Designers say "green" fashion sustainable
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fashion trends come and go, but "green" is here to stay, say designers and sponsors at New York's fashion shows this week.
Scores of lines boasting biodegradable fabrics, recycled thread or organic materials are sashaying down the catwalks and, if sales of the often more-costly clothing meet expectations, designers and labels will have profitable new revenue streams.
But fashion is fickle, and any hot fad risks being pushed to the back of the closet like 1980s' shoulder pads.
Still, companies such as cosmetics powerhouse Aveda and designers such as Abi Ferrin are banking that the sustainable approach to style has staying power.
"To characterize the environment as a 'trend' is extremely shortsighted," said Aveda spokeswoman Ellen Maguire. "Going green is good business."
Backstage at the Rodarte, 3.1 Phillip Lim shows and others at the semi-annual Fashion Week sponsored by Mercedes Benz, Aveda stocked steel bottles filled with New York tap water.
The designers, in turn, agreed to avoid fur and use only post-consumer recycled paper for invitations.
Aveda is one of the fastest growing brands in cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies Inc's portfolio, said Maguire.
"Consumers are gravitating to companies that care for the environment," she said. "It's not a niche, it's not a trend."
So-called green clothes are being stocked in top venues. Macy's high-end department chain Bloomingdale's carries organic cotton tops and jeans, while Saks Fifth Avenue offers a $2,815 Behnaz Sarafpour organic wool coat.
"Sales people today care about how your product is made," said designer Ferrin, whose flowing garments feature environmentally friendly thread and buttons carved by Nepalese women rescued from the sex trade.
CAN IT LAST?
Ferrin also uses recycled materials for her clothing tags and, while her recycled paper printing costs are 15 percent higher, "you have more people buying your products so it evens out," she said.
Ferrin said she expects to double her sales this year to more than $1 million.
Environmentally conscious fashion "is a megatrend," said Margaret Jacob, sustainability director at Invista, which owns Lycra, a synthetic fiber used in garments to increase wear and strength. "It's a mentality, a way of thinking about business." Continued...
