By Courtney Kistler
New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study hosted its first annual “Eco-Fashion Week” last week to highlight the emergent trends throughout the world of eco-fashion. The event featured work by members of Gallatin’s fashion community–from notable designers to renowned scholars.
Over the course of three days, participants in Gallatin’s Eco-Fashion Week gathered for workshops, lectures and panel discussions regarding environmentally and socially responsible clothing.
“Let’s make stuff from stuff we already own” were the words of the opening act–two Gallatin students boasting a ukulele and a microphone whose melodic message engaged a tightly-packed audience addressing the night’s fashion concept, recycling and reusing.
The series–organized and produced by a diverse committee of students, alumni, faculty and administrators–culminated the “Haute Eco-uture” runway show featuring designs by Gallatin students and alumni held at NYU’s LEED Certified Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts.
Introducing themselves, amateur and professional designers took the stage explaining the ways in which their pieces were sustainable or “green.” Each line was shown off by NYU student models who strutted fabulous duds made out of a variety of materials including bed sheets, curtains, gift-wrapping ribbons, and black, purple, and multi-colored umbrellas gathered from the sidewalks, streets, and garbage cans of New York City.
NYU Gallatin freshman, Alex Chernow says, “Hemp pants are not the only option!” Chernow’s dresses were sewn together from the curtains and bed sheets of friends and thrift stores.
Designs by Alex Chernow
Chernow’s classmate, Ben Fainlight, agreed saying, “One doesn’t need to wear hemp to be eco-friendly,” citing ‘hippies and hemp’ as no longer the conventional concept of green fashion. Ben used organic cotton as a base for the dresses featured on the runway, accented by ribbons recovered from household gifts and zippers from garments he’d made in the past.
Designs by Ben Fainlight
Eco-fashion often lends itself to cruelty-free fashion, which made Amia Yokoyama’s leather-based designs controversial. But Yokoyama, a senior at Gallatin, defended her use of the once-living material, saying that every piece of leather was salvaged and reused, collected from vintage or thrift shops, or “dusty corners of friends’ closets.”
Amia Yokoyama
Inspired by philosophies learned while living on the South Dakota Crow Creed Indian Reservation at age 15, she says, “I like the idea of giving forgotten clothes a second life – a chance to be reincarnated. Next time you are about to throw out your old circa 1992 leather jacket, hand it over to me and let me give it another life.”
Amia Yokoyama--Leather Collar, Shorts
Amia Yokoyama--Leather Short Dress with Leather Strands
Amia Yokoyama--Leather Vest
Seanna Sharpe, another Gallatin Senior, decided to make dresses out of used umbrellas that she found on the streets of New York City. Attributing the diversity of color in the dresses to a recent rainstorm, Seanna introduced her “umbrella dresses” and even took to the runway herself.
Designs by Seanna Sharpe
“When making these dresses, I tried to work with the shape of the umbrella as much as possible. I cut without drawn lines or patterns, instead following the lines of the material and allowing the shapes of the clothing to emerge.”
Sharpe added, “There is an incredible inspiration in poverty. In a time when the world’s resources are running short, perhaps we must reconsider what is precious.”
Designs by Seanna Sharpe
Kate Goldwater, a 2006 NYU graduate, presented dresses and skirt outfits from her AuH2O brand and “eco-friendly and socially-conscious clothing store” in New York City’s East Village. Goldwater said that at NYU she combined her sewing hobby with a passion for feminism, activism, and the environment to create her own major, which she aptly titled Art and Clothing for Social Justice.
AuH20 by Kate Goldwater
“I make all of AuH2O clothing from recycled materials, such as old t-shirts, sweaters, ties, vintage slips and dresses, costumes, curtains, and other unwanted fabric. I sew everything myself at my store, so there is no sweatshop labor, mass production, or carbon dioxide emitting shipments,” Kate said.
Designs by Kate Goldwater
Kate Goldwater--Leopard Top, Skirt
Kate Goldwater--Multi-Layer Night Dress
Also showing off eco-designs was the trio from Posture Magnetic. Straying just slightly from the “re-use” concept, Posture Magnetic utilizes organic cotton for outer space and cosmic patterns in leggings and t-shirts, which the designers said stemmed from “sacred geometry and occult symbolism.”
Posture Magnetic--Women's
The Gallatin School of Individualized Study, a small innovative college within New York University, gives students the opportunity to design a program of study tailored to their own needs and interests. For more information visit www.nyu.edu/gallatin.
What an amazing event in NY! I am thrilled to see so many young designers embracing sustainable fabrics and design elements. Not sure about leather as even recycled leather can contain substances that are known petrochemicals and carcinogens. Its a tricky subject.
Still fabulous to see this kind of event taking place!
I attended this show and was impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm these young designers showed! Great job.
Though I have to agree with Beth above, that leather is really not a sustainable material…although it’s certainly better to re-use old than buy new.
What an amazing event in NY! I am thrilled to see so many young designers embracing sustainable fabrics and design elements. Not sure about leather as even recycled leather can contain substances that are known petrochemicals and carcinogens. Its a tricky subject.
Still fabulous to see this kind of event taking place!