United Nations Celebrates Fibers and Biodiversity with Eco Chic Fashion Show in Geneva

I just ran across this video from the eco fashion show that was held a few weeks ago at the Palais de Nations, the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (See if you can spot eco models Summer Rayne Oakes and Kate Dillon among the grey-coiffed walkers.)

EcoChic Fashion Geneva brought 2009, the UN’s Year of the Natural Fiber to a close and ushered in 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity, with the show shown above, as well as other events. The clothes above were created by couturiers Thakoon, Diane von Furstenberg, Noir and others, from ecomaterials or local fabrics in a palette of black, cream, and red. Ready to wear collections by Edun, Nixxi, The Battalion, and more were also shown.

But the event wasn’t just about admiring the clothes. Panels on a variety of subjects informed attendees of the various aspects of fashion’s impact on people and the planet. According to Abigail Doan at Ecouterre, the panels explored “..the dearth of affordable environmentally friendly textiles, the absence of government support for students and young designers in developing nations, and the lack of consistency in sustainability standards (or even a shared vocabulary) worldwide.

For more images and info, see Ecouterre.

designer, eco fashion, Europe, Fashion, video

Starre Vartan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick and author of The Eco-Chick Guide to Life (St. Martin's Press). A problogger and oft-quoted green living expert who has been featured in the NYTimes, Elle, Glamour and Whole Living, she is a contributor to The Huffington Post, Inhabitat, and Hearst's The Daily Green, and is currently editor-at-large for Coco Eco Magazine. An active ecofashionista, she has style edited for Plenty magazine and coordinated runway shows. She splits her time between Connecticut and NYC and calls Sydney, Australia her second home, even though it was her first (as that's where she was born and most of her family resides). When not writing, blogging, or researching her next book, she is trailrunning, trying to cook, or snowboarding.