Ecouterre

KATE MCGREGOR (PROPRIETOR, KAIGHT)

I think the trend of upcycling fabrics will continue throughout 2010. Designers will continue to be price-conscious, so I think they will shy away from technology-driven fabrics and the more expensive blends and focus their attention on being resourceful and using what’s already out there.

This will extend beyond the traditionally “eco-focused” designers and emerge as a trend among more mainstream and established labels as a way to reign in costs.

AMY DUFAULT (FASHION EDITOR, ECOSALON; PROPRIETOR, SHIFT)

Over the past year, I’ve been amazed at the progress of many designers. When I write that I mean how seriously their focus has become when it comes to being held accountable for every aspect of their collections and, consequently, how that affects their design process. Not only are they now expected to create, they’re now expected to market and promote themselves in a sustainable language that’s still being created. This undoubtedly has made their workload heavier.

Some have grown rebellious and now consider eco much more than the fabric. They’re right.

2009 collaborations like the NOW Showcase, Content 09, Sustainability Across America, fashion incubators, more presence during New York Fashion Week, and some heavy hitters like Stella McCartney and Diane Von Furstenberg venturing deeper into the eco-world inspired (and continue to inspire) the eco-community.

Looking forward, my prediction is that designers will collaborate more when it comes to sourcing fabrics, dye houses, and manufacturing because it will save them money. This in turn will help make eco-fashion more affordable for the masses. A personal pipe dream is that more manufacturing will be done stateside to further grow our economy and lesssen designer’s carbon footprints.

SYUZI PAKHCHYAN (MEDIA DESIGNER; EDITOR, FASHIONING TECHNOLOGY)

2010, I believe. is going to be a spectacular year for developments and curious experiments in wearable technology. 2009 was the year of sensors. Designers and tinkers alike embedded environmental sensors in garments that detect toxins in the air; biometric sensors that monitor the wearer’s pulse and levels of excitement; and touch-and-pressure sensors that allow user’s to receive virtual massages and hugs.

2010 will be the year of networked wearables. The XBee will take the stage and partner with the Lilypad Arduino in wearable projects. Our garments will not only gather data (be it environmental, biometric, etc.), but they will be able communicate this data to other wearables, environment, nearby objects, and mobile software.

As wearable technology becomes more and more technically sophisticated, we will also see small, yet considerable, improvements on the aesthetic front. This will require partnerships between fashion designers, interactive designers, and software and hardware engineers. Lastly, the current trend in the music industry to adopt illuminated and high-tech costumes for the stage will continue to grow and we will see more DIY versions of these high-tech outfits adopted by less mainstream bands.

ABIGAIL DOAN (TEXTILE ARTIST)

The sustainable-textile and eco-fashion frontier for 2010 is full of promise and new twists, albeit with the tight cinch of an ongoing recession and considerable retail shakeout from the past year. The good news is that tighter times seems to have fostered new models for doing business, both ethically and locally. Consumer savviness has also contributed to a greater appreciation for eco-fashion collections and accessories, with shoppers seemingly now more versed in green fabrics, the hazards of the textile industry, and labor practices that are less than fair.

Recycling and “upcycling” will perhaps be further improved upon during the next year with attention paid to the cradle-to-cradle life cycling of garments and the senseless waste generated in manufacturing. Interestingly, our fashion aesthetic has even shifted to incorporate formerly marginalized fabrics like African textiles or mundane uses of hemp to create labels that really rocked the runways in both London and New Your during 2009.

Eco fashion labels like Lalesso, Suno New York, Ekovaruhuset/House of Organic, and The Andean Collection, to name a few, serve as fine examples that ethnic and hippie chic have now been upgraded to couture quality designs.

The greening of fashion weeks will be an ongoing phenomenon, as sustainable style experts like Bahar Shahpar and the team at Estethica in the U.K. provide amazingly curated examples of what fashion can and should be. One trend that I am particularly fascinated by is the upswing in “adjustable fashion” and “convertible clothes,” as consumers demand that their garments are not only sustainable but have increased functionality and versatility. It is going to be an exciting year as Etsy gains momentum as the hotbed for DIY creativity and retailing. Between ethical sourcing and home-brewed fashion projects in the heartland, it seems as if the democratization of fashion is well underway.

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