Reformation, the LA based brainchild of fashion designer Yael Aflalo, introduces a new collection of more affordable yet incredibly trendy clothes made from surplus fabrics. The breezy spring dresses, tops, jackets and skirts are mixed with impeccably cut staples that will make you pray for those upcoming sunny days.

Reformation’s core collection consists of dresses, tops and bottoms ranging between $150 and $300 – not necessarily breaking the bank but still steep for most of us. The Obvious collection’s most expensive piece is $178 (a faux shearling coat), with most dresses and tops retailing under $100. Excited yet?

Obvious boasts the same touch of trendy chic as the core collection with ample amounts of twirly hemlines, vixen silhouettes and vintage inspiration that always catch the eye. We especially love the $98 Andy Dress, made from silky soft and beautifully draped Tencel, and the sexy Pia Bodysuit, made from cotton and retailing at a mere $78.

This new collection was born out of Aflalo’s desire “to make things that you would obviously want to buy at any price.” In a recent interview, the designer stated that she started the collection because of interaction with fans on Instagram: “I always read our Instagram and I respond to people and it just bums me out so hard when I read girls making comments like, ‘I love this, it’s so pretty, I wish I could afford it.’ It makes me sad, it makes me feel bad. And obviously it’s not some giant tragedy that this girl can’t afford a dress, but I still don’t love it and so I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to give those girls something to buy and a place to go.”

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The post From Reformation to Obvious: The LA Brand’s New Affordable Eco Fashion Collection appeared first on EcoSalon.

Everywhere I turn, it seems people are complaining about the cold weather. Ok, no more sitting beach side for a while but come on, hot chocolate, warm fires and cozy sweaters warm the soul!  There’s nothing like cozying up as the cold weather rolls in. And with so many great options for eco-friendly sweaters on the market today you can be assured you are staying toasty with quality made responsible garments. Here is a round up of our favorite eco-friendly fall sweaters.

1. Rib Pullover by Organic by John Patrick

If there is one thing John Patrick Organics has nailed it’s high quality basics. This eco-friendly sweater is made from premium fibers—90% wool and 10% cashmere. Recognized by the CFDA, Organic by John Patrick is showing the high street fashion industry basics last, and they can be organic too.

Organic by John Patrick, $340

2. Aztec Stripe Sweater by Chinti and Parker

If you are looking for a graphic, eco-friendly sweaters this fall, Chinti and Parker has you covered. Their enormous selection of sweaters “spells a new era of style and luxury, one that is built on integrity and sustainability, and one which far outlives seasonal trends.” Chinti and Parker offset all their carbon emissions making their clothing carbon neutral, and each garment comes with a tag stating its ethical credentials.

Chinti and Parker, $495

3. Alpaca Sheer Pullover by Indigenous

Indigenous creates organic and free trade certified clothing by collaborative with artisans around the world. As a Certified B Corp, Indigenous is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of industry best practices. This fair trade certified sweater is made with 100% (super soft) wool from free-ranging alpacas and is dyed using low-impact dyes.

Indigenous, $190

4. Florence Sweater by Curator

Simple and sweet, this sweater is made using 100% organic cotton. Curator is a label labor of love and all Curator clothing is designed and produced in San Francisco with minimum waste.

Curator, $84

5. Bougainvillea Sweater by The Reformation

The Reformation has created somewhat of a cult following around their brand and we love their PSA’s like this one: “Cotton is scary. Conventional cotton crops in California alone are dusted with 6.9 million pounds of chemicals yearly. We don’t use new cotton fabric in any of our clothes, so you can breathe easy.” Can you guess this sweater is made from surplus cotton blend fabric in sunny Los Angeles?

Reformation, $98

6. Tunic Diagonal by VOZ

This sweater is so cool! And the story behind it is even better. VOZ works with indigenous artisans empowering them through collaborative fashion design, and allowing them to gain access to western markets. Each hand-made garment is made of the highest quality natural and eco-friendly fibers, hand dyed and woven to preserve tradition.

VOZ, $435

7. Lola by Beaumont Organic

Perfect for cozying up with, Beaumont Organic’s 100% Alpaca loose fitting, color blocked cardigan is great to throw on around the house or wear with a button down and pencil skirt to work. And pst, it’s on sale!

Beaumont Organic, on sale for £95.00

Want More Fall Inspiration?

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The post 7 Beautiful, Comfy, and Eco-Friendly Sweaters appeared first on EcoSalon.

Will Anthropologie’s new online platform inspire the kind of innovation the fashion industry desperately needs?

Anthropologie debuts an intriguing new website today, called Made in Kind, to showcase its take on the popular trend for designer collaborations. In a release, Anthropologie states the new online platform will function as a gallery “housing multiple exhibitions per month, each dedicated to a single designer or concept.”  Presenting editorial content to go along with the eleven new lines – priced in the $120-$300 range – the collaborations will be available in some stores, online and via the catalog.

Despite featuring small, emerging designers and sustainable brands, including British bohemian brand Place Nationale – makers of one-off garments using European antique fabrics – Brooklyn-based eco fashion designer, Samantha Pleet and John Patrick of Organic, the launch is ambiguous on the subject of it’s sustainability.

Treasure by Samantha Pleet

The eco credentials of the designer’s collaborations with the brand are yet unclear, the decision to avoid tagging the new venture, “ethical,” “conscious” or “sustainable” by Urban Outfitter Inc. owned Anthropologie is interesting.

In contrast, other chain stores are loudly launching eco lines left, right and center. H&M’s exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection – which will be available April 12 in around 100 H&M stores across the globe – has been widely promoted, coming across as an act of contrition for its past year offenses that saw the mega chain accused of not performing proper clothing disposal practices, destroying damaged or unsold clothes that could easily be used elsewhere or recycled for other items.

Place Nationale

Why would a company not shout its eco-friendliness from the rooftops? It happens more than you might think. Because of the difficulty in greening every part of the supply chain, the inability to guarantee every factory involved or fabric used (a small amount of bias tape required, for example) along with ethical fashion’s former “granola” reputation – many brands have been shy of admitting their behind-the-scenes green involvement.

Marketing is often accused of selling something people don’t need but the reverse can also be true. Smart companies restructure their offerings to suit customer demand. Hopefully it is only a matter of time before all businesses are competing to be the most ethical. By tapping into the “zeitgeist” that supporting independent designers keeps America’s workers working, Anthropologie is focusing on the growing preference and appreciation for smaller brands.

In her recent article, Could Small be the New Big for the fashion Industry?, Ilaria Pasquinelli explains the recent shift and how “the era of big” has come to an end.” She writes, “Small organisations are often led by visionary product specialists or designers, particularly in the fashion industry. The small scale allows companies to be flexible, this is crucial in order to adapt to very diverse market conditions and economic turbulence.”

Pasquinelli documents case studies where large corporations have successfully collaborated with small fashion businesses as pioneers in sustainability, such as British supermarket Tesco’s in-house brand F&F, which partnered with the pioneering upcycle fashion brand From Somewhere; Levi’s campaign to refit vintage Levi’s 501 in collaboration with Reformation, a fashion brand that repurposes vintage clothing and materials in their studios in New York and Los Angeles; and Worn Again, a tiny company that successfully worked with large corporations such as Virgin, Royal Mail and Eurostar to help them re-use textiles, such as disused uniforms, they would otherwise discard.

Small companies have proven themselves to be leaders in innovation – something desperately needed in order to green the monolithic fashion industry – Made In Kind may well bring a whole new meaning to the popular concept of “designer collaboration.”

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