EcoFashion Lab Interview: Chun

Name: Chun
Age: 25
Hobbies: Watching movies
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

I liked the idea of using old clothing to create something new.

What inspired your sketch?

I was inspired by the form of square and I wanted to keep my design modern and simple.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Cristina

Name: Cristina
Age: 23
Hobbies: Art - Drawing, Painting
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why do you think Ecofashion important?

I chose to participate in the second edition of the EcoFashion lab because I think it is a great opportunity for visibility for young fashion designers.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

I find this to be a very interesting part of the criteria for the competition. I am always attentive to ethical and sustainable fashion. I also participated in the first edition of EcoFashion Lab, proving very successful with a garment made ​​of acchiappacolori. I did not win, but I received a special mention by the jury. This year I decided to try again!

What inspired your sketch?

The outfit was inspired by a Vionnet dress reinvented with a minimalist style. Now it is current, more modern, but geometrically defined. The dress color is fine and elegant for the day. Lastly, I characterize my style choices as a minimalist simplicity of form with a great sense of color.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Hyewook

Name: Hyewook
Age: 23
Hobbies: Painting and Travelling
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why do you think Ecofashion important?

I think that thinking about ecofashion is good for the future of our environment.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

I thought it was a great opportunity to gain some experience through design.

What inspired your sketch?

My design will be based off of deconstructive elements.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Veronica

Name: Veronica
Age: 22
Hobbies: Watching what happens around her and taking photos of it!
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why do you think Ecofashion is important?


The obvious answer is: "This is an important topic that touches us all". This we know. Unfortunately, with fashion I believe that much can change and I hope that more designers are approaching this issue - creating an image conscious and sending a strong concept to safeguard the planet.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

Because I fully support the concept of this event and wanted to make a collection based on it.

What has inspired your sketch?


Instinctively I thought of green meadows and that cold that only nature can provide. I am so invested in the feelings that I was struck with by the them. Thanks to an accurate image search, I tried to think holistically by recreating a simple dress with fabric inserts overlapping thus obtaining an effect of lightness and movement.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Marina

Name: Marina
Age: 24
Hobbies: Drawing, Designing and Sewing clothes, Reading, Travelling and discovering new places. She sings in a band and plays the flute. She likes photography, cinema, the history of fashion and art. She also writes on a personal blog (link below).
Field of Study: Fashion Design, thesis in Kimonos


Why do you think Ecofashion is important?


In my way of designing dresses the ethical aspect is very important. In my projects I am always careful to respect the environment and I always try to use natural materials, old dresses and remnants. For example, I made a corset  with canvas and decorated with old vintage buttons and last April I exhibited it during Milan Design Week in a exhibition called Eco#Net, whose theme was recycling and environmental projects. Especially at present, fashion has to think more about environment, recycling and quality, and less regarding to increase irresponsible consumer society.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

Because I was and am looking for competitions about fashion and especially about environment. I found EcoFashionLab’s theme of recycling clothes very interesting.

What has inspired your sketch?

My sketch was inspired by a different re-use of old jeans and, as always in my design, by Japanese fashion (kimono, dress’ adaptability to the body...), and by sculpture-dresses by Roberto Capucci. When I could get the clothes from AIESEC I decided to use denim, black and white lace.

--- Marina's Blog!

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Lidia

Name: Lidia
Age: 21
Hobbies: Photography, Drawing, Watching Movies, and Reading.
Field of Study: Fashion Design


Why do you think Ecofashion important?

I think that with ecofashion we can create beautiful garments and part of their beauty comes right from the fair philosophy beneath them.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

My professor kept us in contact. The theme inspired me, so I decided to sketch something for the competition.

What inspired your sketch?

I wanted to enhance the beauty of a sartorial piece of garment and make it the fundamental piece of a dress. The sleeve of the denim shirt got my attention, so I drew a dress in which the basic structure was a t-shirt, while the front and the skirt were created assembling shirt sleeves.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Malitza

Name: Malitza
Age: 22
Hobbies: Cooking and Knitting, especially.
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why do you think Ecofashion important?

It is wrong to say nowadays. It is something that should have always been in our minds and a good opportunity to start thinking now if not before about fashion and how it can change. Especially to me it means sustainability - consciously doing fashion and showing that even 'eco' can be in fashion.  A lot of people think that just because something is eco it has to look a certain way.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

I heard about it from friends and saw it on the Internet and I thought it's a great possibility to be involved in such a project. It's a great possibility especially for students, which isn't often in this town.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

 I hope to work for a company or maybe start my own business with my own vision of fashion and changing the world in terms of fashion.

What inspired your sketch?

When I read about the rules, this year we were supposed to concentrate on cotton and denim. As I'm not used to working with denim, I wanted to find a way to combine two of my passions which is knitting. I used a normal pair of jeans and cut it into very thin strips and I'm going to knit it together for a portion of the outfit. I also plan to dip-dye the pants. I was inspired by streetwear and women's fashion and thought about doing a retro 60's idea.

EcoFashion Lab Interview: Greta & Fabio

Names: Greta and Fabio
Ages: Both 19
Hobbies: Greta likes basketball. Fabio says he doesn't really have time outside of school.
Field of Study: Fashion Design

Why do you think Ecofashion important?

Greta: It's important to be eco, because nowadays there is a lot of talk about the environment and we need to work on preserving our world.


Fabio: It's important to reuse old clothes, because a lot have already been invented.

Why did you join the EcoFashion Lab?

Greta: We wanted to express ourselves and at the same time thought the contest would give us a chance to see what other people can do with materials and other ideas.


Fabio: We wanted to because we wanted to do something during our first year in school.


Where do you see yourselves in five years?

 In fashion design, working together, and having our own line.


What inspired your sketch?

Fabio: We thought about a woman living in the jungle and we wanted to put together strips and a lot of color to show this.


Greta: It's supposed to be elegant and sophisticated and we want to record our stuff and maybe do something through a different process. We just want to use our stuff in a creative way.

Eco Trash Couture

Nancy Judd, the founder of Recycle Runway, want to change the collective mindset of society through her work that forces people to think about the intersection of the environment and fashion. She designs all of her work with 'trash' in mind and how she can make it beautiful! Some of her work can already be seen as a part of the Smithsonian's permanent collection and she has been sponsored by such international organizations as Delta Airlines, Toyota, Coca-Cola, and Target.

The photo below is one of her works entitled, "Crime Scene". She used tape from police scenes across the West and covered a dress made of table cloths. She admits it took about 50 hours to create and was completed in 2011.

Check out her work and maybe you can get to see some of her work live.

http://recyclerunway.com/

Terra New York + Biodegradable Raincoats

Sustainable isn't always the most affordable, but at the very least Terra New York makes it beautiful. Made from biodegradable polyurethane material, these stunning raincoats are only a few of what you can check out on their website!

Coming in at a whooping $300USD, you're sure to get your money's worth because these coats go through an intense creation process - with heat sealing and about 75 individual molds for just one seam.

If you can get your hands on one of these coats, you'll be sure to look amazing whether you're walking in a light drizzle or riding your bicycle in a torrential downpour!

- Matthew Willis

http://www.terranewyork.com/

Ecouterre & The Future of Sustainable Fashion

Ecouterre is an amazing website devoted to 'the future of sustainable fashion'.

In September 2009, Jill Fehrenbacher started Ecouterre to 'dispel any disparaging stereotypes that still cling to the concept of eco-fashion while highlighting innovations in fiber technology that will help pave the way for designers and manufacturers to embrace sustainable materials and processes'.

You may not have time to get something new, interesting, and sustainable before Monday, but you can get a head start on your ideas for next year's Eco-Fashion Lab Show!

www.ecouterre.com

- Matthew Willis

H&M and Sustainability

Here is an inspiring video on H&M's stance on sustainability.  The company provides ONLY sustainable fashion, not just one or the other.  Watch Ann-Sofie Johansson, Head of Design at H&M and Helena Helmersson, Head of Sustainability at H&M talk about fashion and sustainability.

Save the Date

The EcoFashion Lab is throwing their second annual EcoFashion Lab Show and you're invited!

It will be held at the beautiful Halldis Gallery located here in Milan and we are excited to present some amazing upcoming artists and designers!

The show will kickoff at 5:30PM and promptly at 7PM aperativo will be served. At 7:30PM, all of our amazing guests will have free access to the bar!

Dress code will be semi-formal, so get dolled up and wear your most fashionable attire. Remember not only those on the runway will be models!

So don't forget to mark you calendars and get your tickets - you don't want to miss this

THIS IS A TICKETED EVENT!

Our Sponsor

We would like to thank BCC Sesto San Giovanni as our official sponsor of the EcoFashion Lab fashion show.  For more information about the bank and company visit there website below.

www.bccsestosangiovanni.it