Shapeless sacks fashioned from scratchy hemp. Eyeblasting tie-die. Cheesy puka shell accessories. Unspeakable Birkenstocks. This, until the not-distant-enough past, constituted the world of eco-friendly “fashion”, where appeasing your conscience meant swallowing your fashion pride. Thankfully, however, the age of Aquarius appears to be ushering itself in, not in a cloud of patchouli, but sashaying down a catwalk in high fashion that also happens to be as green as the most earnest hemp smock of yore.

“Our goal is to fill the void for this modern, aware, and design-savvy customer base within the fashion community,” explains eco-conscious designer Rene Geneva, who debuted her eponymous line at the Spring 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Los Angeles. Typical of the do-good’ing strain of many of her green-leaning design contemporaries, social responsibility and regard for the environmental are ingrained in the company’s mission and everyday business practices. Geneva’s designs are sweatshop-free and certified “carbon neutral”. Production occurs in either the in the US or in collaboration with indigenous tribes according to fair trade labor standards, using low impact dyes on fabrics like bamboo, organic cotton jersey, silk, and, yes, hemp. (The company even uses paper made from elephant dung, windpowered webhosting, and contributes to Scraps for Schools which recycles fabric scraps for children’s art projects.) “If we are going to pass our wisdom onto our children, then may it be wise.”

For high style that your mother (Earth) would approve of, here are some other names to know in the area of Fashion, Casual Chic, Accessories & Shoes & One-Stop Shopping:

FASHION:

Linda Loudermilk “Nature may be beautiful. But nature is not pretty,” says the designer, who refers to nature as the original punk in honor of its fearsome powers of destruction, giving it props less for being a muse and more as a “major mind-freak.” Her noirish suits, sculptural shifts, and sexy jeans are made from biodegradable bamboo pointelles, soya blends and other luxury eco fabrics – with nary a hemp fiber to be found. “The Loudermilk line is all about refinement - polished, put-together looks that happen to be made from sustainable fabrics and that don’t just happen to have that raw and rough around the edges something that make them modern.”

Deborah Lindquist Mixing “reincarnated” cashmere, repurposed kimonos and saris, vintage silk scarves, and sustainable cotton, wool and hemp, these fashion-forward, stylish threads have been seen on Gwen Stefani, Demi Moore, Hilary Duff, and Charlize Theron. Of particular note are her ultra-glamorous strapless organic linen and vintage lace bodice bridal gowns.

Anna Cohen “We run our company with sustainable practices taking into consideration all parts of the process from raw materials to end-of-life use,” explains the Portland, Oregon-based Anna Blossom Cohen, who previously worked as a designer in Italy for Max Mara, Patrizia Pepe, Guiess, and Binicocchi. “All design, production, sourcing and business decisions are made with the intention of being as environmentally and socially responsible as possible.” Her goal is to bring a slice of Italian “street couture” to the US with saucy draped jackets and suits, femme fatale frocks, and high-waisted pinup-sexy denim.

Edun Launched by Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, Edun’s snuggly hoodies, military-tinged jackets, LBDs, and trouser jeans give both sexes a sexy rock ‘n roll look while doing good. As a for-profit business, Edun works on a microlevel to help build the skill sets of people involved in making the clothing. By using the power of fashion (and Bono’s celebrity), they hope to create long-term sustainable employment in the developing world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.

Stewart+Brown Business & life partners Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, respectively a painter and graphic artist, make clothes that appear to have materialized from the closet of that cool downtown fashionista who never looks like she’s trying too hard, but is always in just the perfect dress, cool skirt, or groovy sweater coat. A minimum of 1% all sales goes to non-profit environmental and social welfare organizations.

CASUAL CHIC:

Ecoganik Specializes in that particular brand of upscale Cali casual chic – think Juicy’esque track suits with feminine ruching on the shoulders, girlie frocks in pastel hues, and floaty floor-length hostess dresses – made from certified organic and eco-friendly fabrics like Tencel and hemp.

Loomstate Combining certified organic cotton and other materials with the mathematical golden ratio – seen in everything from nautilus shells to flower petals – Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn create hipster-chic denim “inspired by the roots of classic American casual style born of the positivity and activism of youth subcultures over the past 40 years.” Every stage of the manufacturing process is socially responsible, from the organic farming to the code of conduct required of factory partners – which includes clauses about controlling pollution and adhering to fair labor standards.

Eco-centric “From a vantage point outside our home, a revealing perspective has shown us the planet for what it really is, a ball of living star dust, a four-and-one-billion year old miracle,” notes Laura Chambers, the designer behind this new line of flatteringly feminine 100% certified organic cotton kimono-sleeve dresses, tunics, and tees printed from digital photographs with water-based inks using technology originating from Japan.

ACCESSORIES & SHOES:

Vy & Elle A play on the world vinyl, Nicola Freegard and Robin Janson craft purses, totes, wallets and laptop bags from discarded PVC vinyl billboards. Random colors and designs make each bag unique…and apparently popular: the industrious duo has recycled more than 100 tons of billboard vinyl since their 2002 launch. Similarly, Nahui Ollin http://nahuiollin.com/ (pronounced now-we-oh-lean) and Ecoist http://www.ecoist.com/index.asp put recycled candy wrappers, soda can pull-tabs, movie billboards, and repurposed glass to fashionable use as eyecatching bags, clutches, belts, and jewelry.

Beyond Skin sells high fashion, ethical/vegan footwear UK fashion & music industry makeup artist Natalie Dean couldn’t find. Instead of enviro-damaging PVC, her kicks use cotton-backed polyurethane, and a percentage of the profits goes to ethical charities.

Moo Shoes features cruelty-free, 100% vegan casual, funky footwear for men, women & unisex (think Doc Marten lace-ups), belts, bags and wallets that are also people-friendly, and manufactured mainly in union factories in Western Europe, Australia, Canada, and the US. Instead of PVC or vinyl, they use a leather lookalike (a polyurethane synthetic microfiber) that stretches and breathes just like leather. Another footwear option for fashionable fellas is NOHARM http://www.noharm.co.uk/, cruelty-free vegan shoes that are fair trade and eco-conscious, and hand-crafted in Italy (instead of by child labor).

Eco-Bags The official bag of the recent 59th Emmy Award celebrity suite, they supplied a chic black organic tote emblazoned with Nothing On Me is Plastic. “Taking a reusable bag when you shop is a very easy lifestyle change that will actually be of great benefit to the planet,” says Sharon Rowe, founder and president Eco-Bags, which sells reusable totes, handwoven straw market baskets, and string bags (and can even boast “as seen on Oprah”).”

Baloka Necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories made from the Tagua nut, an ivory lookalike that is native to the an indigenous palm found in the South American jungle. This nut is renewable, harvested without damage to the forest ecosystem, and provides rain forest inhabitants with a fair means of economic subsistence.

ONE-STOP SHOPPING:

green is black In attempting to achieve a zero footprint lifestyle, eating locally, recycling, and supporting responsible companies, the founders of green is black are as adamant about being stylish. Instead of compromising your ethics, rely on their range of fabulous, funky, cruelty-free, and green clothing, shoes, and accessories created by cutting edge designers who use hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, soy, and reclaimed, recycled and vintage materials.

Revolution Malibu An eco-chic Fred Segal, this site is run by a community of artists who make their clothing, art, and accessories with recycled materials or 100% natural ingredients manufactured either by hand or with only green energy like solar and wind. Labels include Thirsty 4 Souls – a 100% recycled local Malibu fave – and Project Ecoart repurposed vintage coasters, stemware and belt buckles using classic artwork of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and the even the logo for the show “Fame”. (When she finished her last film, eco-committed actress Kerry Washington gave out wrap gifts from Project Ecoart.)

eco tobi The green arm of funky, fashion-forward boutiqe tobi carries cool, eco-friendly brands that support causes like wildlife preservation, pesticide-free farming, and poverty relief. Look for chic denim from Edun and Loomstate; green beauty from Hamadi, Alba Botanica & Juice Beauty; Loomstate for Tobi tees; Hovey Lee repurposed vintage jewelry & accessories; Fuze organics hoodies; and casual-chic Argentine alpargatas (espadrille-like slip-ons) by TOMS Shoes which matches every purchase by donating a pair to a child in need.

Greenloop One of the first retailers to offer well-designed, eco-conscious, sweatshop-free, fair trade clothing and accessories and organic bodycare. They carry a wide variety of premium green labels, including Nature vs Future, Of the Earth, Green Label Organics, Deborah Linquist, Anna Cohen, Linda Loudermilk, Loomstate & Edun, Sameunderneath, and Stewart+Brown. In addition, at least 1 percent of sales is donated to to environmental causes through 1% For The Planet http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/.

Under the Canopy According to company founder and organic fashion pioneer Marci Zaroff, “The way we see it, we all live under the canopy of our planet’s ecosystem. Pollutants and harsh chemicals that need not go into the production of clothing erode this fragile canopy every day.” Instead, she offers organic casual chic threads for the entire fam, along with bath ware, shoes, and accessories. “Through designing a line of clothing made from environmentally friendly fibers that were sown and grown without the use of these chemicals, we offer consumers a chance to eliminate large quantities of pesticides from their bodies, their homes, the Earth, and their children’s futures.”

Beklina This three-woman operation out of Santa Cruz, California caters to high end, picky fashionistas with a funky vibe, selling chic, sustainable names like Myth & Ritual, Linda Loudermilk, Mociun, Stewart+Brown, ORGANIC by John Patrick, EDUN, Talla, Loyale and Prairie Underground.

(Main Photo: Loomstate.org)

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