Fall cometh. Summer was awesome and fun, but I am definitely in fall mode. I loved the runways this fall – camel, tweed, military equestrian, and loads of leather and fur. Fall means dressing up, layering, boots and coats, the chance to pull blazers and trousers on again.

Of course, Style.com’s Fall Buyer’s Guide is a key place to look to bone up on essential trends and pieces for fall. So look I did, and I was pleasantly surprised – not only did I cement my must-buys for this season, but I also saw some eco fashion being featured. Let’s take a look:

This girl has quite the pedigree! With numerous awards and honors under her belt, internships with both Alexander McQueen (gasp!) and Gareth Pugh (sigh!), and wardrobe collabs with bands and celebs, she really brings home the proverbial and sustainable bacon. I really love her designs because while a lot of eco fashion is elegant and beautiful it also tends to be subdued in palette and classic in design. So it is refreshing to see the bold silhouettes and electric colors of Ada’s designs.

Sad shower curtains once destined for the landfill will be happy to know that Jane Bowler’s got their back.

With deft design-ery and a snappy motto (destruction is creation) Jane harnesses the power of technology using such techniques as ultra-sonic welding an laser shredding to transform plastic sheets into ethereal creations of reminiscent of futuristic warrior cowgirls.

Left to be Found is an exploration into little magic interactions of finding and gifting garments within an urban environment. The project aims to encourage altruism through the process of giving; and to strengthen the connections between ourselves, the objects surrounding us and others. The objective of this project is to address the throw-away culture problem in a non-preaching, playful way.

Yes! High fashion begins its slow convergence with eco fashion! And let me tell you, I was debating between several things to feature today, and yet another line of eco fashion may not be the most exciting, but the key word was “Lanvin.” Talk about a name drop – I was instantly drooling.
Imitation and Disguise is designed by Jean-Philippe Gawronski, who worked under Alber Elbaz for a year.

Whoa – that sounds violent. Not my intention! I mean, there are parachute bombers – bomber jackets, that is, made from reused parachutes and other re-purposed military textiles in Christopher Raeburn’s Fall 2010 collection!
Working a strong and singular concept, Raeburn moves confidently into his third season of rocking parkas that make me wish for bad weather. And that is saying something!

So many of the labels we feature here are doing all they can to be kind to the environment and its inhabitants, plus rocking some seriously good design.
I can’t quite put my finger on what’s different about Mr. Larkin – it does all of the above, plus more…. Maybe because every garment has a hang tag describing the details of the finishing with pleasingly illustrative words like “peace silk” and “dyed with locally foraged japanese maple” and “100% bamboo muslin spotted with madder plant, twigs and berries.”

There’s a list of 8 things Sylwia Rochala does sustainably and directionally below. Do check them out.

Maison Martin Margiela, renowned Belgian design house, revisits up-cycling in its Haute Couture collection in a stunning blow to my weak spot: the Wild West.
I don’t at all think or want to pretend that MMM’s intention with this collection was to promote re-use and sustainability, but I think it is a brilliant example of how even the basest of materials can be made into breath-taking beauty in the hands of a true design genius. I think this collection shows that with gumption, genius and a battalion of the most talented seamstresses in the universe, you can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

This Monday it officially became pool season! Note I say officially since unofficial pool season is all year round! But now that school’s out, how to turn the boardwalk into a catwalk without rocking the eco-boat? And you thought you were done with essay questions for the next three months! Relax – we’ve assembled your crib sheets below – best when read pool-side and for extra credit take it to the beach!

Jeans are like the tattoos we wanted to get, like the scars we secretly wish we harbored – signs of a life dangerously lived, but lived to the fullest.

I remember way back when things started showing up in stores pre-distressed, brand new pants with holes in the knees and frayed cuffs – my mother shook her head and I laughed – but that was a manifestation of paying for history, for proof of an existence that was hard on denim.

Sustainability is a multi-faceted beast, and there’s at least three main aspects that must be considered – the ecology of the earth, social responsibility, and conservation of non-tangible resources such as folkloric traditions. Sustainable companies usually get the first two, but the third is taken into account less frequently. But conservation of an endangered weaving tradition is what Awamaki is all about! Their most exciting project is called the Awamaki Lab, a fashion mentorship program where emerging designers have the incredible opportunity to create a capsule collection that incorporates traditional Andean textiles.

Mika Organic is a clothing line inspired by respect for the environment, nature and animals, designed by Mika Machida. The Aichi, Japan born, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) educated designer utilizes her graphic and fashion design skills to create unique, environmentally conscious pieces with a message.

Your attention please. Platinum Dirt makes extraordinarily gorgeous leather jackets out of vintage luxury car seats. It gets better. They include the actual VIN plate from the car and use the hood ornament as the zipper pull. I’ll give you a moment. You’re probably going to want to sit.

To chance upon a designer that is truly sustainable but also achieves that ineffable coolness quotient that makes the fashion world lose their icy composure and start hyperventilating is as rare as Platinum Dirt.

There’s plenty of random “techno fashion” out there, so of it really awesome, most of it is…well, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, whenever there is a new movement or technology underway, the first attempts will always be prototypes – awkward first steps. But to me this phase is the most important! So here’s to the early adopters, the mad scientists, and the dreamers who also dare to do! For instance: Jeans that function as batteries? By using special e-ink…

Wow, it’s been a while since we did an interview! You’ll definitely get your interview fix with Vagadu’s Joui Turandot, though! Read on for inspiration from the last of the Bohemians – it’s not often we get to chat with a true artiste! Joui is the founder of the label Vagadu, an audacious line of evening wear and separates hand-crafted out of reclaimed clothing. Each piece is nurtured to perfection by Joui’s visionary eye and artistic instincts.

Denim is both amazingly durable and incredibly harmful to the environment when produced conventionally – so many chemicals and water go into dying it and applying the various washes and finishes – but I love my denim! A world without jeans would be like an amusement park with no rides….so I’ve started brainstorming/researching ways we can “eco up” jeans so I can look at them without feeling like I’m cheating on the Earth.

The fashion retail landscape has taken a few interesting turns as of late – perhaps because of the recession, new marketing strategies were needed, but the common thread in all of these “turns” is a time-sensitive-limited-edition product, which in the vast sea of fast fashion and mass production out there, gives consumers something special and unique. Some “new” trends I’ve noticed are exclusive members only shops, pop-up shops and designer collaborations.

Sometimes all it takes is a little nip here, a little tuck and a little pleat to take something baggy and give it a fresh new face! If it sounds like we’ve gone doctor on you, then you’re kinda right! 1 o.a.k. takes discarded scrubs under the knife and with a ruthless new regimen of pleating, dying, draping and fabulous design, transforms them into confections that rival Armani.

What better way to start the week than with eco-friendly fashion designed to hold its own in the office! Green used to mean grungy. Not anymore: polished, sophisticated sustainable design is being served right up by C. Marchuska! The whole point behind the label is eco-friendly clothing that can actually get you through a day at the office and happy hour afterwards. Christine, the founder, started the label after noticing a lack of more “polished” green attire (the vibe was more casual and west coast) – she wanted a sustainable fashion line that would be welcomed by even the fashion police of über-hip Manhattan.