Ecouterre

Jennifer Wen Ma’s beautifully dappled charcoal prints at Ekovaruhuset’s New York Fashion Week show so mesmerized us that we simply had to find out more about the Emmy Award-winning artist and her work. Ma collaborated with Melissa Kirgan and Xing-Zhen Chung-Hilyard of Eko-Lab to create the smoke-hued pieces, which were painted freehand using water-based, low-impact inks. The result? A misty, atmospheric effect reminiscent of Chinese landscape paintings and Zen calligraphy.

Read More >

Allison Teich McGowan, designer behind TEICH and proprietor of the NYC store of the same name.

No doubt times are hard right now for an emerging fashion designer. An economic slowdown, however, can also be an opportunity to steer your business in a new direction. In my case, I’ve had to adjust my business over the years in response to the fluctuating economy.

Read More >

+ Commerce With a Conscience

Read More >

Syuzi Pakhchyan, media designer, author, and editor of Fashioning Technology.

I have very few illusions that the survival of our planet depends entirely on the clever technologies that we, out of dire necessity, will invent. Technology alone is not going to save our planet—but we certainly are. The onus is on us: It is our choices, our demands from the market, that will bring about the necessary actions and changes in the fashion industry. Smart fabrics and wearable technology offer us an opportunity for a more sustainable future, but the promise will be bittersweet if the entire product lifecycle isn’t taken into consideration.

Read More >

Lynda Fassa, founder and designer of Green Babies

Fifteen years ago when I founded Green Babies, the term “green” was so disassociated from fashion (or anything else for that matter), that people would ask my husband and business partner: “Green Babies, what’s that?” And he’d answer, “It’s an adoption agency for Martian children.” “Oh”..they’d say, slowly nodding and backing away. Sometimes I’d tell them what it really was and they looked equally perplexed. Things have changed, for the much better and brighter, but the question still remains: Why does organic cotton matter?

Read More >

With New York Fashion Week only in a few weeks, we’re pleased to announce our media sponsorship of one of the most buzz-worthy eco-fashion events of the season: NOW Showcase, an emerging cooperative show with one of the best rosters of eco-conscious designers around, including SDN, Naturevsfuture, Jai Active Wear, Turk + Taylor, She-Bible, Sust, and Kelly Lane. We spoke with Raina Blyer of Ryann, along with Alice Wu and Moriah Carlson of Feral Childe to suss out why fashion lines need to collaborate instead of compete in this economic climate.

Read More >

Natalie Chanin, owner and designer of Alabama Chanin

Contemporary dialogues regarding sustainability often focus on chemicals, materials, improved design, and manufacturing processes—and how these impact the environment. Without question, these are significant concerns. Looking closer into the depths and complexities of these materials, however, leads us to realize that sustainability also relies on the human skills necessary to manipulate materials into usable objects.

Read More >

Kate Quinn of Kate Quinn Organics

There are myriad reasons, but they all lead to more questions: Why don’t we care as much about our health as our baby’s health? Doesn’t our baby’s’ well-being depend on our own? Why does fair trade and child labor weigh stronger on our minds when shopping for babies? Why does the thought of formaldehyde on our baby’s skin turn our stomachs more so than the idea of toxins on our own skin, even when we’re pregnant or lactating?

Read More >

For years, Starre Vartan lived life at the speed of light. The author, editor, and stylist pursued an MFA at Columbia University, blogged at Eco-Chick, published a book, and helped launch Greenopia. Suffice to say, she needed a break. “Since my two favorite things in the world are travel and writing,” Vartan tells Ecouterre, “I have been incredibly happy to be able to indulge in both at the same time over these past months.” From her home in Connecticut to visiting relatives in Sydney (with pit stops in Hawaii and L.A.), Vartan reveals how she keeps her closet green even when she’s living out of a suitcase.

Read More >

Miguel Adrover, creative director of Hessnatur

Unfortunately, greenwashing exists everywhere, including the fashion industry. The minute the industry recognizes a trend, everyone jumps on it. And one of the trends of the moment is “going green.” Many companies say something is “eco” because it’s a natural fabric. Or they use an organic fabric and blend it with a synthetic and say it’s “sustainable.” Well, to me, these are eco-lies. Creating truly green fashion requires honesty and commitment—the fibers must be grown at certified organic farms, and they can’t be blended with synthetics or dyed or bleached with chemicals.

Read More >

Jenny Hwa’s reputation precedes her. The designer behind Loyale, Hwa is one of the original eco-fashion trailblazers, an accomplishment that has garnered her no small number of accolades and honors. Her organic blouses, dresses, jackets, and, yes, bikinis brim with flirty, feminine details, along with a timeless appeal that makes them all-weather wardrobe staples. (Psst, don’t miss the phone-in, Crazy Eddie warehouse sale starting Monday.) Here, Hwa opens her closet to us, as well as surprises us with a cameo from a celebrity fan!

Read More >

I’ve been making handbags for almost 15 years. It’s a weird obsession that started in 1995 after I spent a semester studying in London. A few years ago, I had small business producing really cute, hot-pink PVC laptop bags in China. As I learned about the state of our planet and the impact of the fashion industry, I felt increasingly guilty about the path I was on. My new line, reMade USA, was borne out of my frustration over the dearth of durable materials that didn’t harm the environment. My solution: Used leather, a material found in spades at thrift stores in the form of jackets, many of which are probably en route to a landfill. Because no two jackets are alike, the process of deconstruction and creating a bag is unique.

Read More >

TreeHugger, the granddaddy of environmental blogs, needs no introduction. And neither does Meaghan O’Neill, the site’s capable helmsman, who likens blogs to the the town criers of yore. O’Neill admits to not being a big shopper, although she does like having stylish things. “When I buy stuff I ask myself how long this will last,” she tells Ecouterre. “Do I love it? And does it fit and drape well? I’m not afraid to spend a little more money on something if I know it will last for ages.” Below, O’Neill picks out her favorite pieces from her eco-closet, as well as explains why clothing doesn’t have to be organic to be sustainable.

Read More >

Photo by Graeme Mitchell

I’m not a networker. I don’t use MySpace, I don’t have a Facebook page, and until very recently, I wanted nothing to do with Twitter. Earlier this year, I left the comforts of designing a brand for a larger commercial company. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with my career, but I knew that my next venture would be entirely sustainable, somewhat conceptual, but most importantly, it would be all mine. Mistakes and all. When I accepted an invitation to show at The GreenShows during New York Fashion Week, I had only two months before the show and not one sample. One of my largest concerns was how to pay for the show and give a professional presentation that represented my aesthetic. I was then introduced to Kickstarter, an online funding platform for creative projects. I gave myself less than 60 days to raise the $5,000 I guessed the show would cost me, and I immediately started networking.

Read More >

Photo by Torrey Simonsen

Hazel Stewart Brown was born in 2002, the same year that her parents, Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, founded their pioneering eco-fashion label. Stewart + Brown, which they pronounce “Stewart Brown,” rather than “Stewart and Brown,” was named not after themselves but for Hazel—and six years later, for her brother, Huxley, as well. Here, the budding eco-fashionista hones her journalism skills by interviewing Stewart + Brown’s co-founder and design director, whom she happens to know by another name: Mom.

Read More >

Nick Aster laughed when we asked him to appear on Ecouterre. He doesn’t fancy himself a “hip eco dude.” But the Wisconsin native and founder of Triple Pundit, a blog about sustainable businesses, sells himself short because he injects sustainable principles in every facet of his life, from where he lives to what he eats. “Sustainability is common sense,” Aster tells us. “I feel better when I know what I’m buying or wearing has a positive effect on people I respect, and a less negative effect on resources and the environment.”

Read More >

Smart design is sustainability is contemporary elegance, says Kizzy Jai Knight, the erstwhile dancer/choreographer/stylist behind Jai Active Wear, a fledgling label that the Knight describes as “playfully regal.” Launched in September and produced locally in New York City, Jai is a spirited assemblage of cuffed short rompers, harem-pant jumpsuits, and back-baring frocks in confident, versatile silhouettes, along with a selection of “peaks” (a cross between a headband and a cap) and a reversible raincoat or two for the woman on the move.

Read More >

Tara Eisenberg and Inessah Selditz of Sublet Clothing

The mass market will inevitably grab hold of anything popular, regardless of whether that market actually embraces the ethos behind the cause or it’s just in it for pure commercial gain. That said, we think that any method that moves sustainable fashion into the mainstream is a step in the right direction. A lot of people ask if we think that sustainable fashion will be the norm in the future—and we hope so—but truth be told, being green means turning back the clock to a more conscious way of living and consuming.

Read More >