Organic fashion, also known as sustainable fashion, is only a part of a growing philosophy in sustainable trends and design which is aimed to create a system that promotes environmentalism and social responsibility. This is not only manifested in the production of organic fabrics but also include the use of environmentally friendly materials and machines for fabric manufacturing, donation to charitable causes, reintroduction of eco-conscious and socially responsible methods. And I think, to be truly sustainable, designers and manufacturers should not only use natural materials but also renewable forms of energy for their factories.

The truth is, organic fashion has been introduced a few years back. But because there weren’t many companies who supported environmental causes and eco-friendly machines for manufacturing were few and costly, clothes made from organic materials did not quite gain popularity back then. Mostly these clothes remained in upscale boutiques you can’t afford. Thanks to consumers growing awareness on how polyester products, fake leather and synthetic fabric continued to pollute landfills that natural fibers have finally regained the spotlight. Organic clothing is slowly becoming common to consumers as ethical consumerism has fuelled the demand for organic textiles which are grown without fertilizers, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

However, the battle continues as not everyone is aware of the effects of continuous manufacturing nano-textiles and other products of nanotechnology. According to research, nearly 400 companies all over the world use nanotechnology in manufacturing more than 800 products from cosmetics, fabric, toothpaste, air sanitizers to a range of food additives and beverages. This means, we need to be really conscious about almost everything we use or eat and we can start with simply choosing fabric that is 100% natural. We may not feel the negative effects as of yet, but the next generations will.

For your thoughts about why we should go organic, feel free to add comments below.

Now, a number of Tinseltown’s It girls, heart-throbs and heavyweights are creating waves that will seal the presence of eco-friendly fashion in pop culture.

British actress, Emma Watson known for her portrayal of the spunky and genius witch, Hermoine Granger of the Harry Potter installment has involved herself in pushing for the use of organic and eco-friendly materials in the fashion industry. She has collaborated with People Tree in the UK and Italian designer Alberta Feretti in promoting ethical and sustainable fashion. The young starlet has also traveled to Bangladesh in her support for fair trade practices that will “help people in the world’s most marginalized communities escape poverty and promote sustainability.” (Ref. People Tree)

During the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA), Shame actor and BAFTA Best Actor winner Michael Fassbender wore an Armani suit made from ethical wool and recycled materials. Meanwhile during the 84th Academy Awards, Colin Firth re-used his Tom Ford suit also made from eco-friendly materials. The British actor wore the same suit from the previous year when he won the Oscar for Best Actor in his portrayal of King George VI in the “King’s Speech”.

Meryl Streep, Hollywood’s Golden Girl proved golden in talent and heart when she wore a Lanvin drape gown of gold-lamé which was made from “eco-certified material” during the Oscars of 2012 as she received her award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her fiery and spot-on portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the “Iron Lady”. Among the other artists who supported Livia Firth’s “Green Carpet Challenge” were Missy Pyle from The Artist and Kenneth Branagh from “My Week with Marilyn” who splashed green on the red-carpet event.

Other celebrities associated to sustainable fashion are Brad Pitt and his ex and current lady loves Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie.

Sistahood is a women’s eco knitwear label inspired by the desire to create comfy, funky street styles in an earth and people conscious way. Simple, soft and playful, the sistahood style ranges from sophisticated mini-dress to street flavored harem pants, tanks, tees and sweatshirts.

All garments are made in limited edition, which makes them unique, hand-designed pieces, made with lots of love and an eye for detail.

Ethic-Chic

All Sistahood garments are made from 100% organic cotton, are custom-dyed with GOTS approved inks, and are printed & manufactured in New Zealand. Sistahood uses as little packaging as possible during production, and merchandising is done on recycled paper whenever possible. Sistahood is committed to exploring and pushing the boundaries towards making 100% sustainable clothing.

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Simply Wood Rings offers an organic alternative to traditional metal jewelry. Created by artist and woodworker, Gustav Reyes, each wooden ring celebrates earth’s bounties, rather than exploiting its natural resources. Reyes strives to create wearable sculptures that connect with individuals on more than a materialistic level. The rings have been featured in many online and print publications, including Craft, The Knot, and Elite Wedding Collection.

Ethic Chic

Each ring is crafted from re-purposed materials. Salvaged lumber from other craftspeople, remnants from old jewelry, elements from musical instruments including ebony from a guitar’s fret board and rosewood from broken xylophone keys, even found materials such as concrete and rust are given new life and beauty in Reyes’ hand-crafted rings.

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And out of curiosity I began to ask who invented it in the first place. To my surprise, organic fashion is actually not an entirely new fad. Believe it or not, it was introduced just as regular clothing was made known to mankind. This means that this kind of clothing can be traced back in history when cavemen had started wearing clothes and definitely right before harmful substances such as pesticides, antibiotics and other genetic modification were introduced. The most organic of its kind are the skins of the animals that they hunted as well as large tree leaves that women had sewed together during prehistoric times, used to cover their bodies and protect them from the heat of the sun or the cold at night.

However in the modern sense, organic clothing was re-introduced around 1990. Recently, the use of alternative fibers has been accepted as a new trend. Organic bamboo and hemp are being used as fabric. Natural fibers such as cellulose and plant fibers are are also being used as they are abundant and are non-petroleum based. Others use reclaimed fibers made from scraps of fibers collected from clothing factories. These are processed back into short ones for spinning into new ones

Looking back at how this kind of fashion trend has taken flight in the 90’s and how it has become a widely acceptable craze in the market today, I believe that environmentalist cause to save mother earth and battle cry for social responsibility is slowly paying off. Personally, it has opened my eyes to a few realities which includes proactively understanding how my clothes are made and buy those that do not contribute to environmental degradation.

If you have thoughts to share about organic fashion, feel free to put your comments on the box below.

Environmentally-friendly clothes are in fashion. And on the catwalk, the sack-like eco-fashion of the past is nowhere to be seen.

For Dutch jeans-maker Kuyichi, coolness comes before eco-ethics. But by combining savvy design with ethical principles, the company has managed to get its trousers hanging on the rails of top department stores like Galeries Lafayette. The jeans carry labels on how they were produced, with more information available on the web. It’s attractive to fashion-conscious consumers who want to keep their consciences clear — and that means about a quarter of consumers in Germany. After the USA, Germany is now the second largest importer of ethically-produced cotton worldwide. Kerstin Schweizer reports from Berlin on the boom in eco-fashion.

Great interview on Fox San Diego Living with Renee Kohn and Erin Mikael about organic clothing and TheWhitePebble.com . Talks about organic clothing made of bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and soy. Stylish, eco friendly fashion.

Learn more about Natalia Allen here:
http://www.ecospeakers.com/speakers/allenn.html

In this video, fashion designer Natalia Allen talks about the emerging market for sustainable fashion design and wearable high-technology fabrics. She speaks in-depth about sustainability and closed loop design in the clothing industry.

Allen combines green tech and high tech to create ecofriendly styles using environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing processes. She is one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, one of Accenture’s Top 25 Women in Tech, and one of “Utne Reader’s” 25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.

More green fashion related speakers here:
http://www.ecospeakers.com/green-fashion-style-eco-fashion-furnishings/topic0…

http://www.avitastyle.com

Avita strives to provide ecologically sustainable fashion, beauty aids and furnishings by independent designers alongside owner Amanda Shi’s own lines of supersoft bamboo knits and recycled, more affordable cashmere. With a sky and clouds ceiling mural and bubbling Buddha fountain, the space is a peaceful backdrop for displays of Raw Earth Wild Sky (elegant and fun. feminine and funky) , Toper Ranch (Organic T’s for men and women with funny and elegant prints and drawings) , revamped vintage purses with flower paintings by De La Luna Designs and Mohop’s sexy ribbon-and-wood shoes.

Shazia Saleem’s sexy collection starts with luxurious hand woven fabrics. Shazia studied fashion in Florence and London making her designs a seamless fusion of British edge, Italian glamour and Indian heritage. Shazia was nominated ‘Designer of the Year 2008′ by Asian Woman magazine.

Ethic-Chic

Shazia Saleem specializes in creating designs from fabric that has been woven by hand on wooden looms, uses organic cotton, and cruelty free and wild Tussar silk. This silk is collected from the forest after the moth has hatched.

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Check online at Shazia Saleem.