It’s September and everything is new: a new school year, new cool weather, and a new reason to revamp our wardrobe! This month it’s all about fashion and the transition from summer to fall, so as we trade our tank tops for turtlenecks, it’s the perfect time to give our closets a new green makeover.
It wasn’t long ago that we thought of eco-friendly fashions as made from plain, natural fibers that were itchy, ill-fitting and just plain blah. However, those images have long been forgotten as we’ve seen the fashion industry transformed by the demands of the eco-conscious consumer.
Today we are seeing designers, like Atlanta’s Zoica Matei (zoicamatei.com), ditching synthetic fiber blends for natural, rapidly renewable fibers and responsible manufacturing methods to create fashions that not only benefit our health, but also promote the wellbeing of our planet. Her line of organic linen, hemp, and silk dresses and tunics are the perfect representation of eco-friendly fashions seen today, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice style to go green.
And Zoica isn’t the only one here in Atlanta making a name for herself in eco-fashion world. It has become easier than ever to fill your closet with green labels. Sustainability meets style at Evolve Boutique (evolve-boutique.com) in the Emory Village where you can find green offerings from local designers and runway acclaimed labels alike.
At The Collective, Atlanta’s newest creative community of designers, there is a look for all tastes. There you can pick up everything from a Lancaster West organic tee (lancasterwest.com) touting powerful eco-messages with original graphics inspired by nature, a couture dress from Charles Josef Couture (cjcoutureculture.com) made from the latest feel-good sustainable fabrics, or a whimsical repurposed vintage tank from Stay Low Run Fast (staylowrunfast.com).
Or you can head over to Nordstrom’s and find Atlanta-based Indie Peace’s (www.indiepeace.com) collection of men’s organic tees, which are stylish and responsible. For the young one in your life, Green Pomegranate (agreenpomegranate.com) in the Highlands has handmade dresses made from colorful vintage fabrics like your grandmother used to collect.
Even accessories are getting a green makeover. Atlanta-based jewelry collections like Smart Glass Jewelry (smartglassjewelry.com), Mark Edge’s ecovintage line (markedge.com), and Cassavoy and Company (cassavoyandco.com) have all adopted sustainable practices like using repurposed metals, recycled finds (beer bottles for Smart Glass and vintage beads for Mark Edge), and making it all by hand! When I wear Smart Glass people stop me to comment on its uniqueness and leave inspired by its environmental message.
For more, visit www.lauraseydel.com.