Organic by John Patrick's Urban Commune: S/S 2013 at New York Fashion Week
John Patrick’s Spring/Summer 2013 presentation at New York Fashion Week this morning was more than just a runway show; it was a statement. He called it “unplugged and authentic” and those weren’t just buzzwords. Just moments before the show began, the large airy midtown space was lightened up via a huge retractable skylight that had previously been covered. Even though it was a bit rainy and not exactly a bluebird skies kind of day, the simple action revealed how powerful solar energy can be. The giant energy-sucking klieg lights that usually click on prior to a runway show were unneeded (all the images below were taken without flash).
According to the show’s handout: “The story of Spring ’13 is about embracing the history of textiles and man’s relationship to them. Irish linen is a dominant fabric in the collection, which is an inherent natural and sustainable fabric choice of our urban commune,” said John Patrick. “The collection is not body conscious, but conscious of the body.”
I loved the comfortable, androgynous-with-a-twist two-piece shorts suit and the translucent fabrics, which are ideal for layering according to the vicissitudes of spring.
And of course fabrics used had the Earth in mind (and Patrick has for a decade now): the parkas are made from recycled cotton and nylon, shirts are made from Irish linen and organic cotton voile, and the shirtdress (top image) is made from recycled gauze.
All images by Starre Vartan.
Starre Vartan
Starre Vartan is founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick.com and the author of the Eco-Chick Guide to Life. She's also a freelance science and environment writer who has published in National Geographic, CNN, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, the NRDC, and many more. She lives on an island in Puget Sound with her partner and black cat. She was a geologist in her first career, and still picks up rocks wherever she goes.
