I chug back three bottled waters a day. I spend frivolously on non-organic clothing. And I call Canada, Seal Clubbing Capital of the World, home. And apparently, I’m barred from being au courrant.
Eco-chic. Green-chic. Enviro-chic. Stop-coming-up-with-witty-monikers-to-engineer-a-conscious-chic, perhaps? Forgive me, but I assume by this point, you too have been swamped with stories and articles detailing the growing crop of celebrities, designers, manufacturers, and retailers embracing sustainable fashion. From the high street behemoths - H & M recently launched its own organic line - to the high end superpowers - fashion bible Vogue has nearly proclaimed eco-friendly fashions a virtual messiah to the industry - being green has never been hotter. For once, the It-item is not a croc bag or a tulip skirt. Who knew a hemp T could be so chic? I may be guilty of behavioural inferences, but historically, constancy has never been the industry’s forte when it comes to social concerns. You may recall the rather collective anti-fur movement of the 90s, most of which has fizzled from public consciousness; the mere fact that Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2007 fur-free collection prompted headlines will attest to this. Off the runways, it’s almost without exception to see models smoking feverously both backstage and in accompanying editorials; Vogue Italia recently published an exhaustive spread featuring Olga Sherer lighting up. The most pertinent issue, size 0 models, was answered with a flaccid, unregulated “guidelines” recommendation that seems to have been largely disregarded by industry insiders. It suggests that fashion couldn’t care about anything, except, well, fashion. Until recently, the same self-involved assertion could be for almost all big business - although this idea of selflessness remains arguable. The tides turned when investors and consumers began to assign monetary value to the once peripheral considerations of corporate governance and social well-being. Only then was long-term commitment considered. Likewise, the crux for the enduring viability of this eco trend will be whether or not investors, consumers, and insiders reevaluate the eco criterion, as to promote it from a mere bagatelle to a consideration neighbouring, in importance, style, brand, quality, etc. In other worlds, the public must hand over one green (bills, that is) in favour of another (the environment). Apparently such barter wasn’t as enticing when it came to smoke-free lungs, healthy models, and our furry friends. Even if the trend is sustained, you have to ask if it’s genuine? From the perspective of business, probably not. But I suppose that’s not what a P&L measures, anyway.
Is Eco Chic here to stay?
A blouse from H&M’s new Organic Cotton line.
wow, that’s a lot of water.
Hm, I could argue both sides of this one in the same breath.
Speaking of breathing, I find it quite bracing to be reminded that Fashion Doesn’t Care. Thank you Adrian for cutting through all that hot CO2.
very well written blog!
thanks for crediting a few posts ago.
Too true, it is all a load of bs. Last week Sainsbury released the Anya Hindmarch “I am not a plastic bag” bag and people were queueing up around the corner in Knightsbridge to own it. Then they got into their SUVs and drove off. Green freaks indeed.