The GreenShows Eco-Fashion Week ran on 15 and 16 September 2009, the first dedicated green fashion event to take place as part of New York Fashion Week.
What made it different
Eco-conscious collections had appeared inside conventional shows before. What had not happened was an event where the production itself was held to the same standard as the clothes.
The GreenShows used a production that was entirely environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The runways, the lighting and the rest of the staging were built from recyclable and compostable materials, so the event did not generate the waste a fashion week normally does.
The standard extended to the backstage work as well. Hair was done by John Masters Organics and makeup by DEX, New York, both working with eco-friendly products.
The designers
Five designers showed eco-conscious Spring/Summer 2010 collections under one roof:
- Bahar Shahpar
- House of Organic
- Izzy Lane
- Lara Miller
- Mr. Larkin
BodegaGreen
The event also launched BodegaGreen, a store carrying a selection of eco-friendly lifestyle products, extending the idea beyond the runway into retail.
The argument behind it
Eric Dorfman, founder of EdMedia Inc. and The GreenShows, set out the reasoning directly:
We should not have to sacrifice our planet for fashion. The fashion industry needs to be more accountable to environmental damage and pollution. While eco-designers are leading the way for a more sustainable lifestyle, without sacrificing style, prominent fashion designers need to take on more responsibility to safeguard our natural resources and achieve zero waste. The GreenShows is designed to foster and support eco-designers to continue creating fashion and as a platform to bring eco-fashion mainstream.
The position has two parts worth separating. The first is that sustainable design need not mean compromised design, which the collections were there to demonstrate. The second is that the responsibility sits with established houses rather than only with specialist eco-labels, since scale is where the environmental cost actually accumulates.
Frequently asked questions
What was The GreenShows?
A dedicated eco-fashion event held during New York Fashion Week in September 2009, the first of its kind there.
What made the production eco-friendly?
Runways, lighting and staging were built from recyclable and compostable materials, and the hair and makeup used organic products.
This report dates from 2009.
