Announcing the Featured Designers of the 5th Annual Redress Eco Fashion Show

We are at it again and this year we're going big!

This March Redress Raleigh celebrates its 5 Year Anniversary all weekend long with the Eco-Fashion & Textiles Conference featuring our annual Eco-Fashion Show. Redress Raleigh is hosting its biggest show yet and we hope you'll be there to take note of the excellent eco-collections available to choose from this spring. 

The Eco-Fashion Show takes place Saturday, March 23rd at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. Attendees are welcome to join us early and enjoy pre-show cocktails and photoshoots starting at 8pm. The fashion show is scheduled to start at 9pm. 

We had the privilege and honor to interview phenomenal designers based in the Triangle and other parts of North Carolina and our decision was not made easily. We are happy to announce the following designers will be featuring their newest collections on the runway! 

Jessica Johnson Moore, Owner & Designer at Little Grey Line 

Marissa Heyl, Owner & Designer at Symbology 

Pilar Ramirez, Owner & Jeweler at Pamor Designs 

Barton Strawn and Paul Connor, Owners & Designers at Lumina Clothing 

Zulay and Stephanie Smith, Owners & Jewelers at ZassDesigns 

Kim Kirchstein, Owner & Designer at Leopold Designs 

Melissa Lowery, Owner & Jeweler at ssdjewelry 

Emily Kirchem, Owner & Designer at edie kaye 

Jamie Powell, Owner & Designer at Revamp & Johanna Ely, Owner & Jeweler at Good Girl Studios 

Kimberly Ring and Ford Bowman, with Intelligent Design 

Katy Deckard, Designer & Claudia Corletto, Handbag Designer 

We will have additional information about the designers early next week so make sure to check back and learn more about these amazing artists and their work. 

AirDye® Waterless Textile Printing Technology

If there’s one thing you should know about us, it’s that we LOVE textile technology and learning about new advancements in the industry. Two of us (Beth and Mor) are graduates of NCSU’s College of Textiles, and we were fortunate enough to learn about and be surrounded by some remarkable technology.

JulieApple design on the Redress 2012 Eco Fashion ShowWhen we featured Julianne Applegate of JulieApple at our 2012 Eco Fashion Show, we fell head over heels for both her handbag designs and her decision to use AirDye® technology to print those designs on Repreve fabric -- polyester made from 100% post-consumer waste (we’ll tell you more about them in another post). We were familiar with low-impact, low-water usage technology such as the textile printers Spoonflower uses in their production, and were excited to hear about AirDye® ‘s waterless printing technology.

“AirDye® technology manages the application of color to textiles without the use of water” and we agree that “It is today’s sustainable alternative to traditional dyeing and printing processes.” According to the website, “the entire process is waste-free: the paper is recycled, and used dyes and toners are also recycled to make tar and asphalt -- using AirDye® to print or dy a single garment can save up to 25 gallons of water.” AirDye® doesn’t stop there! The technology is capable of producing a brilliant range of customizable colors and patterns, reversible fabric, and ability to match two sides of the same fabric ranging from athletic-performance stretch to sheers to delicate chiffons.

Living in a world with finite resources and amazing innovations such as AirDye®, we can now allocate resources more efficiently and prioritizing needs, such as drinking water as opposed to contaminated, dye baths that end up harming ecosystems around the world. Visit AirDye® to learn more about their technology, green initiatives, and see examples of both fashion and interior textiles.

“AirDye® technology is a proprietary process created by parent company Colorep®, Inc. As a world innovator, Colorep is passionate about creating new printing and dyeing technologies that improve quality, value, and accessibility while helping to sustain the planet.” 

What a Great Way to Finish the Weekend

It's been a very busy weekend so far at Redress Raleigh. We've met a lot of designers (who are all great, btw), and are very excited about announcing some new details tomorrow. Maybe even a designer list....

So, what's the best way to finish out a long weekend of talking to people who believe in eco fashion as much as we do? Finding out that Livia Firth, wife of Colin Firth and the Creative Director at Eco-Age, has launched her search for the next Green Carpet Challenge winner. Bottom line, the winner has their creations worn on the world's most famous red carpets, including movie premieres, awards shows, and fashion weeks.

We love that green fashion is here to stay!

Eco Criteria for Clothes

Most people use the term eco fashion to describe clothes created or manufactured in such a way as to contribute to a healthier world. There are fashion shows built on that concept, such as Portland Fashion Week, and many designers are participating in the eco fashion revolution. Funny thing is, eco fashion has been around since the hippy dippy 60's, and we've only recently defined what it means to any particular group of people.

So....how many definitions for eco fashion are there? Well, turns out there are at least eight. Surprised? I was. The eight types of eco fashion are:

• vegan
• ethically produced
• craft
• custom
• fair trade certified
• organic
• recycled/upcycled
• vintage

So what do all these terms mean, and how are they different?

Vegan refers to clothing that is made without the use of leather or animal products. This concept is central to the current debate related to the use of real fur in faux fur, and the inappropriate labeling of faux fur. That's probably a blog for another day.

Respecting people and the environment is the core criteria for ethically produced. It takes a while to become certified as organic or to get the Fair Trade certification, and the companies using the terminology ethically produced are working on getting that certification. The concept is that they are behaving in compliance with Fair Trade or organic criteria, and want some recognition until enough time has passed for them to get certified.

Craft is eco, but only as defined by the segment of the population that wants to preserve hand stitching, piece work and 'homemade' skills. I still have fond memories of learning to cross-stitch, and it's definitely an achievement to create something homemade.

I was a bit puzzled about this next category, because custom made clothing doesn't seem all that eco. The theory is that custom made clothing encourages quality and a slow manufacturing process rather than fashion that is mass-produced. The logic seems to work.

Fair Trade Certified and organic are frequently used interchangeably, but there are distinct differences. Fair Trade Certified is a certification that supports and promotes standards for international labor practices. Organic refers to clothing made from natural fibers grown without the use of pesticides or toxins.

Recycled and upcycled are fairly self-explanatory. If it's made from something already made, you're reducing the amount of trash sent to the landfill. Hoo-rah!

Vintage - same principal applies here as to recycling and upcycling. If you can make it work in your wardrobe, and don't have to purchase new, you're reducing the impact to the environment.

Now that you know what the various definitions are for eco fashion, what do you think? Have any to add? Think one (or more) should be subtracted?

Kotik Precious Metals

I just came across these rings designed by Yoav Kotik, a graduate of Bezalel academy of art and design in Jerusalem. To the every day consumer, Kotik's materials are useless recycling bin contents; metal bottle caps and scraps from global beverage companies. Kotik's team collects these 'precious metals' and give them a total re-birth, setting them into beautiful and stylish rings. Kotik Design Wishlisted! Kotik Design