Metropolitan Gardening

Bryan: What prompted the extraordinary focus on making your designs sustainable? Inka: Our planet is in bad shape. I think everyone should try to do their part to reduce their impact and we should try to do this in all domains of our lives, like at home and at work. I try to reach sustainability in the materials I use and also in they way I produce my collection Bryan: Have you found any benefit? Does acting ethically pay off? Inka: It's hard at first, because doing this right (sustainably) costs more and it takes more time to figure out if the things I think are sustainable are actually sustainable. I can see the benefits of increasing my local economy and I can see that people feel the difference in my product, so yes, I think it pays off. 

MG:What is your mission at Chinti and Parker ? C&P:At Chinti and Parker we have a clearly defined mission: to marry great luxury basics with environmentally and ethically kind production wherever possible. MG: What sort of production values do you have for your fabric? Tell us about the materials you use. C&P: All our cotton-jersey is made from 100% organic cotton, certified by GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard. The only exception is the grey marl. Due to its inherent blend of threads is too weak to successfully produce the ultra-lightweight quality we desire. As techniques evolve, we hope this will change. We have, however, pledged from the beginning that production values are to be considered in balance with the overall quality and beauty of a garment.

C ri de Coeur ||style conscious with a conscience :: ethical contemporary fashion|| MG: When you decided to create shoes in an ethically responsible way did you get any resistance from those around you? JD: I think there is a resistance to non-leather goods in this industry when presenting a designer quality shoe that is made of vegan products. I think that we are filling the void for those who seek out quality, but also want to make conscious choices that they can live with. The more people are educated about the impact the fashion industry can have on reversing global warming while also improving quality of life for people and animals (with regard to leather tanneries, meat industry and animal welfare) the more people want to support companies that are cruelty-free but also meets high-end fashion demands. MG: Have your designs been effected by your choices in material? JD: We seek out the highest quality fabrics for our shoes and handbags. The more "eco" they are, t

NIKKI AND HER DOG N ikki Fotheringham is a rockstar. She's a full time writer creating content for renewable energy and green buildings. Her blog http://www.nikkifotheringham.com/ is chock full of sagely advice for the sustainable future. Bryan: Hi Nikki!  Nikki: Hi Bryan and thanks so much for this lovely opportunity. Its nice to be on the other side of the interview for a change.  Bryan: How did you get your start in writing content for renewable energy and green building?  Nikki: I had been a writer for many years. I started as a reporter in my hometown of Durban, South Africa. I went on to become an editor for a property magazine for several years until I wanted to travel. I spent the next 8 years traveling around the world. I met my husband at my first destination and we funded our rock and roll lifestyle on a mix of travel writing and teaching English. Traveling really brings home the many things we have to be grateful for in our lives and seeing the impact our

Originally Posted in Technorati   M arci Zaroff is a pioneer in the sustainable fiber and fashion industry. She was just included in the definitive book ECO-AMAZONS.  Marci is finishing up behind the scenes work which will allow the launch of immersing lifestyle boutiques in 2012 and several new brand partnerships that reach all tiers of retail distribution. After seeing the industry grow from 240 million dollars a year in the nineties to almost 6 billion dollars in 2011. Zaroff has a lot to be proud of.  But she remains focused, open, and dedicated to the principle that eco-fashion can be great looking, silky soft and good for people and the planet.  This is the first article in a series. Bryan Ogden: I understand you coined the term "Eco-Fashion".  I was wondering what you were thinking when you came up with that nomenclature. Marci Zaroff: When you look back on my background I had from a very early age embraced the world of health and wellness and ecology an