Luxury Shift: Recycled products that rival those from the best fashion houses in the world.

Just about everyone knows that one of the easiest ways to be environmentally friendly is to recycle. Sustainable style seekers have long been known to add breadth to their wardrobes with finds from thrift, consignment and vintage stores. More and more, the buzz is that fashion retailers are turning to reusable materials and some innovative techniques to get mainstream fashion consumers hooked on recycled fashion.

Born into one of Italy’s most famous and important fashion houses, Camina Campus creator, Ilaria Venturini Fendi uses the family talent for fine craftsmanship to produce high quality products from recycled materials that rival those from the best luxury houses in the world. Her line’s ongoing collaboration with the International Trade Centre and their Ethical Fashion Program—which seeks to improve working conditions for women in slums and rural areas of Kenya and Uganda—recently developed a capsule collection with legendary Milan lifestyle emporium, 10 Corso Cosmo. According to their journal, the lustworthy collection is made from recycled materials including “reclaimed military blankets and 10 Corso Como colorful fabric cuttings.”

From Style.com’s Style File, news of another retailer embracing recycled materials came from a fashion editor who got a glimpse of Club Monaco’s under-the-radar recycled repurposed vintage military collection due to hit stores this fall. She reports that “while in London, Club Monaco’s design team hand-picked one-of-a kind men’s vintage military jackets at Portobello Market and reformatted them into parkas, vests, and jackets for women.”  Authentic but altered for an updated, modern look, the line is sure to be a hit with eco and mainstream consumers alike. The 20 piece collection priced from $149 to $199 will be available at select Los Angeles and New York Club Monaco stores.

Oxfam, the U.K.’s Goodwill, have developed a truly innovative way to connect consumers to the fun of thrifting. The Oxfam Curiosity shop, a pop up store in London’s world-famous Selfridges store has partnered with Tales of Things to create QR code tags for many of the celebrity donations and vintage selections. According to PSFK, customers can “scan the mobile tags using their smartphones or any of the store’s bespoke RFID readers to reveal video of the associated celebrity explaining the charity and talking about the history of the item.”

With our culture’s voracious appetite for fashion and celebrity media, and, in turn, fashion and celebrity media sharing an unending appetite for newness, it seems logical to think of a future where everything has to be re-used and regenerated. For trend watchers, recycled fashion—the concept of taking something old and working it into something new—might yet be the most exciting style scene to track.

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Five low-impact suggestions to create a smart Fall 2011 wardrobe.

Thinking about our relationship to fashion beyond conspicuous consumption is a core principle here at EcoSalon and as we all know is as challenging as it is enlightening. Identifying what fashion truly means to you is the first step to figuring out how to re-design a stylish future that better serves you and the planet. For me, the fun of fashion is in its unique ability to express the outlandish, a sense of wit and imagination, as exemplified by icons such as Alexander McQueen, Isabella Blow and Diana Vreeland.

Vreeland, Editor-In-Chief of Vogue from 1963-1971, created the fashion media as we know it today. She imparted her sparkling wit and ingenuity into the style scene, qualities that are mostly missing in these days of carbon-copy consumerism.

Vreeland began her career as a columnist for Harper’s Bazaar in 1936. Her tongue-in-cheek “Why don’t you” columns – “Why don’t you use a gigantic shell instead of a bucket to ice your champagne?” and “Or paint a map of the world on all four walls of your boys’ nursery so they won’t grow up with a provincial point of view?” for example – inspired her post-Depression readers to think outside of the box and break the rules of fashion.

It was Vreeland’s fearless, slightly madcap voice saying “Why Not” that came to mind as I watched last week’s New York runways with a view to how I could adapt my own wardrobe to reflect some of the trends. In the spirit of fashion risk taking, and with humble acknowledgment paid to a true genius (she actually invented the word “Pizazz” for goodness’ sake), here are my five low-impact suggestions to create a smart Fall 2011 wardrobe.

Why not…tie one on? Menswear is a huge trend. With Yigal Azrouel, Alexander Wang and Prabal Gurung (above) showing tuxedo inspired ensembles, the easiest way to get the look is to borrow a tie or cut a thin strip of black silk. Tie the knot a little looser and lower  than you would on your male counterpart or forget a collar completely and rock the androgynous look with a tee.

Why not…stop playing so safe? It’s not until you’re confronted with a chartreuse dress or bright orange pants that you realize you’ve essentially been weaned on a diet of safe neutrals and black. If you’re going to buy one thing for next season, choose a piece that gives your neutral ensemble an unexpected pop of color, as seen at Peter Som, Preen and Phillip Lim (above).

Why not…chop off the arms of your old trench or jacket? If this idea makes you squirm, get your tailor to do it. Make sure to save the arms to create a bias binding to neatly finish off the look. Vest coats looked fresh at Alexander Wang, Richard Chai Love and Rachel Roy.

Why not…nix the match? Clashing textures, plaids and prints is the way to go, as seen at Marc Jacobs, Rag and Bone (above) and Thakoon. Consider it  the perfect excuse to try on all your old clothes again to see what clashes with what!

Why not…make a sweeping entrance? Flowing, mid-calf and longer skirt lengths feel radical, even mildly uncomfortable, after years spent in form fitting tops and skinny pants. Dig around your local thrift store and I guarantee you’ll find some floor-skimmers left over from the early 1990’s. Pair with a utilitarian jacket to get the new silhouette, as seen at Tommy Hilfiger, Rachel Comey and Tory Burch.

All images from style.com

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Whether you tip toed through the end of 2010 holiday parties with a naughty or nice outlook is really something between you and the man with the untamed white beard. We are already gazing ahead to spring/summer 2011, particularly with numerous fashion week line-ups now at our slush-saturated heels. An upcoming fashion trend that might surprise you in this era of recession-studded austerity is an increasing fascination with macramé, crochet, and hand-made lace. Both Fashionising and Style.com have announced that caftans and hippie-chic ponchos have been upgraded to luxurious and supremely feminine offerings for 2011. A testimony perhaps to our desire for fashion that demonstrates the labor of love that goes into quality ethical construction and accessories that also tell a story?

Mark Liu, A/W 10′

As a fiber artist I am always looking for evidence of stunning handwork in key fashion investment pieces. I have also admired how both indie and sustainable fashion designers were the first to go “knotty by nature,” ahead of celebrated names like Celine, Catherine Malandrino, Gucci, or Pucci. London-based zero-waste designer Mark Liu even created a knotting system as a way to eliminate textile waste in the creation of his Winter 2010 collection, “Singularity Point.”

Eko-Lab, A/W 10′

There is definitely something alluring about donning fiber-crafted fashion – as the cord, yarn, or ribbon simply gets softer and more malleable with wear. Knotted couture is actually an ancient phenomenon. The earliest skirt on record is a Paleolithic mini-skirt made of knotted strings that were weighted with tiny pebbles that went klickety-klack as women swished in front of the campfire. We have evidently come along way, ladies, if Roberto Cavalli is now keen on creating body-hugging string gowns for the rock-chick Venuses of our times.

Eko-Lab Crochet Panties

Xing-Zhen Chung Hilyard and Melissa Kirgan of Eko-lab have incorporated some wild and knotty crochet into their sustainably minded fashion designs, principally as organic trim elements but also as a head-to-toe testament to their slow design alchemy. I loved the crocheted top hat and fringe shawl from their AW 2010/11 collection. These “conscious fashion” pioneers also know how to whip up some superfine and sexy crocheted bikinis that rival anything that our Stone Age counterpoints might have crafted.

Michelle Lane’s Japanese cord jewelry collections twine mysticism and the patterns of physics into sculpted wearable art that creates a certain intimacy between the wearer and the object. Lane views her necklaces and bracelets as being more of an extension of clothing than jewelry, and given that she crafts each piece by hand, there is no doubt that this designer has a healthy-preoccupation with organically generated and mindful, small-scale production.

Michelle Lane

Similarly, award-winning Brit designer Tanvi Kant explores wild knots and loopy crafting in her recycled sari fabric necklaces and free form textile creations. Not only is she resourceful in her deconstruction of discarded textile materials, but her one-of-a-kind designs also allow for expression of her cultural heritage and colorful roots. Each knotted design can be artfully shaped on the body according to the individual’s accessorizing whims. Also not to missed on the recycled scrap textile front is designer Michelle Lowe-Holder’s Victorian-style “ribbon Reclaim” neck wear crafted from off-cut fabrics from previous collections and reclaimed ribbon flocked together on a crochet base. (Thanks, Sass Brown, for this tip).

Michele Lowe-Holder

A quick peruse on eBay for eco-macramé or knotted accessories offers up a whole treasure trove of hemp rope bracelets, hippie-style belts, and yes, you guessed it, hanging plant holders. One seller who really stands out, though, is Imperishable Things. Knots can be deceptively simple, and these recycled cotton and nylon rope designs caught my eye with their chic domestic interpretation of cord. Don’t you just love it when yesterday’s clothesline can become tomorrow’s cocktail party conversation starter as noose-style bling?

Imperishable Things

Top Image, Tanvi Kant via Crafts Council UK

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Every eco-fashion website you go to is probably comprised of some red hot talent when it comes to work outside the site. EcoSalon fashion writer Greta Eagan is a great example of one of our writers taking an entrepreneurial walk outside our own pearly green gates. Recently launching FASHIONmeGREEN, a sustainable fashion awareness project two months ago in L.A. (The L.A. Project), she’s now in New York City wrapping up her New York Project (shot at the SoHo House) with Eleanor Banco, PR Director of Style.com and Teen Vogue.

Next stop? London – to find her next victim or “style influencer” to help morph a darker shade of green.

All clothing and accessories will come from local eco-designers based in each city and will be stylishly showcased in an editorial spread on the site as well as behind the scenes video webisodes. The site will also run the FMG Daily featuring current trends and style tips with eco-alternatives (indicated by a green leaf).

Eagen says “The idea is to impart a style source that is relatable, inspirational, current and eco.”

I recently caught up with Eagen to talk about her new project.

(Side note, if you’ve got an entrepreneurial fashion mission you’re on, pitch it to us!)

Inspiration behind FMG?

I really wanted to build a global platform for eco-fashion with resources, and create a way to bridge the gap between mainstream and eco-fashion. My motto is to provide a (digital) space with style standards as high as the eco ones.

With all the information out there about forward sustainable fashion, do women really still think it’s not stylishly comparable? Could this possibly be true?!

I really think it comes down to awareness. People want to be responsible in their purchasing. We have seen that with the organic food movement and insurgence in hybrid vehicles. When it comes to clothing and fashion, it is just going to take time to educate the consumer and show them what options they have. I would also add, that a lot of the designers who are designing “˜green’ are independent and therefore not as well known as the bigger brands, so again it’s a matter of exposing them to the consumer.

You’ve FMG’d fashion blogger Lucrecia Chan and Style.com’s Eleanor Banco, were they surprised there was so much sophisticated greenery out there?

Absolutely! They both had some idea of what was out there and knew a couple of designers who are green, but the makeover really exposed them to very fashion-forward eco-options they didn’t know existed. I know that they were coveting some of the pieces from the makeover!

Did they pick their own looks from a bunch of clothes you acquired from designers or did you style them all the way?

The core concept of FMG is to select style influencers whose style stands on its own and has garnered them respect and admiration in the fashion industry. Through the makeover, we adamantly hold onto that original style sense to recreate their style aesthetic using mostly eco-inspired pieces. So the process is always very interactive and collaborative. When I do a first pass through the designers I want to pull for the shoot, I will always revert back to my style influencer’s image and ask, “Would she wear this?” Then, we work with the influencer to select exact pieces from eco-lines. Finally, the day of the shoot we will have a handful of outfits outlined, but always allow for the flexibility to change things as we go so that it communicates their true style sense.

Always five looks and how are the five looks picked?

It really is a brainstorming process. We will chat about their style signatures and the story they want to tell through their outfits. Also, because the spread is published online with a Shop The Shoot section, the looks are very seasonal and represent what the influencer is wearing at the moment. We always want the looks to be relatable, corresponding to the time of the year and also sourcing real women who work in industries that command a strong sense of style.

What’s your best advice for newbies?

It’s important to remember that no single brand out there is 100 percent sustainable at this point in time, so to hold yourself to those standards is unrealistic. Instead, start with what makes sense to you and explore. Thrift or vintage shopping is a great entry point. By reusing a piece that was previously produced, you extend its life cycle and just that is very sustainable.

Going green with your wardrobe is a lifestyle decision and I liken it to formulating an individual’s diet. Are you animal- friendly? Is ethical fashion of utmost importance to you? Or are you more concerned with carbon-footprints and dying processes? You decide what is important and make your purchasing decisions from there. It really is a personal journey for everyone which, I think, is the way fashion should be.

The NY Project- Teen Vogue’s Eleanor Banco from FASHIONmeGREEN on Vimeo.

Photographer – Jamie Beck (FromMeToYou)

Photographer’s Assistant – Colleen Duggan

Natural Make-up Artist – Jessa Blades

Video Assistant – Andy Mirabito

Designers used for the N.Y.Project:

Suno
Stella McCartney
Doucette Duvall
Cri de Coeur
Osborn Designs
Study
H Fredriksson
Lizzie Fortunato Jewels
Lauren Pierce
Bodkin

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