Jennifer Smith

Jennifer is an apparel designer, recently transplanted to Brooklyn via Los Angeles. After graduating with a BFA in fashion from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Jenn began designing for TULLE, a small boutique line with mass-market appeal.

After years of dealing with overseas production and pumping out 30-plus designs per season, she began to think more and more about slow fashion and the importance of sustainable design. With a little help from a faltering economy and its resulting layoffs, Jenn left L.A. for NYC, in the hopes of pursuing new opportunities and challenges in keeping with her objectives.

She is now interning at ARAKS, a designer of high-end lingerie and ready-to-wear. She hopes to wiggle her way into the New York fashion industry and eventually start her own line of eco-friendly apparel.

Studio JUX: Eco-Fashion That Takes Care of Both People and Planet

Jitske Lundgren, founder of Studio JUX, really know his clothes. The Dutch designer’s men’s and women’s collections, which comprise organic and all-natural fabrics, feature utterly wearable items that focus on classic silhouettes with an unexpected twist. But Lundgren also knows the people whose hands have toiled over every stitch. With fair-trade principles at the forefront of JUX’s brand identity, each piece is finely crafted by Nepali tailors under fair labor conditions, monitored by the Fair Wear Foundation.

C. Marchuska’s Fall 2010 Line Caps Off New York Green Fashion Week

Gary Harvey Brings “Dumpster-Chic” Couture to the GreenShows

Mociun: Modern, Bauhaus-Inspired Eco-Fashion

For the esteemed pioneers of the Bauhaus movement of art and design, form followed function. Caitlin Mociun, designer and visionary of the namesake label Mociun (pronounced “motion”), takes the Bauhaus philosophy of utilitarian design and puts a new, colorful twist on it with her vibrant clothing. According to Mociun, there is no better artist canvas than the one that is worn on the body.

Above + Below Upcycles Fabric From London’s Transit System into Streetwise Sneakers

For Robert Taylor and Caroline Read of Above + Below London, the seats on London’s Tube trains and buses offer more than a means of conveyance. They’re also an incredible source of vintage textiles, which the a U.K.-based design company salvages for its eco-friendly shoe range. The resulting collection of striking high-tops is reminiscent of the legendary classic Chuck Taylors, but with a clever retro-modern twist that the foggy town can call its own.

Prismera’s Recycled Stainless Steel Jewelry Are Built to Last

Industrial designers have always valued steel for its strength and durability. Surprisingly, this venerable material is also quite eco-friendly, an added bonus that makes it the ideal choice for containers, automobiles, support beams, bridges, and even delicate, modern jewelry. For Laura Su, founder and designer of Prismera, finding a material for her sustainable line of jewelry was a challenge until she stumbled upon steel, the most recycled material in the world—more so than paper, glass, and aluminum combined, according to the Steel Recycling Institute.

Vaute Couture’s Vegan Coats Epitomize Effortless Chic

If winter’s swift approach is throwing you into a state of wardrobe panic, allay your cold-weather woes by turning to someone who knows a thing or two about below-freezing temps. Meet Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, who after years of battling the bitter Chicago winters and searching for the perfect topper, founded Vaute Couture, a well-edited line of chic, easy-to-wear, and remarkably warm vegan coats.

Tara St. James’ Upcycled Zipper Jewelry is Fasten-ating

For the average person, a zipper equals closure. And even though exposed fasteners are decidedly on-trend, they still serve a utilitarian function. For Montreal-born, Brooklyn-based designer Tara St. James, however, zippers not only have a decorative side, but they’re also part of her master plan to keep waste out of the landfill.

Renee Corrick’s 6 Degrees: Eco-Fashion Inspired by Aeronautic Engineering

Photo by Drew Brennen

Depending on how you look at it, aeronautics has nothing or everything to do with fashion design. In Renee Corrick’s case, it’s undoubtedly the latter, and the erstwhile engineer’s work at Aviation Partners Boeing was indispensable in laying the foundation for her innovative, expertly constructed silhouettes. At the recent EcoLavish fashion show in Seattle, each piece had a distinct architectural quality, with precise, sculpted volume and structural details that seemed to hover over the body in a way that was both protective and expressly feminine.

Claudia Schulz’s Handmade Wool-Felt Hats Are Top Notch

Even the most fastidious fashionista finds herself occasionally craving the comfort of her favorite jeans and well-worn T-shirt. Luckily, these captivating toppers from Vancouver-based milliner Claudia Shulz offer the perfect mix of snugness and style, while presenting a striking minimalist twist on classic 1920s European silhouettes.