It turns out that the tried and true practice of thrifting (buying everything secondhand) isn’t the only eco-friendly way to find clothes. Although there is always the possibility of discovering a sartorial gem in a sea of duds, thrifting can often result in a fruitless search.
Enter Slow Fashion – a new movement that is anything but eco-bunk. Named after the Slow Food movement, Slow Fashion promotes sustainable fabrics and recycled garments over cheap designer knockoffs, just as slow food touts local, organic cuisine over fast food.
Normally, the term “eco-fashion” triggers mental images of baggy cargo pants and hiking boots, but Slow Fashion designers have created some delightfully artful garments.
Thieves designer Sonja den Elzen offers clothing with artful draping and asymmetrical proportions reminiscent of Clayton Evans, designer of the coveted Canadian brand complexgeometries. Other eco-designers, such as Nicole Bridger and John Patrick Organic, create stylish and extremely versatile garments for affordable prices. It’s enough to get the eco-fashion naysayers hopping on the bandwagon. John Patrick Organic’s trousers were even featured in the September 2010 issue of American Vogue.
Designers embracing the Slow Fashion movement are truly leading by example, and many industries have gone through an intensive restructuring to accommodate the rising importance of sustainability in business.
Slow Fashion shows this industry that creating garments in a sustainable way does not compromise design ideals or garment quality. A word of advice to established design houses such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci – take note!
Isabel Slone is completing her degree in Environment and Resource Studies at the the University of Waterloo. She enjoys sequins, cats, The Smiths and chronicles her daily outfits at http://hipstermusings.blogspot.com.
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