alpaca socks – Eco-chic fashion shows off stylish sustainability – Yahoo! News

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Eco-chic fashion shows off stylish sustainability - Yahoo! News

GENEVA (Reuters Life!) –
Models wearing alpaca fiber, bamboo and organic silk and cotton strutted down an "Eco-chic" catwalk to back a United Nations call for the sustainable use of natural resources.

Nearly 50 ready-to-wear and couture designers from 40 countries displayed sleek garments in the Thursday night show that ushered in the International Year of Biodiversity in the middle of the autumn/winter catwalk season under way in Milan, Paris, London and New York.

"We have chosen from the best in the world, the best in design, the best in ethics and the best in sustainable practices," organizer Christina Dean of the Hong Kong-based charity Green2greener told the Geneva audience.

Peter Ingwersen, a Danish fashion designer whose label "Noir" uses organic cotton fabrics from Uganda, said that consumers were increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impact of their retail purchases.

"Ten years ago it was enough to buy the latest 'it' bag. Today that's not enough anymore. You also want to know how it was produced," he said. "That is the biggest change that we've seen in our business since the hem-lengths went below the knee."

Ingwersen's 100 percent organic black dress, made from cotton grown without pesticides, was on view alongside donated items from top designers Thakoon Panichgul of Thailand, New York's Diane Von Furstenberg and India's Manish Arora.

A fair trade black and white short silk dress by Edun, the ecological and ethical fashion start-up founded by Irish singer and campaigner Bono, and a pink flower-studded hemp and silk long dress by Brazil's Alexandre Herchcovitch also featured.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Concerns about climate change, loss of biodiversity and weak labor standards in textiles, particularly in Asia, have raised buyers' awareness.

Some conventional processes such as scouring wool, tanning leather and bleaching, dyeing and printing fabrics use large amounts of water, energy or toxic chemicals, and emit effluents.

The fashion industry has responded to demand for sustainable styles and natural fibers that look good, said Lucas Assuncao of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, known as UNCTAD.

Eco-fashion now draws in between $150 million and $200 million in sales per year, "an increasingly significant chunk of the market," he told a news briefing.

British designer Sarah Ratty of Ciel uses a broad spectrum of fabrics that are natural fibers or environmentally produced, many of which are not yet on the radar of most consumers.

"A lot of people when they think of green fashion only think of organic cotton. But there are also a lot of other fibers that we can use like hemp silks, a very green fabric that gives back nitrogen to the soil," she said.

Anggy Haif, an Eco-Couture designer from Cameroon, has worked for 10 years with natural fibers including raffia, tree bark and wild seeds collected in the forest.

"I started because I saw that in my country modern textiles had overtaken traditional fabrics which were disappearing. It was to revive local artisanship," he said. "Today the market is in very good shape in my country and is spreading in Africa."

But the Danish designer Ingwersen said that green fashion could flame out unless consumers find goods they want to wear.

"If we don't inspire our fellow designers, the end-user and fashion media, then this is going to die within two, three years. It will just have been a really fast fashion fad."

(Editing by Laura MacInnis and Paul Casciato)

A Multipurpose Material

Where should you look for a wool that is warm yet light, in a staggering variety of natural colours, and so luxurious that the finest fibres were traditionally reserved for royalty?

In the highlands of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, on the slopes of the Andes. The animal that produces this remarkable fleece is the alpaca. Now bred all over the world, alpacas produce wool that is incredibly versatile and has a quality that excels over other materials, even made-made fibres.

Alpaca wool is sheared, spun and woven in the same manner as sheep’s wool, and is used to create bedding, homewares, and alpaca clothes. The fibres from these animals are incredibly silky and smooth, and have been likened to hair in their texture. When they are woven into skeins, they produce very soft and luxurious wool that does not have the prickly and scratchy nature of other wools.

Alpaca clothes are some of the most naturally warm garments around, and have been found to retain heat more effectively even than man-made materials such as nylon. The fibres of the alpaca are naturally hollow, and are therefore superb at storing heat, whilst being incredibly lightweight. Outdoor sports enthusiasts have celebrated alpaca clothes for these combined qualities, and many clothing companies are now producing alpaca sportswear, such as socks, hats and vests.

Most common wools and particularly sheep’s wool incorporate lanolin, a natural wax that many find can cause an allergy or unwanted reaction. In contrast, alpacas do not produce this wax, making their fibres lanolin-free. Consequently, alpaca clothes and bedding are hypoallergenic and perfect for those with allergies or sensitive skin, particularly babies and young children. The added benefits of a warm lightweight material would make alpaca an excellent choice for baby blankets, socks or baby-grows.

Alpaca clothes come in a huge variety of colours, and for those who prefer all-natural products there are over 22 shades of fibre, which do not require the addition of chemical dyes. Ranging from black through grey to white, and in a large array of browns and creams and silvers, there is a natural shade of alpaca wool to suit everybody!

There are two distinct breeds of alpaca, which each produce a different style of fleece. Huacaya alpacas have a thicker and coarser fibre which has a natural springiness, lending itself to knits. The Suri al
1000
pacas produce a smoother and finer coat, which is used more in woven goods such as shawls and wraps. However, the premium alpaca fibre is known as ‘baby alpaca’. This refers to the very first time an animals fleece is suitable for shearing; the fibres are at their smoothest and finest, and are of the highest quality. As alpacas age their coats become coarser, so baby alpaca is highly prized. As each animal can only produce this quality once, baby alpaca is much sought after, and used to make the most luxurious goods. Armani have even used alpaca in their suits and coats, undoubtedly to add an extra element to their reputation for quality.

By: Samantha Holmes

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Since graduating in Art and Languages from Edinburgh University in 1991, Samantha Holmes has followed a rather diverse career path including event organising, publishing, environmental consultancy and most recently selling Glenmorangie single malt whisky in Africa, Middle East and India. It was during her last employment working for a small international trading company importing cashmere from Nepal where she developed her interest in luxury fabrics and traditional craftsmanship.We sell a range of alpaca clothes and goods. Please visit our website at www.samanthaholmes.com

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