It has put me in a more rural mindset though, so I was pleasantly surprised when my friends over at Piece X Piece (you’ll definitely hear more about this company later!) alerted me to this lovely little blog called Ecological Artist.

Ecological Artist is probably one of the sweetest, most benevolent blogs I have ever come across – it’s the perfect daily read for a virtual escape from the daily grit of hardcore city life. This might be an extreme example but in one post describing a summer camp activity, the children ask the plant’s permission before harvesting any leaves to be used for dying. Does that not warm the cockles of your heart to the extreme?

Natural Shibori Dyed Scarves | Two campers showing off their prayer flags - each color symbolizes a different part of the eco-system, earth, plant and animal They used one color at a time. Each paint symbolized a part of the ecosystem (earth: soil, plant: indigo, and animal: cochineal beetles).

Painting with natural paint - the colors were created using elderberry and cow manure.

Ecological Artist in addition to giving you the warm fuzzies, also does a great job of showing you how closely textile arts are (or can be) connected to the environment. Just skimming it, I learned a lot about various dyes and processes for preparing textiles. As you may know by now, I like to know the stories of my clothes and of fashion. I think this is one of the major things that differentiates the sustainable fashion consumer from the typical consumer:  the desire to be informed, to connect in a deeper way with the product.

One of the things that creates such a huge divide between conventional fashion and sustainable fashion is that they are actually both just side effects of two vastly different ways of living. I love the high octane glitz and glam of fashion but at the same time it’s an existence where everything is moving so fast that all your energies are used merely for keeping up, not for making good choices or living with best practices. Sustainable fashion moves slower and let’s face it, much to my chagrin, has a much humbler reputation, but the consumer plays a far more active and informed role.

Shibori Dying

We are so close to losing some of this fascinating knowledge that reading about someone who has devoted their career “to re-introducing a practice of engaging with the natural world ethically via both ancient and modern textile processes, creating textile pieces that reflect time-honored, sustaining, human-animal- and plant relationships” is a joy.

Ecological Arts works with both adults and children, propagating knowledge through workshops, ecological restoration, lectures, and courses. If you are in Northern California, you should definitely check them out!

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:

Stella McCartney iconic bag and a menswear inspired suit naturally caught the eye of buyers.

From L to R: Barney's buyers chose: this Christopher Raeburn Recycled Parachute Parka explaining, "Christopher Raeburn is an ethically thinking young Brit designer who repurposes military fabrics. This parka is made from a recycled parachute, which makes it cool and conscious. We LOVE it!" They also chose the Loomstate Shikoba Dress With Fringe: "This organic silk and cotton dress is called the Shikoba, which means feather in Choctaw, a Native American language. The silver fringe on the dress is inspired by Native American adornment." From Colette in Paris: Olympia Le-Tan Boîte à Baisers Minaudière "Olympia is continuing her fantastic book bags which wear the covers of first edition novels, stolen from the library of her esthete and artistic father, Pierre Le-Tan. These minaudières are lined in a liberty pattern and crafted with delicacy. This season, she added a smaller clutch; they're like boxes with beautiful word games: la boîte de nuit, la boîte de sardines, la boîte d'allumettes…Each bag is handmade with love, really!"

Here’s some of my key pieces:

From L to R: Dries Van Noten Leopard Print Rabbit Vest: buying fur brand new is a questionable move for everyone who professes to be eco and ethical - a MUCH less controversial and more economical bet is to start trolling your local thrift stores - like it or not though, fur is huge this fall...ps: Leopard is a fun print to mix with tweed or plaid. Burburry Shearling Buckle Boots: the key silhouette for boots this fall is a pointy-toed, platform ankle boot with military/utilitarian details such as laces or buckles. 3.1 Phillip Lim Camel Coat: The runways overflowed with camel coats this fall - camel is definitely this fall's black. A classic coat is always a sound investment. This particular coat is inspired by a Spanish fabric from the 1950s - love! Acne Pleated Olive Green Long Skirt: If camel is the hot color for coats, olive green is the hot color for everything else! You'll note the Dries vest has olive details. And long skirts are making a comeback - wear them with boots and long loose sweaters for a super comfy and relaxed-elegant look. Throw a moto jacket on to add an edge.

Happy fall shopping!

Why the win, you might be asking. Well, Nicole has all the usual eco tricks up her sleeve, such as using sustainable fabrics, sourcing as locally as possible, and using a local factory for manufacturing. Stints at both Lulu Lemon and Vivienne Westwood ensure a solid design sense which is definitely played out in her timeless and classic cuts. She even has a maternity line for all you expectant mothers, which very cleverly is designed to be worn before, during and after pregnancy – how’s that for sustainable?

However, she doesn’t just stop at fabrics and design when it comes to being sustainable – every detail of her clothing, down to the hang tags, buttons and labels have been revamped to be eco-friendly. Buttons are coconut vs. plastic, labels are cotton as opposed to polyester, and hang tags are 100% post-consumer paper from Vancouver. Sweet.

Coco Eco:

This is a bi-monthly digital eco-chic magazine that does require a subscription – but at $11 it’s kind of worth it. Especially once you flip through the preview – it definitely leaves you wanting more! If you’re a fan of the classic fashion mags like Elle and Vogue, this is definitely your closest eco-approximation.

The Wild:

“The Wild is a quarterly online magazine that aims to deliver a unique perspective on a range of contemporary subjects.It is founded on the premise that fashion, design, and style are not mutually exclusive from the social and cultural issues that impact our world.

From articles on environmental issues to portfolios of today’s best artists, each turn of the page will be an adventure.

We have a simple agenda: to consistently present enthralling content through an objective lens, and to never become ‘just another fashion magazine.’” Well, there you go.

And last but not least, my favorite EVAR.

Above:

So the website could use a little work, but do not let that fool you! The entire issue is on there and if you ever get a chance to flip through the actual paper (all recycled and soy-inked BTW) version DO IT. This is a gorgeous, high design, exquisitely concepted magazine out of the UK that is primarily concerned with environmental goings-on but always has fashion editorials styled with a genius eye,  interviews that are both intimate and eccentric and beauty as far as the eye can see. In fact, that’s their tag: Beauty will save the world. Worth the read for the scalpel-sharp point of view alone though. <3 <3 <3 Go!

Obviously we will all be wearing flowy, floral patterned dresses, sandals and ethno-chic jewelry, so with the fashion out of the way, I wanted to talk fashionable dinnerware.

I am super into this puzzleboard by OOOMS design studio for so many reasons! It’s just so clever, useful and beautiful – my three top criteria for good design. How many times have you been introduced to someone at a cocktail party and had to perform a mini juggling act with your clutch, food plate, wine glass in order to shake their hand? No longer – no only is the puzzle board a super sturdy and stylish plate (don’t tell me you’ve never had a paper plate buckle because of soggy potato salad overload) but the negative puzzle slot also functions as a wine glass holder while the positive shape is a perfect handle to hold onto! And you can slot as many boards together as you want, so your cheese “plate” can now extend the length of the table for a truly bountiful spread.

Obviously the most sustainable move is to use reusable dinnerware, but sometimes our bashes outgrow the scope of what we have in our kitchen cabinets. In which case, there’s always spud-ware or corn-ware or whatever, which is compostable and made from renewable resources, but which looks like it was made from Play-doh in the Land of Blah. Enter WASARA disposable tableware. It is so gorgeous that I kind of wish it wasn’t disposable! It definitely looks nicer than anything my kitchen contains – disposable or not. Designed in Japan, these dishes are made by an ISO 9001 & 14001 certified factory out of 100% tree-free renewable materials including sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp – but the look is so high-end you’ll swear they come straight from Milano. The tagline? Paperware for spiritual enrichment. It’s meant to “choreograph the graceful movements of those who hold it.”

Now go fire up your wood burning stove and light those lanterns – I’ll get the wine.

The whole feel behind this blog is a good feeling and might be something like the essence of sustainable living itself – small, humble, hopeful, and full of good intentions.

A plastic bag metamorphises into a backpack

Corks make a floating tray for a glass of wine in the tub

Egg cartons make clever coat hangers

Train tickets/boarding passes make a fine wallet

Minna

But, Guardian, I see your point – kind of. Which begs the question – is some inspiration off-limits for fashion? Where do we draw the line? And if fashion does want to engage in some sort of a conversation regarding current events, is there a valid platform somewhere that doesn’t involve awkwardly (in the opinions of some) juxtaposing a raw and painful event with the glossy sexiness that every photo shoot must exude?

Me: I’m still on the fence about the Meisel shoot. I don’t think that Rodarte and MAC meant to make light of the serious situation in Juarez by naming a nail polish after it, although they should have predicted that people would find it offensive, so yes, poorly done.

However, one of the things I love about Rodarte is that they draw inspiration from everywhere (and it shows – their work is incredible!) and I think artists should have that privilege. Or is liberty a better word? Yet design is a slightly different beast and adheres to less empyrean and more serviceable principles than art. As such, should design – fashion included – adhere to different conventions? Is fashion meant to serve some communal function and should it respect the particular taboos and etiquette of that community? Maybe.

But Guardian, I think it’s important to remember that in the design process inspiration is rarely ever literally expressed. It is simply the starting point of a designer’s process. The designer takes that idea, that collective concept, and makes it their own by reworking it, rethinking it, abstracting it, until it is a totally new thing. I just want to say that thought they share the same origins and name, Rodarte’s Juarez is not necessarily the Juarez that we know.

Finally, I agree that a photo shoot’s fundamental purpose is not conducive to facilitating any sort of constructive dialogue about controversial events, practices, or places. But that doesn’t mean fashion can’t chime in somehow. If an editorial isn’t appropriate, let’s create something that is. What will it be?

If you’re still with me, I think we can agree that something light-hearted is in order. Minna! OK – first of all, I love that this lady is rocking looks that totally remind me of what I’ve been seeing on the runways – it is rare to see a sustainable designer so on-trend. Most tend to stick to the safer territory of classic – not that Minna’s line isn’t! It most certainly will last you through many seasons – but at the same time has details that whisper “fashion insider.” For instance, FW2011 is awash with leather and fur – not exactly sustainable. But Minna does a dress with reclaimed leather detail on the cuffs and a reclaimed leather belt. Lace and longer hemlines are the it/now texture and silhouette – cutely combined in the Jade dress.

Leather, lace and length!

Minna

Second of all, in addition to practicing zero waste cutting techniques and sourcing all materials sustainably, Minna does the most adorable/thoughtful thing with her roll ends and scraps – she makes them into childrens clothes! Too precious – and too clever – smaller pieces get made into smaller clothes.

Minna Childrens

The reason I bring this up is a recent collection I encountered by Michelle Lowe-Holder. It is an accessories collection about which the designer, who has Topshop collabs under her belt, writes: This marks a big change in direction for the designer as the pieces are entirely ethically produced in the UK. The AW10 collection uses previous collection [remnants] and end of line ribbons [as sustainable materials]. These are enhanced with the waste efficient modern process of flocking applied to chunky hardware closures. They’re cute, take a look. Notice anything different?

In addition to the usual (less waste, fair treatment of workers, etc.), Lowe-Holder takes it a step further. The lookbook is styled with models that definitely don’t fit the industry’s traditional definition of beauty. Which brings us back to our question – should sustainable models look different than conventional models and why?

Looking through Lowe-Holder’s previous collections, which don’t make such a bold commitment to sustainability, I see the usual models – tall, skinny, gorgeous. At first it chafes me a little bit that her newly broadened view of beauty coincides with her newly responsible ethos. I used to loosely adhere to the (imho old school) mindset that models should be airbrushed skin and bones. Hear me out: they’re there to not be there. In other words, their job is to sell the clothes and in order to not distract from the garments they must be flawless and anonymous.

However, these days simply “not being there” is no longer cutting it for fashion labels as the competition gets more cutthroat and marketing grows increasingly more sophisticated and cunning. Now labels not only market a product, but an entire look. And the very good ones don’t stop at just a look, they sell you a lifestyle. And the excellent ones don’t just sell you a lifestyle, they sell you a persona.

Models with quirks, with unconventional beauty, with actual personalities, are becoming more and more popular as brands look for a representative of lifestyle/persona, rather than just a blank canvas to hang clothes on. Lara Stone is the poster child for this movement, with her “curves” and gapped teeth.

I used to defend the skinny models and the designers who use them by saying, but it’s true! Clothes look the best on skinny people! And they do, but that’s not because that’s how it’s hard-wired into our brain, it’s because of Twiggy and the media. We have been sold that “ideal.” However, in the 1800s, such a skinny girl would have been considered extremely unattractive! Ideals of beauty do differ and they are subjective, even if culturally they are collective.

Today, if we see a fashion editorial and the model is somehow “blighted,” that interferes with our ability to perceive the clothes as beautiful and desirable, but editorials are no longer about selling clothes and we are getting more sophisticated as consumers in our perception of beauty and product! Editorials are now about selling ideas and philosophies and stories. More and more editorials purposefully style models in really ugly or uncomfortable ways to evoke a certain ambiance or emotion.

In the end though it shouldn’t be about juxtaposing beauty with ugliness, but about widening our definition of what beautiful means and can be. Maybe beauty is becoming outdated. Maybe the new beauty is simply that which compels us, for whatever reason. That which evokes within us some strong feeling that mere beauty could not touch.

So no, sustainable models shouldn’t look different than conventional models for the same reason that eco-fashion shouldn’t continue to be in a separate class from conventional fashion. But the face of fashion in general should look different – and, as this look book shows,  is beginning to look different.