What is green glamour? It is a broad categorization of clothing composed of sustainable textiles or reused fabric, thereby promoting recycling. Sponsor of the shows (along with grand sponsor Mercedes-Benz), Frankfurt Fair CEO Detlef Braun, gave Reuters a keen insight into the burgeoning industry: "Sustainability is not a short-term trend, but a great new paradigm." Indeed, sustainability is one of the keys to economic growth across countries, developed and developing, and has become increasingly prominent in the wake of a devastating worldwide recession. It also makes for good business, as designers are focusing on creating a brand that is not wholly engaged within itself but interested in showcasing its environmental consciousness, boosting its image across the board.
Frankfurt Fair cashed in on this trend by showcasing sustainable fashion, feeding into sustainability's current status in high fashion. What better place to launch green glamour than in the capital of the eco-fashion movement, Berlin, Germany? Berlin has managed to attract celebrity endorsements and fashion shows focused on green glamour, with some shows mushrooming in popularity. General policy is stringent on the environmental front, and Berliners are quite aware of their environmental footprint while also remaining stylishly so. Conveniently, Berlin is in the midst of the fashion capitals of London, Milan, and Paris, and is fast becoming a fashion city to reckon with, especially with its unique environmental twist. With the general fashion industry interested in environmental externalities, green glamour shows are seeing a spike in companies interested in showcasing their goods while also imbibing an environmentally conscious vibe.
The Fashionomist has mixed feelings on green glamour - though she thinks it's a wonderful idea, she is not sure it's something that is simply not currently "trendy." There are some companies out there producing beautiful designs that reflect the environmental movement and sustainability, but there remain too many near the top that don't care much for such movements and frankly, do not need to. And as any corporate executive knows, absorbing additional costs during a recession in an industry focused on providing luxury isn't easy, and yet being environmentally aware often requires sacrificing on the profit front.
Nevertheless, green glamour is the direction not only fashion but much of business is heading to. It is a great concept economically and in a business sense - sustainability is becoming more and more part of the business plan jargon in churning out profit, and is becoming a means by which to connect to cash-strapped consumers, not only for the value they represent but the quality and idea behind being green. Devoting an entire fashion show to green concepts within fashion will likely heighten eco-friendly-wear appeal, thereby bringing more attention to means by which companies can adopt this thought process in creating items that are good to both the consumer and the planet.
Even better, Berlin Fashion Week has done the magical in making green fashion not look incredibly artsy and hippie, but (gasp!) wearable. Too often, fashion of a cause feeds into its stereotypical group without broadening its appeal. It's great that designers are being creative with material and making it into something that the average woman (or model) can wear without seeming "too natural." And The Fashionomist is never one to say negative things about anything that unites a good cause and fantastic fashion.
*The Fashionomist*
This reminds me of a humorous video we watched in a class I took called Politics of fashion. It's Julia Stiles promoting her mock green fashion line.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/hg8-w6zXboI
Also, fashion shows such as Project Runway often feature challenges where designers use environmentally friendly materials. It is interesting how upset they are by that sort of limitation.