From Anna Cohen Collection
March 2007 | Features
Eco-fashion Comes of Age
By Caroline Ryder
In 2006, the glossies couldn’t get enough of fashion’s Green Revolution. Finally, they proclaimed, “eco” no longer equaled “geeko.” Editors at Vogue, InStyle, and The New York Times swooned over bamboo denim totes, organic cotton tees and recycled vintage sweaters. Bono’s wife Ali Hewson promoted her socially-conscious Edun line, and organic pioneers like Stewart + Brown, Loomstate, Linda Loudermilk and Ecoganik bloomed like never before. Even big business finally realized the color of money; last fall, Levi’s launched its Eco line (organic cotton, coconut shell buttons, natural dyes and a recycled cardboard label) and Adidas started making its shell-toed sneakers — a perennial hipster favorite — out of hemp. It all signaled one thing: eco-fashion was bigger than a passing trend. It was a movement, a subtle shift in the fashion paradigm (and not a grain of granola in sight).
The most significant change, from the greenie fashionista’s perspective at least, has been the explosion of independent, fashion-forward designers working with sustainability in mind. Following in the footsteps of Stella McCartney, the grande dame of eco-couture, these emerging Vogue -friendly artists care just as much about the planet as they do about design, allowing eco-fashionistas the world over to heave a collective, well-dressed sigh of relief.
Anna Cohen
Green Sophisticate
“Being eco-friendly is a challenge I enjoy,” says Portland designer Anna Cohen. “It’s not easy by any means — but it feels good.” She describes her line as “high fashion driven sustainable apparel” and generally uses no dyes other than black. She’s known for her creative trims, and for using buttons made from bamboo, wood or corozo (a South American nut traditionally used as a substitute for ivory). A founding member of the Sustainable Design Group, Cohen has advised representatives from Nike and Adidas on how to incorporate sustainability in to their business practices. When Nike donated to Cohen the end of the mill run fabric it was developing for Olympic speed skaters, she turned it into a bikini. “This sector of the design community is so different from the classic design community,” says Cohen. “We realize we need to work together.” (annacohen.com)
Del Forte
Premium Organic Denim
“There are a lot of ways the fashion industry is not ethical,” says Tierra Del Forte, founder of Del Forte Denim in Berkeley. “When I started, I wanted to use better technology, better fibers and more ethical means of production in any way I could.” Del Forte uses only 100 percent organic cotton (a field must be pesticide free for three years for the cotton to be certified organic) and all her garments are sewn and finished in Los Angeles. “There were always lots of yoga and active wear that used organic cotton, but in terms of high fashion, many companies are only just starting to get on top of it,” says Del Forte. “Thankfully, that’s starting to change.” Del Forte makes a high-waisted, skinny jean that should please both discerning fashionistas and eco-hipsters alike. (delforte.com)
Kim White Handbags
Vintage Car Upholstery Clutches
When Kim White stumbled upon hundreds of rolls of vintage automotive fabrics in a warehouse in South Central Los Angeles, she knew she had struck gold. Even though the fabric was dead stock, originally intended for Pintos, Camaros and Capris, she had a better use in mind — handbags. She was especially excited by the old AMC fabrics she found — AMC manufactured Gremlins and Pacers in the 1970s, and was one of the most innovative auto-manufacturers when it came to upholstery design. “They did a Levi’s interior, and a Pierre Cardin interior — amazing!” says White, from her home base of LA’s Highland Park. She bought every roll of material in the warehouse — more than 200 different car textiles — and got to work developing her high-end handbag line, which launched at the Designers and Agents trade show in LA in 2003. She recently added a number of vintage floral print bags to her collection, tailored from fabrics originally intended for use in furniture from the 1950s through the ’70s. Some of her purses do feature leather, but “it is a really small percentage,” says White. “I would love to go all vegan in my collection, eventually.” (kimwhitehandbags.com)
Mohop
One Pair of Shoes to Rule Them All
It all started when Annie Mohaupt had a “light bulb moment” in May 2005. “I saw these shoes in my head,” she says. “They were built like skateboards made out of bent plywood. It was like an epiphany.” Five months later she had quit her job as an architect and was making shoes full-time from the basement of her Chicago apartment. With a Finnish birch plywood core and rubber soling made from recycled tires, each pair of Mohop shoes arrives with a varying selection of ribbons, so the wearer can play Imelda Marcos with just one pair. Swap out the ribbon, and tie the shoes in a slightly different way, and Mohops go from casual daywear to fabulously formal. “There’s no need to have dozens of shoes any more,” enthuses Mohaupt. We loved the vintage ribbons with floral motifs, made from cotton canvas found in Annie’s grandma’s basement. “My first idea was to make shoes, period. And then once I started, I realized my natural inclination was to look for eco-friendly materials. I’ve always been a recycler and a vegetarian and I ride my bike everywhere — so it just made sense.” But how comfortable can wooden soles be? Very, apparently. “I walk five miles a day in mine,” says Annie. “And no blisters.” (mohop.com)
Undesigned
Eco-Chic for the Hipster Chick
Going green may feel like the right thing to do, but it’s not the easiest — or cheapest — path for a fashion designer. “I just got an email saying the price of organic cotton has gone up by 9 percent,” groans Carol Young, who runs her label Undesigned from a studio/boutique in Los Feliz. Nonetheless, working with organic and recycled fabrics is something Young is committed to, mainly because her clients can’t get enough of it. “Bamboo and soy fabrics are very, very soft,” she explains, “and they drape really well.” She’s a big fan of bamboo denim — actually a blend of bamboo fibers, organic cotton and lycra colored with a natural indigo dye which softens when washed. Young, who donates all used fabric scraps to local children’s art programs, says her customers often aren’t even aware that they are purchasing eco-friendly clothes — which to her is a good thing. “It means they are here because of the designs,” she says. “People will buy an item and afterwards I’ll tell them that it is made from organic cotton, and it’s like an added bonus. Everyone wants to be green.” (Undesigned.com)
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