The Rise of Ecofashion The Fashion eZine - Environment

A showcase for eco-fashion

Sometimes fashion hurts, but helping the planet doesn't have to be painful. A new group is raising money and awareness with an eco-friendly fashion show
Trish Crawford - January 25th 2007.
It's the season for fashion to go green.
With concern for the environment at a fever pitch, Canadian fashion designers are raising money for the conservation organization WWF-Canada with an eco-friendly fashion show.
Helping the planet doesn't have to be painful, says Leslie Domenico, executive director of the Green Carpet Series which has organized An Evening of Sustainable Style at the Berkeley Church this Tuesday, which wants to attract local THUGS – Thoughtful Hip Urban Green-minded professionals.
Green Carpet, a newly formed environment group, stages events to raise money and awareness. Its first event featuring organic food raised $10,000 in May. We "want to raise awareness and showcase alternatives in a fun way," says Domenico.
They do this by promoting easy things people can do, such as buying clothing made of hemp or bamboo.
"We are not preaching and not purists. Any shift in lifestyle helps," says Domenico.
The clothes will be as good to look at as they are for the environment, says Domenico.
Celebrity models, including television reporter Wendy Mesley and singer Melanie Doane, will model eco-friendly clothing by Canadian designers including Preloved, Yogagirl and Oqoqo as well as vintage items (remember, recycle and reuse.)
TV personalities Gill Deacon and George Stroumboulopoulos are hosts.
Linda Lundström, who is honourary chair of the event, has been designing environmentally friendly clothing for almost 20 years.
After having her first child she grew concerned about dyes and chemicals used in the finishing of textiles, and how they affected the planet.
Now Lundström works with eco-friendly materials such as bamboo as well as a material made out of recycled plastic bottles.
Her two daughters, ages 20 and 16, will model her designs in the show.
Money raised by Green Carpet will finance the WWF climate change education programs and conservation work. Recently WWF-Canada has focused on replenishing Canada's cod stock and other species affected by over-fishing says Tara Wood, public relations manager for WWF-Canada.
Buying products made locally, including clothing, is one of the easiest ways people can help on the global warming file, says Wood.
The fuel used to ship items from China or elsewhere uses up a lot of fossil fuels. Shopping locally not only produces less pollution, it helps local retailers and the Canadian economy, says Wood.
Tickets for An Evening of Sustainable Style are $40 and available at greencarpetseries.com.