New York Fashion Week has come and gone.

There was a push for more diversity on the runway by the Council of Fashion Designers of America but did it deliver?  Designers and celebrities worked to make the fashion’s takeover of the city mean more than pretty clothes. Tastemakers used their talents to bring awareness to causes that affected everyone on or off the runway.

New York Fashion Week has the reputation for being a shallow, exclusive affair. While it still attracts the elite, the definition of the insider crowd has evolved. When a star walks the runway, it does more than sell clothes. When a new supermodel is crowned, she may not look like what you expect. While the industry will always love the beautiful people, they just might be talking about what’s inside, not just the outside.

So how did New York Fashion Week make beauty further than skin deep?

1. Desigual’s star model

One of my favorite fashion shows to shoot each season is the Desigual runway. The Spanish brand’s signature esthetic involves lots of colors and patterns. They embrace the customer who is atypical and unique. The model they hired to represent that ethic was Toronto native Chantelle Brown-Young. She has a skin condition called vitiligo which causes skin pigment to disappear. She was mocked for her appearance as a child but now has the last laugh from the end of the runway.  You might have watched her compete on America’s Next Top Model after being scouted by Tyra Banks personally. For years, it was difficult enough to find models of color cast in major designer fashion shows. While progress is still slow, how great is it to see a model that represents multiple colors?

2. Go Red for Women

The American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection hosts one of the most popular fashion shows each season. The event for Heart Truth opened with Rosie O’Donnell making us laugh while her personal experience having a heart attack moved us emotionally. She stressed the importance of knowing the symptoms of a heart attack for women, which are noticeably different than men.

The models that walked the runway included celebrities of all ages, cultures, and shapes. Each woman shared how she was personally affected by heart health. Models included everyone from “I Dream of Jeannie” Barbara Eden to Donna Mills. YouTube star Bethany Mota, fitness guru Tracy Anderson, divas Thalia and Ciara graced the catwalk. “Orange is the New Black” stars Dascha Polanco vamped it up and her co-star, transgender actress Laverne Cox, gave the best twirl of the night. The fashion industry’s top designers collaborated to outfit each star in a gorgeous red dress. Fans attended in their own red frocks in support.

3. Thrive Causemetics

I encountered beauty makeup artist and founder Karissa Bodnar backstage at the Charlotte Ronson fashion show. Thrive Causemetics provided the lashes for the models. Karissa conceived the premium cosmetics brand after losing her friend to cancer. She developed her luxury false eyelashes so that for each pair purchased, a pair would be donated to someone being treated for cancer that had lost her lashes through her collaboration with the Look Good Feel Better organization. Each style in her collection was named after someone affected by cancer.

4. Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief

The supermodel gathered her top designer and celebrity friends to host a fashion event to raise funds for the  Ebola Survival Fund. The organization works with community-based groups in Liberia and Sierra Leone to help those affected by Ebola. Singer Mary J. Blige, Paris Hilton, Michelle Rodriguez and a group of other celebrities were cheered on by their most passionate fans. Naomi Campbell established Fashion For Relief back in 2005 to inspire the fashion industry to produce events in cities around the world to support timely causes in need.

5. FTL Moda’s diversity casting

The Italian manufacturing promoter worked with Models of Diversity, a London agency that works with physically challenged models to work the finale of their Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show. The runway presentation included a range of designers for handbags, evening wear to the avant-garde. Gorgeous models with prosthetics, amputee or wheelchair models drew cheers from the photographer’s pit and audience as they displayed the fashion beautifully. I am happy to say this has not been the only fashion show featuring models overcoming physical challenges. Over the past year, I have seen shows around the world featuring models such as this in what I hope is not just a trend.

Related on EcoSalon

New York Fashion Week Features Models with Down’s Syndrome, Models in Wheelchairs

Is Haute Couture the new diversity in Fashion?

Native American Fashion Week Happened: Here’s Why You Probably Had No Idea

Images: Mariana Leung and David T.W. Leung

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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.

Tour de Fashion’s “Ready to Ride” bikes are available to ride now and onward through New York Fashion Week.

With Fashion Week upon us here in New York City, stylish men and women wanting to make way through the streets of the city in anything but a cab or underground are able to tap into something a lot more fun: decorated bikes by some of the world’s top designers.

The Fashion Center Business Improvement District is bringing the glamor, excitement and fun of Fashion Week to the streets of the Garment District with Tour de Fashion – a free, ‘ready-to-ride’ bicycle event including thirty bicycles, creatively customized by New York’s top designers. Bikes decorated by Doo-Ri Chung, Diane Von Furstenberg, Betsey Johnson, Nanette Lepore, Isaac Mizrahi and some of our sustainable favorites like RESTORE Clothing and Gretchen Jones will be available during Fashion Week September 8-15.

The Tour de Fashion bicycle fleet, purchased by the Fashion Center from Bowery Lane Bicycles, are handmade in New York City and will be available at tented bike stations located on the Broadway Plazas at 40th Street. Interested in buying one of the stylish cycles? Bids started today for post-fashion week purchase. Get on it by going here to Charity Buzz.

Had it not downpoured for the kickoff bike ride, you would’ve seen me proudly riding a bike from RESTORE but instead, we all huddled under tents in the Fashion District.

Check out who we saw.

(Above, Barbara Randall, Fashion Center BID Director)

Designer, Yeohlee Teng on her Cutter Ant bike

The Fashion Center’s bike (above left) and below, bike designer Emily Saunders

Designer, Emily Saunders

Designer, Sarah Canner, Bowery Lane Bicycles owner, Patrick Bernard, and RESTORE’S Anthony Lilore

Nicole Miller’s stylish ride

Designer Betsey Johnson rocks her bike with roses and VIP passes

The winner for best helmet? Betsey Johnson

Rebecca Minkoff gets inspired with studs

Gretchen Jones’ Talisman bike channeling Patti Smith and Don Juan

Feather extensions with KAELEN

Nanette Lepore ties a bow on it

Nanette Lepore and Carlos Falchi

Images: Amy DuFault

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