Lessen Your Fashion Footprint

Fashion continually changes, creating new ideas and mixing in the old. As eco fashion is still being defined, this generation is able to have a voice and create the future of fashion through eco-friendly practices.

If you didn't know, I am the Conscious Fashion Editor of Modern Hippie Mag. It's been a dream come true to write for a magazine where I not only can contribute my fashion background but I am helping change the way fashion is.

Eco-fashion is changing the way people buy, wash and wear clothes. Swaping is becoming a new way to buy, convertible clothing is a new way to wear, and environmental hang-tags are being invented for future clothing pieces. It's a great time to be in the fashion world and see what truley is going on and the way fashion is heading.

Jerah Coviello is an eco-activist who is on a mission to change the way people see eco fashion. She was my editor of MHM and passed the torch down to me as she had so many exciting things going on in her eco world of fashion. Not only has she started local clothing swaps, Jerah and her mom, Russett, have created their own convertible clothing line, Ecovogue365.

Started in 2010, as an experimental sustainable fashion project, the mother daughter duo took their love for fashion and turned it into something new for the eco fashion world. "We took an industry we both love for its ingenuity and expression but abore for its waste: fashion. We wanted to know what it takes to start an eco-friendly fashion line. What does “eco” even mean in fashion?" After creating one eco "vogue" garment per day (ecovogue365) and three collections later, some convertible and some not, they found that there really was no industry standard for "eco" fashion. "We came up with a list of 20 definitions including organic cotton, fair trade, slow sew, etc. We re-launched our brand in 2012 to encompass convertible fashion after discovering that the largest energy use in a garments life cycle is during the wash and wear phase accounting for over 60% of it’s energy."

 They wanted to become retail educators, hoping to enlighten consumers. "We felt that we could make a change in the most pivotal point of a garments lifecycle by becoming not only retailers but retail educators giving women solutions to lessen their fashion footprint, providing women with ingenious ways to wear their fashion, and even better, many outfits all fit in one carry-on. It really is fashion convenience."

 Jerah has been living in convertible clothing for over 2 years now and she says getting dressed is a no brainer. "I like fashion, and I want variety, so instead of owning a closet full of pieces that seem to overwhelm me on how to put items together, or lost items shoved in the background, I get to take a slim and trim closet of less items that give me more options. It puts me in the designer seat. It’s me becoming intimate with my body and a mirror, switching up a design in different ways to settle on which one I feel inspired by for the day."

Heres a few tips Jerah suggests for women who want to understand the concept better:

Tips:

1. You can travel with an entire wardrobe in one carry-on.

2. You save a LOT of money owning less items that actually give you more options.

3. As a mom you can look stylish without bartering your time with your family over shopping for new outfits.

4. Keep your fashion footprint low during your wash and wear phase by not washing or wearing so much.

5. For the professional on the go take yourself from Beach to Boardroom with one design during your busy day.

6. Convertible fashion is function meets vogue vision. The ideas are endless, let your mind take you there.

7. Bonus: if the design is made of eco-fabrics, like ours, you truly have a new eco-fashion garment.

Trick: Don’t make it tricky. With any convertible design, make sure you print out, watch the videos, or check into the documentation on “how to wear” the design. Before you give up at the outset, take 10 minutes with the design and enjoy it.

Jerah's role in Ecovogue365 is the marketing and managing side, but with her writing background and knowledge in eco fashion and the design process she has helped reach their goal of informing consumers about the benefits of going eco. Her mom is the designer and has been teaching Jerah all along. "I design as a hobby, still learning from my mom. She is the designer who has been sewing and designing for 40 years. I grew up around sewing machines, cutting boards, measuring tapes and fabric stores as my malls." The two work together to co-create pieces for the line and ideas for spreading the eco fashion word. "What really inspires me is researching what is on the forefront of convertible design. There are designers doing it more and more. Ecovogue365 is really here to showcase that talent, and bring women more options for convenient fashion options that lessen her fashion footprint."

One way they are spreading the convertible clothing and eco fashion word is through clothing swaps, a concept where you can bring items you no longer want or wear and trade them in with other people's items. Both sides walk away with new to you pieces. "It’s like that girlfriend next door who you can trade out a dress that no longer fits with something new from her closet. One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure. Swapping also serves as a beautiful way to connect community, bringing strangers out to meet one another over an item that has a story behind it."

Jerah's involvement in the eco fashion scene has created more eco options for fashionistas. As new concepts arise, her and her mother are able to cater to the ever growing eco world. Convertible clothing is a concept that has been around for a while but with more awareness about the multifunctional clothing, people are able to have more options and space in their closets.

For more information about swaps or convertible clothing, check out Ecovogue365. 

Britain’s Modeling Agencies Ban Tanning Beds

REPOSTED FROM MY ARTICLE ON MODERN HIPPIE MAG:

Britain’s fashion world is making strides in protecting models as leading modeling agencies have teamed up with the R UV UGLY? campaign creating a “Zero Tolerance” policy for tanning beds before the catwalk.

The R UV UGLY? campaign’s mission is to raise awareness on the dangers and damages of tanning beds. Directors from Storm, Elite ,Next, Premier Model Management,Union, First and D1 have all agreed to ban their models from using tanning beds to top up their tans before shows. London Fashion Week was the kick in launching the Zero Tolerance policy.

Sarah Doukas, the managing director of Storm Models is proud to support the campaign. “Supporting this campaign makes perfect sense as the wellbeing of our models is of paramount importance and we take a serious approach to their health. We do not advocate the use of sunbeds for any of our models, and recommend that they choose safer options if they require a tan – spray tans are easy to apply and can last a week. It is well documented that UV from sunbeds can cause serious skin damage, especially in the under 35s.”

Cancer Research UK shares some scary truths about the harm sunbeds cause.

• Cause around 100 deaths from melanoma every year in the UK.
• Using sunbeds for the first time before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by 75%. Surgical treatment for skin cancer can result in serious scarring.
• Boosting your tan by having two sunbed sessions within 24 hours or after sunbathing is particularly harmful.
• The amount of UVA given off can be 10-15 times higher than the midday sun.
• Short periods of intense, irregular UV exposure, like you get on a sunbed, are the fastest way to damage your skin.

The list goes on, showing tanning beds are not just harmful to your appearance but more importantly to your health. The model agencies jumped on the bandwagon in hopes of protecting models from health and cosmetic impact of using the ultra-violet beds.

Chris Lunn, SunSmart campaign manager at Cancer Research UK is pleased to have the agencies join. “Using sunbeds can make your skin coarse, leathery and wrinkly. The UV rays from a sunbed can also damage the DNA in your skin. Over time, this damage can build up and may lead to melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. So, if you feel you must have a tan, it is safer to fake it.”

CEO of Elite Model Management London hopes this will send a strong message to teens and young adults that sunbeds will cause negative impacts.

Britain agencies say spray tans are the way to go. Not only has Britain’s modeling agencies helped protect their models, this new initiative will heighten the bar for other Countries.

So will America be next? Let’s hope so as tanning beds are the worst way to get sun. If you do feel the need for some sun, wear sunscreen. It’s the natural way of getting the Vitamin D you need.

Image courtesy of flicker, Whatsername?

Christmas wish list: Eco-friendly dyed denim

Dyed denim is a hot commodity this winter as stores fill their denim rooms with everything from electric blues to pink hues. 

While dyed denim is all the rage, dye processes can be harmful to the earth. As Christmas inches closer, I've put together a list of some great eco-friendly jean companies that are working hard to eliminate our carbon footprint left behind while keeping you looking eco-chic!

M2F 

photos from M2F website

M2F denim comes in a wide range of styles and colors. This fall they have even introduced vests and jackets into the mix. Using Made2Fade yarn technology, that is certified free of harmful substances, these jeans are individually colored in a dye bath.  The vintage-inspired jeans run about $130 and can be purchased from retailers everywhere.

James Jeans

photos from the James Jean website

James Jeans uses organic cotton and a unique dry aging process to create the perfect “worn” look. The mainstream denim runs anywhere from about $120-220 and can be found at places like Barney’s, Shopbop, and the James Jeans website.

Reuse Jeans:

photo from Reuse Jeans website

Reuse jeans uses 80% recycled denim to create new looks and washes.  

Agave Denim:

photos from Agave Jeans website

 The company has an in depth description of their jean process here. 

Monkee Genes:

photo from the Monkee Genes' website

The Monkee Genes’ motto: no slave or child labor, blood, sweat, or tears.

So as you do your last minute Christmas shopping or just want a HOT new pair of denim keep these eco-friendly labels in mind so you can still be stylish while making the earth, and your closet a little greener.

Missoni launches budget friendly line for good cause

Target first, OrphanAid next! 

Designer Margherita Maccapani Missoni has partnered up with Orphan Aid Africa creating a 12-piece knitwear collection with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the organization's aid in finding homes for orphans and abandoned children in Ghana. 

The organization, based in California, is a non-profit organization founded by former Vogue editor and author Lisa Lovatt-Smith in Ghana in 2002 with outlets in Europe. The mission is:

 "To support orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana through programs in care reform, education, and development. Our goal is to ensure that children grow up in safe and permanent family settings with appropriate care and protection."

With one of the outlets being Italy, Missioni has already collaborated with the organization to help fund efforts so it was a no brainer to create a line dedicated to raising money and awareness about the organization.  

The collection will include pieces sprinkled with the label's famous zigzag pattern in pink and red tones. 

"Pink is symbolic, it refers to childhood, and red to Africa, and together they were aesthetically pleasing,” Missioni tells WWD. “The pattern in itself is something that is ours, that belongs to us.”

The budget friendly M Missoni OrphanAid Africa Collection will launch in M Missioni stores November 16. 

Sarasota Fashion Week

The first ever Sarasota Fashion Week kicked off yesterday as volunteers, designers, press and guests mingled the night away. While tonight was the sponsorship appreciation party, tomorrow is the beginning of four days filled with runways, models, and the latest fashions. 

As a volunteer I am thrilled to be apart of this exciting time for Sarasota's up and coming fashion scene. 

The Style Swap, which is tomorrow from 9a-1p, is the main event I will be volunteering for, as I am so excited to be apart of it!  It's a great way to be eco friendly and still get some really cute pieces to spice up your wardrobe. There will be DIY workshops on how to turn a t-shirt into a necklace, purse or scarf, the actual swap, where all swapaholics discover new, fabulous finds, and last but certainly not least, a style showcase where local fashion influencers will show off outfits created right there at the swap! So bring out your gently used clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc and swap your hearts out. 

**Ticket price $10 at the door. Proceeds Benefit the Backroom School of Film & Art 501c3

*** photos from Mo2vated Media Gallery