It's not just style savvy tree-huggers producing green fashions; major international designers joined the green bandwagon for the Fall 2008 Fashion Week in New York. At an Earth Pledge Initiative event called FutureFashion, 28 designers, including Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, YSL, Versace, Givenchy, Donna Karan, Marni and Stella McCartney showed off their most eco-friendly pieces.
There was gorgeous apparel crafted out of materials like bamboo, hemp, bio-silk, soybean fiber, wild pineapple plants leaves and corn!
"The awareness is always there, but with things like this show, I feel like we'll be doing that more," said Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein. "The customer has to be educated, especially if it's global. But I think everybody will catch on - and who doesn't want to be a part of it? You can make an amazing, beautifully tailored piece that looks super expensive. And it's great for the textile industry also, because they're natural fibers so it's better for the health of the farmers. So it's just very positive - and it really makes a huge difference!"
What a positive way to kick off such a major global fashion event! It took place on January 31 at Manhattan's Gotham Hall where crowds were stunned at just how beautiful sustainable style could be.
The gallery features Julia Stegner in Donna Karan, Liya Kebede in Moschino and Coco Rocha in Diane von Furstenberg.
Big Fashion Designers Go Eco
FutureFashion
Trend Themes
1. Eco-friendly Fashion - Fashion designers are increasingly incorporating eco-friendly materials like bamboo, hemp, bio-silk, soybean fiber, wild pineapple plant leaves and corn, creating disruptive innovation opportunities for the eco-fashion industry.
2. Sustainable Style - Major international designers are embracing sustainable style, ushering in a new era of environmentally responsible fashion and providing disruptive innovation opportunities for the fashion industry.
3. Green Fashion Week - The FutureFashion event in New York, where 28 major designers, including Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, YSL, Versace, Givenchy, Donna Karan, Marni, and Stella McCartney showcased their eco-friendly pieces, could spark a trend of green fashion weeks globally, creating disruptive innovation opportunities in the fashion industry.
Industry Implications
1. Eco-friendly Fashion - The eco-fashion industry is poised for growth as more designers incorporate sustainable materials and customers become more conscious of the environmental impact of their clothing choices.
2. Fashion Design - Fashion design schools and programs can incorporate sustainable fashion principles into their curricula, providing a competitive advantage for their designers in the emerging eco-fashion market.
3. Textile Industry - The textile industry could benefit from increased demand for natural fibers, providing disruptive innovation opportunities for companies that are able to produce these materials in an environmentally sustainable way.