On April 21, Sad Mag writers Jessica Russell and Farah Tozy went on assignment for Vancouver’s Eco-Fashion Week with the intent of discovering how fashion—that most of ephemeral and wasteful of pursuits—justifies its involvement in the eco-friendly scene. How do luxury and consumerism co-exist with frugality and restraint? Over the following days, Jess and Farah discovered quite a lot that is new (most of it vintage!) in fashion and the green movement. Part 1 of 3.

 

 GOING GREEN // Eco-Fashion Week // P.1

Jess and Farah here, reporting from Robson Square on season six of Eco-Fashion Week, where we got a taste of Vancouver’s fabulous fashion scene, and started to feel a bit like celebrities ourselves. (Can you say complimentary Noodlebox and cocktails?) We discovered that eco-friendly fashion has a wide variety of incentives, initiatives and styles, which demonstrate just how inclusive eco-fashion and sustainable clothing’s development has become. EFW showcased designers and products not only from Vancouver, but from all around the world.

But before the good life goes to our heads—all those free carbs!—let’s turn to the people who are actually talented: raw material designer Madera Elena, Diana Svensk with her warm stylings, and Evan Ducharme with his polished looks.

 

MADERA ELENA, MERELY ME

“This woman radiated positive energy. I felt an honesty that is hard to come by.” -Jess

“Grace.” That is the word New Yorker Madera Elena chose to describe her collection, “Merely Me.” Elena believes that everything we have in this world is given to us, and it is our responsibility to reuse, recycle and protect the earth we live on. Her spiritual outlook influences every aspect of her collection; this season, she placed her focus on earth tones, pure whites and grays.

From Elena we learned that the most common reason people throw away their clothing is because it doesn’t fit anymore. Which is why, instead of using buttons, all of Madera’s pieces are tacked with a floral pin that is adjustable and allows the body to be free and comfortable. Each of her versatile pieces is reversible, convertible and can be worn in at least three different ways. In order to reduce her carbon footprint, she uses 80% recycled fabrics for her clothing in addition to recycled paper for her shoes and accessories. Her fabrics are light, breathable and simple.

According to Elena, we should recycle our clothes, just as we recycle our experiences throughout our lives, by taking the ugly things that don’t “fit” and making them positive. She left us with these inspiring words: “Being conscious of who we are is just ‘Merely Me.’”

 

DIANA SVENSK, SVENSK DESIGNS

“Diana was such a riot to talk to! I honestly wanted to hang out with her after the show, and of course, borrow all her clothes!” –Farah

We have never met a more down-to-earth designer than charismatic Swedish designer, Diana Svensk. Svensk creates knitwear that is fun, flirty and wearable, focusing on warm and comfortable feel-good clothing. Svensk began her business making bow hats, and now she incorporates her velour bows as a trademark into her skirts, jackets, sweaters and winter accessories.

In her words, her style is “what you see is what you get.” Her designs are straightforward and are easily worn with a pair of black leggings. This one-of-a-kind designer embraces feminine colours such as pale pink and mustard yellow in combination with bold patterns. What makes her clothing eco-friendly is her use of 100% organic alpaca wool which is hypoallergenic as well as seven times warmer, three times stronger than sheep’s wool.

When asked about Eco-Fashion in Sweden, Svensk replied that it is developing and hopes that her appearance in Vancouver Eco-fashion week will help her generate awareness back at home.

 

 

 

EVAN DUCHARME, BELLADONA

“We knew he nailed it, and so did he. Fighting back tears of happiness, Evan melted our hearts and we were there to witness his first huge success!” –Jess and Farah

VCAD graduate Evan Ducharme blew us away with his collection “Belladonna” featuring feminine silhouettes, detailed tailoring, and a sophisticated modern style. This 20 year-old Manitoba native started connecting with the fashion world by volunteering at Eco-Fashion week. He was then approached by the head of Eco-Fashion week, Myriam Laroche, to present his first eco-friendly collection. Designing in East Vancouver, he utilizes reclaimed fabrics as well as natural fibres and transforms them into reworked form-fitting garments.

Together with inspiration from style icons Bette Davis and Audrey Hepburn, Ducharme aims to create a look for women of all ages who are strong and independent. Ducharme explained that military jackets had a big impact on his vision for this collection; he wanted to focus on accentuating the waist by cinching it in and having fuller skirts on the bottom. We look forward to seeing what this young designer does next!