Daily Fashion Juice
Sunday April 3, 2011
Organic cotton and reusable bags are steps toward the greening of the fashion industry, but organizers of the Runway to Green project say it can do much more, considering the size, scope and celebrity of players such as Gucci, Burberry, Stella McCartney and Tommy Hilfiger.
The project kicked off Tuesday, with 29 top-tier designers staging a runway show to raise money for environmental education and awareness programs.
The designers also have agreed to participate in the Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean by Design program, which will teach them how to integrate greener practices into many aspects of their businesses, from raw materials, fabric finishing and production to packaging, recycling and shipping.
Designer Jason Wu is interested in tackling the dyeing process. "The information I want for myself from this is: What dyes should we use? What does 'naturally dyed' mean? Is it better for the environment? If it's using thousands of insects that are part of the ecosystem to create the dyes, is that better? I really don't know," says Wu.
Many of the designers are knowledgeable about the problems and even potential solutions, says Linda Greer, an NRDC director, but they don't know how to get from here to there.
That's where Runway to Green can serve as a pathway.
"There are complications with making anything green. We want to help designers take the first step. We want them to be more and more green as time goes on," says Sylvana Ward-Durrett, cofounder of Runway to Green and Vogue's special events director.
Shoppers have to be trained, too, so they'll want the new products and be willing to pay a little more. Nothing gets businesses to change their practices faster than consumer pressure, adds Lorenzo Roccia, chairman and another cofounder with Luisana Mendoza.
Consumers demanded environmentally friendly options in beauty and food products -- and now those industries are farther ahead in green practices than fashion, notes Greer.
"We hope consumers and designers become synchronized in their messages. We want people to like the next wave of green products, and we want them to buy them because they're good, because they're chic and fashionable, and, oh yeah, because they're green," Ward-Durrett says.
Items from the Runway show, including Alexander Wang's one-shoulder dress, Rachel Roy's shirtdress with hand-painted touches and Rag & Bone's waistcoat, are for sale on Net-a-Porter.com, with at least 10% of net proceeds going toward Runway to Green. They'll go to other retailers in a few months as part of the designers' fall collections.
The more brands involved -- from the big to the small -- the better it will be, says Wu, because they are hoping to examine the making of a garment start to finish.
Rachel Roy wants to take on packaging. When she first launched her shoe collection and received her first pair from the manufacturer, she says she was immediately unhappy with the amount of paper used to wrap them. She worked with the factory to reduce the paper by 50%.
Might there be a greater chance for damage during shipping? Yes, says Roy, but she is convinced -- and she thinks shoppers will agree -- that the risk is worth it.
Greer, of the NRDC, wants designers to come to this initiative armed with questions, personal pet interests and a can-do spirit. She ticks off potential jumping-off points: rail freight and ocean shipping containers instead of airplanes; fabrics that can be machine-washed instead of being dry cleaned.
These aren't quick and easy fixes and will require more of a commitment, including a financial one, to adopt, but once things start changing, Greer hopes the movement will be sustainable.
The industry's ability to think out of the box is what's needed most, because some solutions aren't yet developed, Greer says.
The industry, while competitive, also knows how to come together for a cause, observes Hilfiger, noting its fund-raising history for breast cancer and AIDS charities. The environment is next on the radar, he says.
"It's part of being a good global citizen," Hilfiger says, "and fashion is a global business. If we can all get together, all of us, I think we have enough influence." He says everything is on the table, from reusing water bottles at the office to LED lighting in stores.
"The way I've approached it is one step at a time," says Roy. "I ask ... what can I do to leave a situation a little better than I found it?"
Sunday April 3, 2011
 |
Thakoon, right, with a model wearing his design for the Runway to Green show. Organizers hope it will be the start of a new mind-set. / Photos by Net-A-Porter.com |
Organic cotton and reusable bags are steps toward the greening of the fashion industry, but organizers of the Runway to Green project say it can do much more, considering the size, scope and celebrity of players such as Gucci, Burberry, Stella McCartney and Tommy Hilfiger.
The project kicked off Tuesday, with 29 top-tier designers staging a runway show to raise money for environmental education and awareness programs.
The designers also have agreed to participate in the Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean by Design program, which will teach them how to integrate greener practices into many aspects of their businesses, from raw materials, fabric finishing and production to packaging, recycling and shipping.
Designer Jason Wu is interested in tackling the dyeing process. "The information I want for myself from this is: What dyes should we use? What does 'naturally dyed' mean? Is it better for the environment? If it's using thousands of insects that are part of the ecosystem to create the dyes, is that better? I really don't know," says Wu.
Many of the designers are knowledgeable about the problems and even potential solutions, says Linda Greer, an NRDC director, but they don't know how to get from here to there.
That's where Runway to Green can serve as a pathway.
"There are complications with making anything green. We want to help designers take the first step. We want them to be more and more green as time goes on," says Sylvana Ward-Durrett, cofounder of Runway to Green and Vogue's special events director.
Shoppers have to be trained, too, so they'll want the new products and be willing to pay a little more. Nothing gets businesses to change their practices faster than consumer pressure, adds Lorenzo Roccia, chairman and another cofounder with Luisana Mendoza.
Consumers demanded environmentally friendly options in beauty and food products -- and now those industries are farther ahead in green practices than fashion, notes Greer.
"We hope consumers and designers become synchronized in their messages. We want people to like the next wave of green products, and we want them to buy them because they're good, because they're chic and fashionable, and, oh yeah, because they're green," Ward-Durrett says.
Items from the Runway show, including Alexander Wang's one-shoulder dress, Rachel Roy's shirtdress with hand-painted touches and Rag & Bone's waistcoat, are for sale on Net-a-Porter.com, with at least 10% of net proceeds going toward Runway to Green. They'll go to other retailers in a few months as part of the designers' fall collections.
The more brands involved -- from the big to the small -- the better it will be, says Wu, because they are hoping to examine the making of a garment start to finish.
Rachel Roy wants to take on packaging. When she first launched her shoe collection and received her first pair from the manufacturer, she says she was immediately unhappy with the amount of paper used to wrap them. She worked with the factory to reduce the paper by 50%.
Might there be a greater chance for damage during shipping? Yes, says Roy, but she is convinced -- and she thinks shoppers will agree -- that the risk is worth it.
Greer, of the NRDC, wants designers to come to this initiative armed with questions, personal pet interests and a can-do spirit. She ticks off potential jumping-off points: rail freight and ocean shipping containers instead of airplanes; fabrics that can be machine-washed instead of being dry cleaned.
These aren't quick and easy fixes and will require more of a commitment, including a financial one, to adopt, but once things start changing, Greer hopes the movement will be sustainable.
The industry's ability to think out of the box is what's needed most, because some solutions aren't yet developed, Greer says.
The industry, while competitive, also knows how to come together for a cause, observes Hilfiger, noting its fund-raising history for breast cancer and AIDS charities. The environment is next on the radar, he says.
"It's part of being a good global citizen," Hilfiger says, "and fashion is a global business. If we can all get together, all of us, I think we have enough influence." He says everything is on the table, from reusing water bottles at the office to LED lighting in stores.
"The way I've approached it is one step at a time," says Roy. "I ask ... what can I do to leave a situation a little better than I found it?"
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