Archive for the ‘ Fairs, Meetings & Events ’ Category

The Green Closet @ Touch! neoZone

Thanks to an initiative of the British Consulate-General Milan it is possible to admire a selection of eight sustainable designers and brands as part of Milan Fashion City, exactly with-in Touch! neoZone, a dedicated area organized in collaboration with Pitti Immagine.

Eight designers for probably the most interesting Ethical Fashion event ever in Milan. The brand selection done by Marina Iremonger, Trade advisor, Head of Fashion and Design Unit at the British Consulate – General Milan, brought to The Green Closet both apparel and accessories with different and very interesting look.

Eco-friendly are the rare Peace Silk, Modal™ and Bemberg™ chiffon fabrics in the Ivana Basilotta collection; the Ecology Undyed and the Supersoft Shetland used for Eribé knitwear, and the organic jersey of People Tree garments. You can be green also when choosing production techniques that have a low environmental impact as in the up cycling process adopted by Ciel and From Somewhere. Vegetable tanned leathers characterise the collection designed by Henrietta Ludgate. Hand skills like weaving, knitting and embroidery are prominent in People Tree designs, a fashion brand that actively supports Fair Trade. With the help and cooperation of famous designers like Bora Aksu and Orla Kiely, People Tree has become a glamorous and trendy label. Industrial waste is the material used for the necklace – defined as the Next pashmina – created by designer Jianhui with hundreds of tiny, ethically-sourced, recycled and lightweight wood chippings. To recycle and intricately weave the precious and the discarded is also the ethos behind the fashion jewellery made by Little Glass Clementine.

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A chance to see in Italy, beside the new collection, the work of Orsola De Castro – the (italian) design soul behind From Somewhere – done in collaboration with Speedo in up-cycling their LZR. People Tree, now in stores (abroad) with their summer 2010 collection including the last Emma Watson designed range, presented a capsule of the work done in collaboration with Bora Aksu and Orla Kiely. Ciel showed a new range of recycled polyester jackets while Henrietta Ludgate and Ivan Basilotta focused on beautiful structured and architectural design, keeping the attention of the viewer on the form and the flow of the garment. The accessories of Little Glass Clementine and Jianhui gave the change of imagining complete looks within The Green Closet. Worth to underline the scottish knitwear presented by Eribé, a contemporary look on traditional apparel and accessories.

The high expectations from such event were met and the presence of many press and buyers – most busy making orders – gives the vision on how also the Italian market and fashion system are actually ready to receive well done, design oriented, beautiful Ethical Fashion.

2011
02/25
CATEGORY
Accessories
Ethical Fashion
Fair Trade
Fairs, Meetings & Events
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Milan Fashion Week: en-YOJ, a/w 11-12 new collection

Milan Fashion Week this year renamed Milan Fashion City managed to finally gather under one single “umbrella” all different events, fairs, catwalks and presentations. This busy and intense calendar offer few occasions to admire the new collections of Ethical Fashion brands.

Let’s start with YOJ by Laura Strambi: 

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Details, research and design are the key elements of this new collection. The graphics printed on silk dresses and blouses, also in a limited painted edition, are smooth and soft as the fabric that carries them. The neck line falling all the way to the front moves the artist work, giving to it always a new look. The use of abaca and sophisticated but traditional scottish wool gives to the entire range of clothes both a soft and rough touch that meets very gently.

2011
02/24
CATEGORY
Ethical Fashion
Fairs, Meetings & Events
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Notes from THEKEY.TO

The 4th edition of THEKEY.TO, international event for green fashion, sustainable lifestyle and culture, has been a great Conspiracy!

It has been a nice occasion to meet many young designers at their first show and well established brands from all over Europe. This and the substantial amount of innovative ideas presented, were the most appealing.

On the first day, after the press conference at the presence of the former German “Minister for consumer protection” and patron of the fair, Renate Künast, few brands had the chance to showcase their designs in a simple and fascinating catwalk.

Roaming between the different stands was possible to notice the presence of individual designers as well as of a couple of agencies there to represent different brands. Many choose recycling as their primary approach to Ethical Fashion – from sox to military blankets, from ties to car interiors. Others pointed everything on organic and natural materials: cotton, wool and silk were the most represented. But for sure the most important part of the work was directed by all brands towards innovative materials and creative design.

As per the other editions, THEKEY.TO Conspiracy! is not only trade show, but also a meeting point for many and an occasion for networking with brands, designers, boggers, journalists, consultants among others. The different workshops and the boot camp offered a good chance to deepen some aspects of ethical fashion and get to know new initiatives and best practices. The time spent listening to Summer Rayne Oakes explaining her project Source4Style gave to all participants a clear and sound vision of what this is all about.

Praising all brands (here the whole list) for their great achievements and for being part of the Conspiracy, we would like to mention – beside the five Italian brands already mentioned in a previous post – a few that really stroke us:

  • Elementum a clothing collection based on the total use of a piece of a cloth where minimum cuts provide maximum use. Amazing alpaca wool for winter and soft organic cotton jersey for summer to wrap your body letting you play with the simple lines and cuts of these pieces.
  • Steinwidder from unwanted sox to the most innovative and appealing clothing. The architectural construction of each piece of the collection reflects the the unicity of the row material. The final result can at times look curious but is of sure effect.
  • Reet Aus A very interesting and challenging recycled denim collection from Estonia. Unexpected and fresh design takes up-cycled denim to a totally new level. Reet Aus
  • Isabell de Hillerin is working with local Romanian manufacturers to support the production of handmade materials. She adds traditional Romanian embroidery to her designs. The end result, for her new collection called ‘Patina’, is a fascinating mixture of elegance and tradition, sculptured cuts and draped materials.
2011
01/26
CATEGORY
Ethical Fashion
Fairs, Meetings & Events
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Eco Fashion @ Pitti Immagine Uomo

The 79th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo just ended with a successful increase of foreign buyers (+9%) from some 100 countries. Over 1000 brands and collections were presented and more the 30000 people visited the fair.

The presence of Sustainable Fashion projects was noticed by the media and by many buyers. Worth to be mentioned especially two new eco-friendly brands, both Made in “Tuscany” and originated from the century old local tradition of Teased Wool. This process starting from existing fabrics, regenerates wool through carding, so 100% recycled wool.

500gr

  • 500gr presented a young and dynamic collection, mainly jackets and shirts in bright colours.
  • Rigenius new born brand outcome of the collaboration between Landi Confezioni and Com.i.stra. An innovative collection where the entire life cycle of the material stays with-in the firm, from the used clothes to the regenerated wood to the new garment.
2011
01/16
CATEGORY
Ethical Fashion
Fairs, Meetings & Events
TAGS


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THEKEY.TO CONSPIRACY 20-22 JAN 2011 COLUMBIAHALLE BERLIN

THEKEY.TO is the international fair for green fashion, sustainable lifestyle and culture in Berlin and has established itself firmly as part of the Berlin Fashion Week programme. Already it is recognised as one of the most important platforms in its sector – The world of Green Fashion.

THEKEY.TO CONSPIRACY offers the upheaval a forum: ”It is a good-hearted Conspiracy.”, says Gereon Pilz van der Grinten, founder of THEKEY.TO: “Pioneering brands, innovative chains of distribution and influential networks team up at THEKEY.TO to a powerful, ever growing commu- nity. We want to mobilize, and by this give the evolution of a ‘world- conscious’ fashion the neces- sary impulse: The growth of the industry is to change the world.”

Frans Prins, founder of THEKEY.TO: “Since initiating THEKEY.TO two years ago the number of green fashion brands presented at the Berlin Fashion Week has increased from 20 to more than 100. The conventional industry is slowly following suit with their own eco-offerings. Green fashion is proving to be not only a trend, and is starting to make its way into the mainstay of society. THEKEY.TO offers the growing industry a foundation for economic success and inspiration and buying agents a high-grade choice in innovation.”

We are a conspiratorial sustainable-fashion-mob disguised as a trade show

The Italian presence at this winter edition includes some very interesting brands:

 

2011
01/11
CATEGORY
Ethical Fashion
Fairs, Meetings & Events
TAGS


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