NYFW goes green with Be EcoChic

The Mercedes-Benz-sponsored Fashion Week will mark the global launch of the Be EcoChic Campaign, brought by the Sierra Club and a number of fashion luminaries and companies. A special group fashion show [took] place on Thursday, September 4th at the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History, with the stated goal of "helping to redefine the runway in a universe that is going green."

Participants [included] Carmen Marc Valvo, Chado Ralph Rucci, Christian Cota, Del Forte, Donna Karan (DKNY), FORM, Red Carter, Vena Cava and many more, and all designs [featured] eco-friendly fabrics, from sustainable to recycled. Celebrity makeup artist Matin [complimented] the clothes with eco-themed looks (learn more about the campaign to green up the pro makeup industry).

Don’t get me wrong: There’s no such thing as bad press, and when green has become so trendy that supermodels are willing to press flesh with the decidedly un-sexy Sierra Club, there’s some solace in the thought that the message might reach a few folks whose idea of environmental action is telling the chauffer not to let the stretch Navigator idle more than three minutes. Yes, pesticide-free cotton is a good thing. And yes, buying recycled clothing (some of us call it resale shopping) is an intelligent way to reduce waste. But let's be honest: Fashion is one industry that has room to do better. A lot better.