Image: www.toggerycollection.com
Burnt orange, ochre, chocolate brown and every imaginable shade of grey are among some of the hottest colours for fall. With the temperature dropping, it's time to warm up with eco-friendly cottons, knits and even cashmere. Made from sustainable resources such as organic cotton, bamboo, milk, soy and corn, these clothes are grown without the use of toxic chemical pesticides, fertilizers or genetic engineering, which means that thousands of pounds of chemicals are saved from contaminating the earth. From delicate dresses that skim the body to key pieces that complete any wardrobe, we’re going green for fall.
Going eco-friendly or green doesn't have to mean sacrificing your sense of style. Here are a few designers that are promoting a healthier line of clothing that work for both you and the environment.
True eco-chic
Whoever said organic equals frumpy has never seen the Toggery by Kate D'Arcy line of sustainable clothing. The clothes are a blend of contemporary design with environmentally conscious fabrics. Using all 100 per cent organic cotton and bamboo fibers, the entire collection is produced by a certified socially responsible apparel manufacturer in the USA. Beautifully stylish and elegant, D'Arcy's Toggery line is both flattering for the fashionable and a smart choice for the environmentally-conscious.
Stand out separates
Design guru and green-friendly Deborah Lindquist creates stand-out separates that are environmentally-friendly and stunning, using only recycled materials and vintage fabrics, such as recycled cashmere, repurposed kimonos and saris, vintage silk scarves and sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton and organic wool. Lindquist’s fall collection fuses both her intense passion for design and her desire to do what’s right for the planet and continues her trend for creating figure-flattering silhouettes. Her eye for unique details and embellishments promises original pieces that’s have her turning the heads of fashionistas all over the globe.
Green rock'n roll fashions
Chopper Couture’s 2007 Rock Royale collection includes the Eco-Fashion Revolution fashion top. It's been made specifically for the United Nations Association and is affiliated with Fashion Fights Poverty. Using luxuriously soft eco-textiles, including bamboo, which is naturally biodegradable, anti-bacterial and prevents odours, Toronto-based fashion designer, and founder of Chopper Couture Irene Zingenberg produces eco-friendly silkscreened prints by hand onto bamboo tops. Not only is the fall collection designed with an overall comfort and coolness factor, but it’s designed and fair-trade produced in Toronto. And while this hometown girl has created a line with the utmost attention to detail, while maintaining quality that is meticulously Canadian, we also love the fact that bamboo grows quickly and replants itself.
Positively green
You might not always want to wear your heart on your sleeve, but you'll definitely want to wear your favourite cause on your chest with Positivitees, a line of clothing with meaning. Be heard loud and clear with Positivitee's line of sweatshop-free activist shirts and tees. There are six new designs available this fall and printed on 100 per cent organic cotton Henley and thermal shirts. Each shirt shows support to six different worthy causes and five dollars from each one sold is donated to its respective charity, the Retired Thoroughbred Foundation, Oceana, Save the Children, Heifer International, the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund, and the Good Dog Foundation.
Jennifer Sgro is a Toronto based fashion writer.
Green Living Blogs
I would like to suggest another rising star famously associated with luxury eco-friendly fashion and ethically produced handbags. Pibiones handbags are made with environmental friendly materials (naturally dyed organic wools and regenerated-recycled cotton) http://www.pibiones.com