A list of the top sustainable designers currently on the fashion scene.

Sustainable fashion has come a long way since its humble beginnings with more and more designers taking chances with fabrics, silhouettes and collaborations. Here we offer you an extensive list of what we consider to be the top designers in the sustainable fashion field.

A.D.O. Organics, New York, NY: GOTS (global organic trade standard) certified fabrics, chemical-free herbal dyes, Fair Trade.

Afia, New York, NY: Sustainable women’s clothing line sourced and sewn in Ghana, West Africa.

Ajna, New York, NY: Certified organic and sustainable textiles, collaborates with indigenous textile artisans.

Alabama Chanin, Florence, Alabama: Slow design, organic fabrics, recycled materials, minimal waste, made by local artisans in Florence, Alabama.

Alder, New York, NY: Part of the Pratt Design Incubator, all made in the U.S., materials sourced locally.

Allison Parris, New York, NY: Recycled materials, end run fabrics, organic silks, made in Manhattan.

Ambika, Catskills, NY: Made from shorn and brushed Angora rabbits on Ambika Conroy’s own rabbit farm in upstate New York.

Auralis Herrero, New York/Puerto Rico: Organic fabrics, promotes sustainable economies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Avery by Wang, Vancouver, Canada: Recently launched, organic cotton, hemp.

Awamaki Lab, New York and Ollantaytambo, Peru: A Peruvian non-profit working with impoverished Quechua women weavers.

Carrie Parry, New York, NY Produced ethically and locally in the New York Garment District, sourcing environmentally conscious materials and textiles supporting artisanal communities worldwide.

Christopher Raeburn, London: Christopher Ræburn has become known for his utilization of re-appropriated military fabrics to create garments that are functional, intelligent and meticulously crafted.

Clary Sage Organics, San Francisco, CA: Clary Sage Organics is committed to using 100% organic or ecologically sustainable products.

Costello Tagliapietra, New York, NY: Uses AirDye waterless technology to create all their prints, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Crop by David Peck, Houston, TX: Manufactured with textiles dyed in the United States and select fabrics imported from fair trade co-operatives in India.

Curator, San Francisco, CA: Made in San Francisco, organic cottons, hemp, minimal waste.

EcoSkin, Los Angeles, CA: EcoSkin uses only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics woven, dyed and sewn in the U.S.

Eko-Lab, New York, NY: 100% organic materials, natural vegetable dyes, all made locally by New York City artisans.

Elroy, Vancouver, BC: Uses organic cotton, bamboo, tencel, linen, hemp, wild silk, pineapple, wool and upcycled fabrics, manufactured by a small, family-run cottage industry in Indonesia, designed in Canada.

Eva Zingoni, Paris, France: Made in France from recycled materials, limited edition, surplus fabrics from Parisian fashion houses.

Feral Childe, New York City/Oakland, California: Organic textiles, recycled textiles and accessories, made in New York City.

Frei, Chicago: Organic cottons, natural dyes, and locally manufactured textiles.

Gretchen Jones, New York: Sustainable fabrics, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Harricana by Mariouche, Montreal, Canada: Recycled fur, recycled materials.

H Fredriksson, New York, NY: Silk, made in New York City.

Honest By, Antwerp, Belgium: 100% transparent company from production to sales, organic fabric, certified organic wools.

Indigenous, Santa Rosa, CA: organic fabrics, Fair Trade, low impact dyes, free range alpaca.

IOU Project, Tamil Nadu, India: The IOU Project makes unique, handmade, traceable apparel, Fair Trade.

Isoude, Newport, Rhode Island: Made in the U.S.A., silks, hand dyeing.

Juleselin, San Francisco, CA: Created from organic cotton and recycled fabrications, sweatshop free.

Kelly Lane, Pittsburgh, PA: Created from sustainable fabrics, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Koch, Dallas, TX: Sustainable fabrics, made in Dallas and LA.

Lara Miller, Chicago, IL: Multi-functional clothing, organic cottons, hand-loomed bamboo, hemp and vegan silk, made in Chicago.

Lavuk, Los Angeles, CA: Sweatshop free and made locally in Los Angeles with sustainable materials such as organic cotton, tencel, hemp and dead stock silks, multi-functional clothing.

Lina Rennell, Northern California: The Rennell line is an art brand with a heavy focus on original print work, U.S. production, sustainable textiles, craft and high-end tailoring.

Loomstate, New York, NY: Organic cotton, tencel, reduced water consumption, reduced waste, pursuing a closed loop product life cycle.

Loup Charmant, New York, NY: Organic cotton, natural dyes, silks, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Made By, Peruvian Highlands: Eco-friendly Alpaca yarns, hand knit by the local highland Artisans of Peru, Fair Trade, organic colorants.

modaspia, Placerville, CA: Organic fabrics, end run fabrics, made in San Francisco.

Nau, Portland, Oregon: Organic cottons, silks, tencel, recycled materials, cruelty-free wool, partners for change with Ashoka, Ecotrust, Kiva and Mercy Corps.

100% NY, New York, NY: Organic, recycled, and ethical materials, produced entirely in New York.

Organic by John Patrick, New York, NY: Handmade metallic lace, sustainable recycled wool, organic cotton, biodegradable cotton cupro, vegetable-tanned leather, hand-loomed Angora, digitally printed silks,

M. Patmos, New York, NY: Eco-friendly merino wool and alpaca, faux fur made from wool and alpaca, and vegetable tanned leather, handwork techniques from women’s artisan collectives in Nepal and Bolivia, as well as zero-waste seamless knitting technology from Japan.

Portland Pendleton Collection: Portland, Oregon: Pendleton fabrics are woven exclusively in Pendleton’s Northwest Mills and all of the apparel is sourced and produced in the U.S.

Partimi, London: Digitally-printed silks, organic wools, modals, milk fibers, and luxurious cashmere.

Piece x Piece, San Francisco, CA: The fabric used in each piece is selected from a changing stock of luxury discards.

The Podolls, San Francisco, CA: 100% organic Supima Cotton, made in the U.S.

Popomomo, Los Angeles, CA: Organic cottons, Cupro, recycled materials, made in Los Angeles.

Prairie Underground, Seattle, Washington: Organic cotton, hemp, designed and manufactured in the U.S.

Raleigh Denim, Raleigh, NC: Handcrafted denim on vintage machines from the 1920s, sustainable cotton, organic cotton for Fall 12.

RESTORE Clothing, New York, NY: Repreve® Recycled Nylon, made in the New York City Garment District.

Rogan, New York, NY: Silks, organic cotton, alpaca, wool, bamboo, made in the U.S.

Samantha Pleet, New York, NY: Organic cottons, silks, Made in the U.S.

Soham Dave, New York, NY: Soham Dave focuses primarily on using biodegradable fabrics, recycled materials, and hand embroideries.
 

Stewart+Brown, Los Angeles, CA: Organic cotton, organic pima cotton, hemp, surplus fabrics, Mongolian Cashmere produced through a sustainable supply chain, Fair Trade.

Study NY, New York, NY: Organic cotton, linen, recycled materials, zero waste, made in New York.

Suzanne Rae, New York, NY: Silks, organic cottons, other sustainable materials when possible, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Thieves, Toronto, Canada: Soy, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, Tussah Silk, organic wool, Seacell, tencel.

Titania Inglis, New York, NY: Japanese organic cotton, French vegetable-tanned leather, and dead stock wool from New York’s garment industry, made in New York.

Vaute Couture, New York, NY: Vegan, fair trade.

Did we miss someone? Email amy@ecosalon.com with your tip!

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In a recent competition in Miami, accessories are seen as valuable assets in a growing eco wardrobe.

EcoArtFashion Inc. and LMNT Contemporary Arts of Miami, Florida recently joined forces to host and sponsor the first annual EcoArtccessories challenge, a juried competition calling for artists and designers the world over to create and submit one of a kind fashion accessories using eco-friendly techniques and recycled materials. The competition included the following categories: head piece, neck piece, waist piece, arm/wrist piece, hand piece, hand bags and shoes.

EcoArtFashion Inc. is a concept created by renowned fashion designer and visual artist Luis Valenzuela in an effort to bring attention to innovative art and fashion-based ideas formulated with an earth friendly consciousness. EcoArtFashion Inc. developed the EcoArtccessories challenge as a means to bring special attention to accessories designed and created with sustainable materials in mind.

The jury was composed of Emma Grady, Publisher of www.pastfashionfuture.com, Michael DeSio, who works in Merchandising Management for Saks Fifth Avenue and has an extensive background in fashion including stonecutting and his own men’s shirt collection, Daniella Sforza, Curating Director for LMNT Contemporary Arts, and Luis Valenzuela. Valenzuela says the group of internationally renowned professionals were hand-picked based on their experience in the art, design and retail industries as well as their boundless support of EcoArtFashion Inc.’s green world mission.

Lisu Vega

I asked Emma Grady why she believes it is important to further develop, support and highlight the presence of eco accessories.

“Accessories can transform an outfit. It’s more acceptable to wear accessories (rather than clothing) day after day so they simply get more wear. They serve as a way to experiment with new styles without changing a whole look entirely. Like fashion, eco accessories can serve as great conversation pieces, which is an opportunity to share the story about their origin, whether they’re hand made by artisans or made with an unexpected material,” says Grady, adding that more mainstream designers are dabbling in eco fashion with accessories as they are also a way for designers to get their foot in the door designing sustainable products.

Valenzuela said they received over 100 submissions for the competition with designers implementing materials like recycled cardboard, wire, recycled plastic and unexpected hardware pieces.

Grady says, “I enjoyed seeing a collection of brightly-colored bracelets made with recycled fabrics. They were visually appealing, rich with texture, and statement pieces that would add instant personality to an outfit.”  The selected winning and finalist pieces were chosen by the jury considering use of materials, creativity, and innovative concept.

The winning piece was a geometric-inspired bracelet submitted by Carla Nesci made of hand painted repurposed cardboard from shoe boxes, food boxes, and other pieces of thin cardboard. Finalist’s whose work will also be featured during EcoArtFashion Week are Lisu Vega, Olga Saretsky, and Pat Taylor.

Carla Nesci

The winner and finalist’s works will be showcased on the opening night runway show for EcoArtFashion Week December 2011, and at the “Wrap Yourself In Art” party on November 28, during Miami’s Art Basel, a week-long annual event drawing more than 200,000 art and fashion enthusiasts.

Please visit here for further details.

Images: EcoArtFashion Inc., top image bracelet by Pat Taylor

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Ikou-Tschüss is an indie brand that started as a hobby and has grown into a fully operating fashion business.

Ikou-Tschüss is Guya Marini and Carmen D’Apollonio, two friends who’ve coined their brand’s name on the fly: Ikou means ‘let’s go’ in Japanese and Tschüss means ‘bye’ in German. Since 2006 when the brand started, Marini and D’Apollonio have never gone anywhere but up in terms of how recognized the indie label has become within the greater fashion industry.

Their site says the label’s earliest beginnings began with the two designers meeting every summer in Zürich and exchanging ideas, but the lack of proximity kept their collaboration from coming immediately to fruition.

“Guya stayed active in Paris, doing her styling; Carmen, in Zürich and sometimes New York, was kept busy as the invaluable assistant to Swiss artist Urs Fischer. Then, meeting up again in the beginning of 2006, the two decided to focus exclusively on making handmade knitwear and croched silk foulards. Guya showed the pieces to her friend Livio and Stephan from the Parisian press office. Livio and Stephan were instantly taken with the knitwear and in their excitement planted the seeds for what was soon to become Ikou-Tschüss, demanding that Guya and Carmen formally create a label for the work they had brought in.”

When it comes to sustainability and still a strong fashion appeal, their main focus lies in sourcing quality materials. Most of their wool is either 100% cashmere or merino, and the silk comes from fair-trade locations in either South America or Tibet. They also incorporate recycled or vintage materials whenever possible and embrace the long-held tradition of knitting and crocheting which they themselves learned while growing up in the Swiss capital.

Their designs are made by hand and “the process of doing the work is vital to the form the design takes,” says the site, so production is staffed exclusively by grandmothers, who retain the old craftswomanly approach to handwork—skills that Guya and Carmen feel are disappearing today.

Kou Tschuss is located at 8 Centre Market Place in New York City and online.

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Miami designer Luis Valenzuela showcases new designs at Sustainatopia 2011.

Hailing from four generations of Venezuelan born and bred artists, Miami fashion designer and visual artist Luis Valenzuela is influential in the U.S., Latin American and European art scenes. Like his painting and art installations, his couture fashion creations express a love of environment that Valenzuela says were piqued as early as three from watching his surrounding environment morph and change.

Today, his work represents a flight from traditional boundaries, with projects supporting his belief in innovation as a tool in cultivation and improvement of the way we live on the planet. “Art is a great way to shock people into thinking about things,” says Valenzuela, which he does with his signature reuse style.

In addition to his work in fashion, art and photography, Valenzuela created EcoArtFashion (EAF), a group of creatives whose focus is to bring forward ideas from art and fashion based on a heightened eco-consciousness, particularly the reuse of materials. Through this fashionable reuse concept, Valenzuela hosts a multitude of events, including EcoArtFashion Week (launched during Art Basel 2010 in Miami).

Luis Valenzuela

On April 3, Valenzuela’s work will be featured in Miami at Sustainatopia 2011, one of the largest sustainability/impact investment events in the world. Held from March 31 to April 6, Sustainatopia is featuring two conferences with 300 speakers from 34 countries. The stage will be set for a presentation of Valenzuela’s gowns, which are made of recycled materials and are inspired by women who have made a powerful impact on world history. This presentation will be paired with a performance by Natasha Tsakos, a conceptual director and motion and visual performance artist from Geneva, Switzerland.

A key initiative of Sustainatopia is to connect impact investors with entrepreneurs and organizations seeking capital, but there are many other events taking place during the week to promote sustainability in the form of art expositions, educational seminars, music and film presentations, and book discussions with participating authors.

Valenzuela says the eco art and fashion scene in Miami is growing, but, “We have to do more every day.” When I asked him about the further development of the green art community he has set in motion through EAF, he reflects. “I am a dreamer, but with focus on a good cause. I want to encourage everyone to use their skills to support this global mission in bringing balance to our environment, ultimately affecting each and every person inside and out.”

For more information on Luis Valenzuela’s ongoing work through the EcoArtFashion initiative, please visit the EAF site to see the full calendar of events planned for the entire month of April (Earth Month 2011), taking place throughout Miami and New York.

Image: Luis Valenzuela

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These recycled Wayfarer sunglasses from Modo Eco will have you locked in timeless style.

Do Wayfarers ever go out of style? I think not. These Modo Eco sunglasses aren’t just classic, they’re sustainably made from 95% recycled materials and certified by UL Environment.

Wearing them you can channel Debbie Harry, Anna Wintour or Chloë Sevigny all the while perfecting your own shady vibe.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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We’ve heard the frustrated cries of cash-strapped friends: “I want my home to be more energy-efficient but it’s so darn expensive!” and “I would buy furniture that’s made from recycled materials but right now all I can afford is that particle board dresser from IKEA!”

However, Dan Phillips is out to prove that eco-friendly homes can be both affordable and attractive.

The Huntsville, Texas man formed Phoenix Commotion and has built over a dozen homes using at least 80-85 percent of recycled or salvaged materials. Picture ceilings lined with a geometric cacophony of picture frame corners in every color, floors made from old wine corks, and address numbers made from cattle bones (we did mention he’s in Texas, right?).

And the best part is that the owners (primarily minimum wage workers who would otherwise float from apartment to apartment or mobile home to mobile home) are required to participate in the building process so they’ll feel a sense of pride in ownership.

Phillips’ wild, whimsical creations follow two simple rules: they must meet building codes and follow the laws of physics. He keeps homes small and simple and tries to maintain a level of energy efficiency, which makes them attractive to future buyers. The rest is left to his imagination and that of the new homeowner.

Images: Phoenix Commotion

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After studying public art at Hampshire College, mural painting in Mexico and fresco painting in Italy, designer Nettie Kent moved to New York to pursue her interest in community murals. Her years in the New York art world lead her to an interest in metal work and sculpture, and it was after taking a job in a well-known jeweler’s showroom (Jill Platner) that she found her true passion for the art of metalwork.

Now, as a year-rounder on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, jewelry designer Nettie Kent takes inspiration from place but also from her materials, carving forms from wax and hammering mixtures of metals to create unique pieces for jewelry aficionados.

Her ultimate mission? To create eco-conscious jewelry using at least 90% recycled materials in all her pieces. Pretty impressive.

Establishing herself as a designer on the Vineyard in 2008, Nettie has already established a loyal clientele that appreciates her organic forms and unique designs, as well as her ethical approach to jewelry making.

Think this bracelet is great? Check out her other bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings that incorporate vintage materials, leathers and metals. You’ll be swooning for jewelry like there’s no tomorrow.

But for you there will be and with a bit of luck, you’ll be looking tough (and pretty) in this classic cuff.

Leave a comment below and you’re entered to win.

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19 Moons Watch Ring

Like jewelry that’s really different? Me too.

The more unique, the better, so as to inspire conversation on the fly. I’ve come across 19 Moons limited edition jewelry and am pleasantly surprised at what they’re doing with their eclectic collection of vintage and recycled materials.

I figure if I wear a piece of their jewelry everyday I can network constantly with fashionable folks who appreciate the finer, more eclectic side of life.

Sample conversation:

“Wow, that ring is AMAZING!” The stranger says, intrigued.

“Thank you, do you enjoy eco-fashion?” I say, with a smile on my face.

“Why yes. Why do you ask?” The stranger says, touching my ring and twisting it.

From here I undoubtedly lure her into the web of EcoSalon and good writing to which she becomes an instant and voracious reader of all that is eco and stylish.

But I digress.

19 Moons says they are the “source for original Steampunk, Neo-Victorian, retro & industrial designs,” and frankly, I never knew so many different niches of design could come under one category. But they make it work!

I love how they assemble the pieces and am completely addicted to the Watch Rings – but you just might like the necklaces, earrings or funky cufflinks for your significant other.

Lunar lunacy? Nope, just creativity at its finest from a San Francisco Bay Area native named Niffer Desmond.

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