Full Article in GERMAN: HERE
c/o Ethical Fashion Show, Berlin
Twice a year “Ethical Fashion Show” and “GREENShowRoom show sustainably produced clothing for street and casual wear. Nothing has remained from the image of its old fashioned image of past years. The new ethical fashion shows itself in a fresh an inviting manner.
c/o Green Show Room
Environmental aspects are taken into consideration as well as fair working conditions and ethical aspects. The program offers lectures and panel discussions that identify emerging trends and opportunities.
Ecological, sustainably produced and ethically sound products – such as underwear, outerwear, footwear, accessories: all areas are represented. Visitors can find out from designers, manufacturers and suppliers present about the production of the goods shown, raw materials and working conditions of the producers.
Fairtrade, Germany
Customers increasingly want to know about the values behind a trademark. They want to feel content with what they wear on their bodies and they care to identify themselves with methods of production and environmental awareness and protection associated with it.
Buyers are increasingly concerned with working conditions under which garments for the European market are produced and where the profits go to. The internet provides plenty of information about fashion production to a growing audience.
Vegan Fashion
Apart from the ecological production of clothing and fair working conditions for garment workers demand rises for vegan products in the clothing segment. People living vegan care to buy clothing free of animal products. Most shoes still contain materials derived from animals even if no leather is used. Most of the glues used in shoe production still contain animal products and buttons sometimes are made of horn or bone.
New materials for clothes can be found at the fair, too. Those who know cork only from the floor might be surprised – there are a number of appealing designs not only for bags and shoes, but also for jackets in leather optics.
Cork Bags
Underwear must not necessarily be made of cotton, silk or wool. One needs to rethink the uses of beech wood. New technical possibilities allow the processing of beech fibers for underwear and the end product almost feels like silk. It comes with another asset: reduced need for water in production is said to be significantly lower than in the production of cotton.
Particularly interesting in times of ever growing piles of garbage are everyday objects which can be recycled almost completely after use. For example, handbags made of coir – apart from two screws the bags are completely biodegradable.
Coir Bag
Interesting approaches emerge in “upcycling” of clothes – old pieces are not just recycled but rather receive an upgrade. Nylon stockings, for example, are turned into evening gowns, skirts, bags or jackets.
Aspirations of the ethical and ecological fashion week are there but the good intentions and ideas have not yet arrived in a mainstream manner at consumer level. As long as fashion is still fast changing, is simply “consumed” and low prices considered “sexy” we have not arrived at a turning point although that would be very much in need. A shift from cheap consumption towards a longer-term use of high-quality, ethical and fairly produced garments would be a big step towards protecting the environment and for humanity.
Full Article in GERMAN: HERE