I regret not having attended Eco Fashion Week in the past; often, eco-conscious fashion has had a bit of a bad rap, with many people assuming it's all about hemp-woven fabric and bohemian designs. After seeing photos from previous seasons, I knew that this wasn't the case: eco fashion is a thriving industry, which celebrates all kinds of ways of being eco-conscious in the industry. It isn't just about using 'green' fabrics; it's also about using sustainable clothing production methods and buying in a sustainable way. Eco Fashion Week's Thrift Chic Challenge and 68 Pound Challenge aim to bring awareness to thrift shopping, as a way of recycling old clothes rather than creating demand for new ones.
As a dedicated thrifter for quite a while now, I had never really thought of thrifting as a way of being eco-conscious, but now it makes me feel like I'm reducing my ecological footprint. It was great to see how the 3 chosen designers/stylists Kenneth Barbie, Dandilion Wind Opaine (from Vancouver Fashion Week), and Claire Bouvier, chose to use (and modify) the items they found at Value Village to create their own collections. My hope is that people are inspired by their collections, and see that you really can look runway-ready with thrift shop finds!
The 68 Pound Challenge by Evan Ducharme was equally as inspiring. He dug through 68 pounds of clothing scraps (the average amount of clothing an individual wastes each year), and created a classic and refined collection that would have fit right in at any fashion week. All in all, it was an inspiration to see what can be created from the old, into something entirely new. For those who always thought eco fashion wasn't stylish, or that thrifted clothing couldn't be trendy, here's your proof that it doesn't get more fashionable than this:
Eco Fashion Week's founder, Myriam Laroche
Happy Styling! xo
~Britta
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