NYFW: Earth-Friendly Fashion is Surprisingly Fab... Sustainable Fashion Slays the Runway
In a vibey downtown industrial warehouse at Ideal Glass Studios in the hipster-infused East Village, Planet Fashion TV hosted an evening of runway shows featuring collections by a handful of thought-provoking sustainable fashion designers. The primary thought provoked was that sustainable fashion does not need to look like granola-crunching, kombucha-brewing, patchouli-wearing hippie garb. On the contrary, earth-friendly fashion can be totally edgy, delightfully avant garde, and just plain beautiful.
My favorite collection was a colorful soiree of party dresses by Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino. The pieces were bright and joyful and did not compromise on impact in favor of sustainability. Tolentino crafted the cheerful collection with a special fabric called piña, an eco-friendly material made with fibers derived from pineapple leaves.
Born Again Vintage is a New York-based brand by designer and Fashion Institute of Technology professor Bridgett Artise, a local leader in the upcycled fashion movement whose line is all about alchemy - taking something that has lost value in its current form, breaking it down into raw materials, and then creating something new. She designs her collections by sourcing and deconstructing vintage garments and then refabricating the materials.
Perhaps the most show-stopping collection was a collaboration between Australian accessories designer Angela Clark and costume and fashion designer Eugyeene Teh. Clark’s jewelry is handcrafted, and each piece is a one-of-a-kind work of art. She combines Swarovski crystals and vintage components with stones and contemporary beads to create truly head-turning statement accessories. Clark called upon designer Teh to create a line of garments to be worn on the runway together with Clark’s jewelry and accessories. Teh’s dresses were stunning in sheer materials and breathtakingly effortless silhouettes. The collaboration proved a perfect blend of big, bold crystalline accessories laid decisively against delicate yet confidence-demanding dresses.
The evening was one to remember for the quirky collections and the crucial message they represent. Fashion is the second largest polluter of our planet. We need to start thinking about the way we buy clothes. We need to start prioritizing our values and preserving our planet. The next time you need a new T-shirt, maybe consider organic cotton instead. And if you’re a little bit funky and like to stand out, peruse Tony Visions, the young designer who opened the night with his collection of sustainable streetwear.
P.S. There was free kombucha at the event, so maybe sustainable fashion is a little bit hippie after all.