Olivia Zaleski · Eco-Chick

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Project Earth Day Fashion Show in NYC

By Olivia Zaleski and Starre Vartan

The above video, filmed by Brian Clark Howard, with Olivia Zaleski as host and Starre Vartan as producer, was recorded the night before the fashion show. Check it out to hear from some of the designers who showed their stuff, as well as learn about the sustainable aspects of the show’s set design.

NEW YORK, Thursday, April 19th – Who knew organic cotton, hemp, and recycled soybean fiber could be so hot? Well, we at Eco Chick had a pretty good idea, but thanks to EGBNY’s Project Earth Day Fashion Show, the rest of the world is catching on. The show featured two sections: a student-design competition, and a local NYC eco-designers showcase, proving once and for all that green is beautiful, sexy, and fashion-forward, not frumpy.

Set & runway designer Amber Nelson
Image by Starre Vartan

Organized by EGBNY (which stands for Emerging Green Builders New York, and is part of the national US Green Building Council), and co-sponsored by Teknion, Green Drinks, and 02NYC, the event pulled out all the green stops by reducing, reusing, and recycling on all levels, including a sustainable runway made from 100% recycled plastics, re-using shipping pallets (which will be returned to the warehouse after the show), and modular carpet samples made from recycled fibers. Even the hardware securing the runway was salvaged.

Project Earth Day fashion show coordinator Molly Garretson says, “EGBNY wanted to host a fun annual event to celebrate Earth Day and to encourage learning, networking, and sharing new ideas about green interior design and eco-fashion.” Mission certainly accomplished!

Part One: The Student Competition

The winning student design, by Xay Xiong
Image by Josh Wiese

Second-place winner from designer Kacie Rushton
Image by Josh Wiese

Rear detail of Rushton’s recycled polyester pants and hemp jacket
Image by Starre Vartan

Third-place winner Jennifer Kim’s futuristic creation
Image by Josh Wiese

Red Dress
Image by Starre Vartan

Back of Red Dress
Image by Starre Vartan

An Honorable Mention went to for this Chanel-print-inspired coat by Caroline Hur.
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress made with recycled fabrics and a bodice woven from a plastic bag

Student designers with their models
Image by Starre Vartan

The judges’ table (from L to R): Jennifer Busch of Contract Magazine, Randy Fahey of Gensler, Christian Larsen from MoMA, Jill Danyelle, of FiftyRX3 (and a designer herself) and Margaret Lydecker of GreenDrinksNYC.
Image by Starre Vartan

Part Two: Local NYC Eco-Fashion Designers

Bahar Sharpar dress

AuH2O reworked top (from men’s pants) and skirt
Image by Josh Wiese

AuH2O restructured/recycled dress
Image by Josh Wiese

Doie dress
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress from Ekhovarhuset
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress from Ekhovarhuset
Image by Josh Wiese

Yellow Loyale frock
Image by Josh Wiese

Image by Josh Wiese

Men’s organic cotton denim jumpsuit
Image by Josh Wiese

Charcoal Hemp Suit
Image by Josh Wiese

For more pictures, check out the Flickr photostream.
For more coverage, go to Inhabitat

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Sea of People Takes Lower Manhattan

5 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 04/15/07

by guest-blogger Olivia Zaleski

Yesterday I went to my first global warming rally, which was part of the Step It Up 2007 campaign (check out their page to see fun images from all over the United States). In Battery Park at the lower tip of Manhattan, I joined an estimated 1,200 fellow protesters to create a “Sea Of People,” (also the name of the local event).

Scientists warn sea levels could rise 10 feet or more, enough to flood Lower Manhattan and other low-lying coastal areas, which was the idea behind the placement of NYC’s event. In Battery Park I rallied along side some feisty protesters along with a plethora of people dressed as sea creatures, endangered species, and anything maritime-related you could think of.

Manhattan’s Sea of People was just one of 1,400 plus other events across all 50 states, which were part of the Step It Up Campaign to convince Congress to reduce heat-trapping carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The campaign was created by Middlebury (VT) students, professors, and environmentalist Bill McKibben, author of the 1989 book on global warming, The End of Nature.