Green is the new black

Feb 15 2007 by Emma Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

Emma Johnson looks at how you can be an environmentally-friendly fashionista

A ground-breaking capsule collection made from organic and Fairtrade certified cotton, it has been designed in collaboration with Topshop's leading creatives and produced by the People Tree team and Fair Trade partners in India.
 
Not only is all People Tree organic and Fairtrade cotton certified, it is grown to order which eliminates wastage and ensures that our producers receive a fair price.
 
The range features six initial designs, including tunics, bubble tops and racer-cut vests, and hits the Church Street store from February 26.
 
The latest statistics on how consumers feel about fashion and the environment suggest these moves make sense not only morally and environmentally but economically. In a recent survey fair trade emerged as the most popular category in the growing "ethical" consumer goods market.
 
In fact stores could be missing out by underestimating the appeal of fair trade and eco-friendly products.
 
Currently (according to the study by organic juice producer Fruit Passion) organic food sales amount to £1.2bn a year while Fairtrade goods just exceed the £230m mark.
 
This growing demand from consumers for ecologically sound apparel, was what inspired Cheshire fashion student Louise Smith to conceive an award-winning fashion range for high street retailer River Island.
 
Louise, 21, impressed judges with her concept for an organic range of jeans called Green Thread, taking the store's Brand Development Award.
 
"Consumers are beginning to question modern disposable society," says Louise, who lives in Hawarden.
 
"They are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues and looking to more eco-friendly lifestyles. It is becoming more important to consumers, where their clothing is coming from and what is going to happen to it afterwards.
 
"I discovered that companies like Primark and Tesco were already getting into organic jeans and cotton and producing them at budget prices, and high street retailers should be doing the same."
 
In her proposal, which won her £1500 and a trip to New York, Louise, who is in her final year of a degree in fashion and brand promotion at the University of Central Lancashire, suggested the store produce a limted edition run of Green Thread jeans with a view to developing an entire organic range.

Researching for her submission has also piqued Louise's own interest in eco-fashion. She says: "It was not really until I started doing that project that I became aware of these issues but looking into it I learned about people (in developing countries) getting cancer from the pesticides used in cotton production and you have to ask, is it worth it?
 
"Now I go on to all my friends about it."