company that operates the high-speed energy-efficient hovercraft crossing service across the Solent, from the Island to Southsea.

“Rapanui are a great eco-friendly clothing brand based on the Isle of Wight,” Loretta Lale, commercial and marketing manager of Hovertravel, says of the collaboration. “We are always keen to work with local businesses from the Island, especially ones that aim to make a genuine contribution to sustainability.”

The ship’s crew – turned catwalk models for a day – showcased the 2012 collection by walking down the aisles of the Hovercraft during its regular 8am crossing, surprising the hundreds of commuters onboard. The collection consists of casualwear made from organic cotton in an ethically accredited, wind-powered factory. Rapanui is also known for the award winning traceability and eco-labeling schemes the company has developed for their clothing.

Rob Drake-Knight, co-founder of Rapanui said: “We were really excited to bring fashion week to the Island in such a quirky way, giving the commuters a taste of the catwalk in their seats as we crossed Solent.”

It’s unclear what the commuters thought about the show, but one thing is for sure, they spent some time thinking about sustainability and fashion that day. Who knows what kind of effect small disruptive interventions like this can have? We’d like to see more of it, and we’re looking at you, New York Fashion Week.

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The future of fashion looks bright.

While most people in the fashion industry look to major events like New York Fashion Week for what’s next on the horizon, some of the most innovative new fashion concepts can be found at student shows from New York’s major fashion schools. Perhaps that’s why insiders like Vogue editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, former CFDA president Stan Herman, and New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn turned out for the 2012 Pratt Institute Fashion Show, held recently at Center548 in Manhattan.

In addition to 17 student presentations, the show featured a tribute to Fern Mallis, the creator of New York Fashion Week, former executive director of the CFDA, and former senior vice president of IMG Fashion, who received the Pratt Institute Fashion Industry Lifetime Achievement Award with a heartfelt introduction from designer Calvin Klein.

“Fern, as you know, has made an important contribution to the fashion industry, that few people could be capable of,” Klein said. “You really have to be built for this kind of thing. A lesser person might have run from buildings screaming.”

Following the tribute and runway show, Pratt’s Department of Fashion Design Chair, Jennifer Minniti, presented the inaugural Liz Claiborne Award, a $25,000 cash prize intended to help a particularly talented student develop a collection after graduation. The prize went to Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse, whose five-piece collection was inspired by American quilting and the Grand Canyon.

“I used vintage feed sack textiles mixed with new fabrics from the garment district,” Parkhouse said. “Nostalgia, color, and print are some other important elements. The biggest challenge was creating a collection with these inspirations that also felt fresh and new.”

Judging from the audience response to her line, Parkhouse succeeded. Here, a closer look at her work, as well as a selection of favorite looks from other graduates.

Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse, winner of the Liz Claiborne award

Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse

Theresa Deckner

Ruby Gertz

Juan Pozo

Emily Kauffelt

Meredith Lyon

Elizabeth Ammerman

Kate A. Gross

Aharon Kolatch

Dana Hurwitz

For more, check out the 2012 Pratt Institute Fashion Show in its entirety:

Images: Jessica Marati

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Sustainable fashion gets a spotlight at New York City’s Green Festival.

Last weekend, New York City’s cavernous Javits Center was overtaken by the Green Festival, an annual touring trade show filled with eco-enthusiasts promoting the latest in green living. On the Saturday of the show, behind booths promoting dairy-free cheese nibs, eco-friendly dog beds, and ElectroYoga, festival-goers had the chance to check out a selection of rising eco-fashion designers during T.H.R.E.A.D.S, a fashion show produced by Conscious Living TV.

The featured designers – including A.D.O., Allison Parris New York, Artists and Revolutionaries, Heart, and Vaute Couture, with shoes by Cri de Coeur – were connected by their uses of sustainable fabrics, fair trade practices, and cutting-edge design. Despite the less-than-ideal convention center setting, the inventiveness of the garments was evident. Highlights at the jump.

Vaute Couture

With a mission to “create more reasons to not wear animals,” Vaute Couture has developed a following in the vegan fashion community, including celebrities like Alicia Silverstone and Emily Deschanel, with its collection of animal-friendly garments. In addition to being a fashion pioneer, designer Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart is also an ardent animal and environmental activist.

A.D.O.

Using GOTS-certified fabrics and natural Ayurvedic herb dye, A.D.O. designer Anjelika Krishna creates comfortable ready-to-wear clothing with a modern, feminine aesthetic. Most of A.D.O.’s fabrics are inspired by and sourced from India, and garments are produced locally in the New York garment district.

Allison Parris

Allison Parris’s background in bridal design certainly had an influence on her latest collection of party dresses, made with fabrics like raw organic silk and recycled PET. Flirty and feminine, they’re perfect for wedding season.

Artists and Revolutionaries

Based out of Brooklyn, Artists and Revolutionaries creates edgy separates using repurposed leather, cashmere, washed wool, and organic cottons. Designer John-Michael infuses his pieces with more edge than most are used to seeing in sustainable-collections, with amazing results.

Heart

Each of Heart’s garments utilizes or takes inspiration from original photography, resulting in unique pieces like the Bali Ball Gown (pictured above). Chicago-area designer Jenny Greco, photographer Christina Noël, and painter Lisa Selby describe their line as “wearable art meets clothing with a conscience.”

Images: Jessica Marati

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Local designers in Portland, Oregon come together to support Planned Parenthood on August 31, 2011.

We do love fashion for a good cause, especially when it’s a collection of stand-out local designers. Enter, Dress/Undress a benefit fashion event put together by Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, hosted on Wednesday August 31, 2011 at the Fez Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

Dress/Undress is all about raising awareness and funds for PPCW’s Equal Access Fund, a program designed to provide gynecological care for women and transgender people who aren’t currently covered by Oregon state’s pregnancy-prevention services, and since we’re big believers in reproductive rights, we’re happy to be on board as a media sponsor.

Dress/Undress will feature some of the best in local Portland designers, including EcoSalon favorite Sword + Fern. The evening will feature a silent auction, cocktail hour, runway show and then a dance party hopefully long into the night. What more could you want from a Wednesday night? General admission tickets are $10, and you can get them here.

Enticed? Here’s a peek at the featured designers.

Idom

Sword + Fern

Heather Treadway

Golden Rule

Midge

Yo Vintage!

Benjamin Blak

StudioSKB

Kat Seale

the Metal Institution

We hope to see you there, and if you can’t make it, keep a lookout for our event recap next week.

Images:  Idom, Sword + Fern, Heather Treadway, Golden Rule, Midge, Yo Vintage!, Benjamin Blak, StudioSKB, Kat Seale, the Metal Institution.

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