Right now is the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, which you may be thinking is gorgeous, but how is this green?
Enter The Green Shows - the only premiere fashion event exclusively committed to eco-
friendly, ethically sound, fair-trade fashion during New York Fashion Week.Debuting in September 2009, this 4-day
event is back from Feb 14 through to Feb 17 and features a selection of eco-conscious fashion designers who have been given the opportunity, support and resources to show their collection under one roof.
From the runway to the lighting, the design team will use recycled, recyclable, and
compostable material to create a beautiful and resource conscious layout as a
backdrop to the collections. The 10 green designers on show must meet certain earth-friendly criteria, such as using natural dyes or being carbon-footprint conscious.
One of the standout VEGAN designers so far is Vaute Couture (www.vautecouture.com). Their 2010 fall collection, shown on Monday, included beautiful winter coats completely free of animal products and used a variety of recycled materials, without compromising on style. Some of their fabrics included recycled polyester fleece and 100% recycled ripstop satin lining.
Vaute Couture stands for haute couture (meaning ‘high fashion’) with a ‘V’ for vegan. Founded by 27 year old, Chicago-based Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, Vaute Couture is committed to developing vegan alternatives to animal-derived fashion and was born from a constant search for a fabulous, warm, chic coat to weather the Chicago winters.
“There used to be this idea that to be vegan is a sacrifice, and one thing you’d sacrifice would be style — that people who are vegan don’t care about expressing themselves through clothing or their looks,” Hilgart, also a Ford model, said. “A lot of vegans really exemplify a new standard.”
Thank you Vaute Couture and all of the green and gorgeous labels showcasing at The Green Shows in New York this week. It’s exciting to see a shift towards a more eco-friendly and conscious trend in the fashion industry. Be Love – Be Peace – Be Vegan.
