Becoming Earth A'wear

While the runway is synonymous with eye-raising innovation and atypical design, environmentally friendly clothing always failed to break through to mainstream fashion. The vast majority of fashion consumers were simply not concerned about the ethics behind the production of their favorite clothes. Why should environmentally friendly clothing continue to exist as bad fashion that serves to advertise good recycling habits? Sure, Scarlett O'Hara wore a dress made out of curtains but it didn't look like curtains. So why wear a dress that obviously looks like a burlap sack?

Come 2008, trendy, earth-friendly fashion has finally found its way into the upper echelons of fashion's elite and is beginning to break through to the mainstream. Fashion shows in Toronto, London and even New York have featured "green" clothing. "Sustainable fashion has all the makings of a trend, but we know now it's a movement", shared Julie Gilhart, fashion director for Barney's New York. Gilhart is also the woman responsible for coordinating 28 major designers for Earth Pledge's FutureFashion fashion show that opened this February's NY Fashion Week.

What is "Green"?

The buy in for eco-friendly fashion is the same as with organic produce in the grocery store. The product looks and feels no different than its non-eco-friendly counterpart. However, purchasing these products is an investment that ultimately reduces harm to the health of animals, plants and people.

Obviously more than just a colour, "green" clothing represents ethically responsible clothing made with fairly traded labour, recycled textiles, or organic raw materials. Furthermore, the raw materials are grown without pesticides and dyed without harmful chemicals or bleaches.

There's "Green" to be Made!

After making the shift from materials such as undyed hemp designers have greater access to a variety of fabrics including cashmere like soy, bamboo, organic cotton, silk and abaca (manila hemp). So as individuals become increasingly aware of both fashion and the environment, eco-fabrics are attracting designers and big name retailers.

Saks Fifth Avenue has committed to selling earth-friendly clothing through the opening of their niche boutique "Green House" this February. Saks' Green House collection features labels Beau Soleil, Pink Tartan, Organic and Song. Saks' boutique carries a variety of timeless pieces with a contemporary twist. The Beau Soleil Bamboo tunic dress with removable recycled leather side panels is a stand out alongside both Song's girlish Organic Cotton and Silk ruffled hem boat neck dress and Organic's high waisted linen wide legged pants - which at the moment are only available on pre-sale for spring.

Appealing to a broader market around the globe, retailer H&M is working to provide an expanded organic cotton collection for Spring 2008. The clothing is a mainstream blend of high fashion and affordable pricing. The women's collection helps "budget fashionistas" buy into the season's must have items with folk inspired maxi dresses, '70s inspired high waisted jeans and pants, as well as subtly feminine blouses and underwear. The men's line focuses on classic staples such as t-shirts, polo shirts, pyjamas and boxers. In addition, H&M will identify all garments made with organic cotton with a separate hang tag.

Walking the "Green" Carpet

Celebrities, who aren't known for backing away from a burgeoning trend. Notorious for creating fashion lines, it appears that Spring 2008 eco-fashion is armed with some serious star power. Look no further than earth-friendly lines being launched by Rashida Jones and Natalie Portman.

While Portman's vegan shoe line was designed with Te Casan, it is mostly a safe collection of pumps, heeled marijanes and soft ballerina slippers. All the shoes are classic designs especially the darling of the Portman's collection: $265 red Pippa - faux red patent heeled marijanes. See these paired with the spring season's 1930's tailoring, and high waisted skirts and jeans.

Sustain Your Style

Greater accessibility to earth-friendly fashions isn't a myth. Of course, high end designers like Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Stella McCartney and Linda Loudermilk are all great supporters for this upcoming trend. However, keep in mind, for the average trend-aware fashionista, mining smaller labels generates more selection to choose from. Supporting independent designers in the eco-fashion world is usually as simple as logging on to their website. In most cases, smaller labels means more individual style and freedom to play with the season's upcoming trends.

Japan based People Tree is a favorite fashion forward line that is expanding to the west. The line features fairly traded and often handwoven organic cotton, sea shell and coconut shell buttons as well as lines for men, women, and children. The black belted button tunic, the safari print shoulder bag and the handsomely tailored boyfriend trousers are a few of the items featured in their high fashion Capsule Collection. All of the items can be purchased online as well as in their store.

Those with a purse fetish can check out Victoria, British Columbia's Sparrow Handbags. Each bag is constructed using organic cotton, hemp and are cruelty free. Other popular labels to look into this spring include Vancouver based Twice Shy, Toronto based Passenger Pigeon and Preloved, Montreal/New York based line Covet and even Lululemon's sister chain Oqoqo, featuring yoga wear made out of bamboo fabric making the clothes naturally antibacterial and breathable.

Yes, Eco-fashion has grown out of obscurity and is in full effect for Spring 2008. The trend is to change the way we look at fashion, as well as how we look in eco-fashions. Labels big and small are cashing into the green trend whether it is through niche boutiques at Saks Fifth Avenue or Lululemon's spin off chain Oquoqo with its antibacterial bamboo workout gear. Finally, access to ethical clothing is at an unprecedented all time high. Yes, it's clear for Spring 2008 Green is the new black.