Are the fashion pack REALLY doing enough to promote eco-clothing? February 23, 2010

The British Fashion Council’s ‘green’ initiative is now on its sixth run at London Fashion Week; so are the front row really sitting up (well, now I’m not sure if that’s permitted) and taking note of eco-fashion and their obligation to ‘do their bit’?

The Guardian’s Kate Carter doesn’t think so. Reporting for the publication, she observed that the ethical wing (hosted by Esthetica) was located in an annex to Somerset House rather than where the main festivities lay.

There has been more hype around the ‘green’ catwalk this year, but one can’t help but think that environmentally-friendly designers should be able to showcase their designs alongside the greats.

There’s no doubt however, that ethical designers are out to make their mark this year. The talent is clear and has earnt many ‘green’ designers a great deal of press coverage- as much critical acclaim as other ‘non-ethical’ LFW designers.

If the fashion journalists/ bloggers/ general appreciators can wake up to the fact that sustainable clothing design is making an impact, then surely the event’s organisers can too?

Willing to recycle YOUR clothes? February 16, 2010

In the current Stylist magazine,  iconic British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood says in an exclusive interview:

“I want people to focus on ‘do it yourself”, and recycling clothes to make them last. Stop buying so many clothes, and when you do, choose well.”

But does Ms Westwood, as someone in the business of fast fashion, practise what she preaches? Apparently so.

She says, “I wear lots of my old things, I like them just as much as the things I design today. Clothes look nicer the older they get. I’m not an acquisitive person; I get one or two things. I don’t need any more because I can’t do better than that.”

Fair enough one might say. But is buying clothing really affecting the environment?

If the figures are to be believed, we buy around 2million tonnes of clothing every year and a staggering 1.2 million of this weight ends up in landfill sites.

The problem lies heavily with highstreet chains which mass produce copies of designer label clothing (such as Ms. Westwood’s) using cheap materials that are non-recyclable.

In line with London Fashion Week, the Governement has launched an initiative to tackle the problem and get fashion followers ‘re-working’ their clothes.

How do you feel about wearing recycled clothes? Or indeed customising your own?