Adhesif Clothing
The final day of fashion shows at Eco Fashion Week S/S13 featured three shows presenting a huge range of styles. The first show was made up of a group of six designers from Quebec, the second and final shows featured local Vancouver designers. Opening the evening was Myco Anna, a clothing and accessory label that mixes new and recycled fabrics. The pieces feature the blocking of different fabrics, often with just a small element, drawing attention to the unique shapes.
C5H8
Ressac bags were showcased. Each bag is made of punctured inner tubes, which are collected from bike repair shops. There was also a second accessory designer, C5H8, who created bags and belts from bike tires and air chambers. Apparently there are a lot of flat tires in Quebec, but it results in unique materials that can be worked to look like leather and produce beautiful accessories. The Respecterre clothing line from Quebec is a line of casual ware produced by an ecovillage community in Quebec, using eco-textiles such as bamboo, hemp and lyocell.
Voyou
The Voyou line from Quebec is striving to create clothing accessible to everyone, while at the same time being reflective of their community. The collection was soft and feminine, using a lot of cotton and natural fibers. It felt very wearable and casual; perfect pieces for summer afternoons or garden parties.
atelier b.
The final show of the Quebec designers was from atelier b., a collection designed by two women who have always focused on combining ethical production, innovation and quality. The pieces also felt very summer-daytime, but were more tailored and structured; a bit more classic. There were a few men’s pieces and bathing suits as well, and some beautiful rope-inspired accessories.
RISE Upcycling
The second runway set featured two designers, RISE Upcycling and Standing Armed. RISE considers itself a “collective” – a group of designers all working towards creating a mass market demand for used and upcycled clothing through the use of a branding image. That image is a small red feather embroidered on each piece of clothing, intended to build logo power (think the Nike swoosh) and as they put “bring sexy back to thrift.”
The collection was young, fun and 80’s inspired and featured unique and interesting details in how the used garments were altered. There were a lot of bright denims, cut off shorts and tanks. You could see how the designers had reworked existing garments and created new unique pieces. There were meticulously added details, and of course a little red feather.
Standing Armed
The Standing Armed collection was a strong contrast to the pieces from RISE, with graceful and easy femininity. The S/S13 collection featured mostly soft colours and natural fibres, with added dimension using a beautiful brocade fabric. The cut of the long dresses was very flattering and sexy, and had beautiful movement. There were also some pieces with darker tones and black dresses perfect for summer evenings.
Adhesif Clothing
The closing show of the 5th season of Eco Fashion Week was from veteran local eco-designer Melissa Ferreira’s Adhesif Clothing. The S/S13 collection was a tribute to her past designs, as Adhesif will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this coming spring. Each of Melissa’s pieces uses vintage and/or recycled materials, creating a full collection of one-of-a-kinds. Adhesif collections are commonly a lot of dresses, and always a large mix of textiles and patterns, creating playful and bold designs. This year’s collection definitely didn’t disappoint and was a fabulous way to wrap-up the runway shows of Eco Fashion Week S/S13.
My highlights: the bright, cut-off denim shorts from RISE, with an added bow detail to the back pockets, making me wish I was still 18; a backless black dress from Standing Armed that floated down the runway and will never go out of style.
Jessica McIlroy is the Chief Awareness Officer of Eco Fashion Week and an eco fashion online contributor. She holds a Masters in Environmental Sustainability and a MBA, and works to build awareness on global sustainability issues. Follow her on twitter @jessicamcilroy
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