Designed to Save the Earth

"Fashionable" and "environmentalist" are no longer mutually exclusive terms. Ecoconscious consumers are trading their Birkenstocks and hemp shirts for green designer clothing. Even high-end labels like Yves Saint Laurent are embracing ecofriendly designs. This June, YSL creative director Stefano Pilati will unveil his "New Vintage" collection, which restores fabrics from past YSL designs and reworks them to create new pieces. Sold exclusively at Barneys New York, the capsule collection draws on iconic silhouettes and includes the classic YSL "Downtown" bag, dip-dyed bustier dresses, embroidered trench coats and stonewashed jackets all made in an effortless textured cotton drill. Pilati recognizes that vintage is another word for recycled, and believes that reusing what already exists is one of the greenest ways to combine innovative design with conservation.

Jeans by Loomstate, founded by designers Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn, have become a favorite of New York's downtown hipsters. The fall '09 collection offers new women's styles, including slim tapered and full boot-cut jeans, and a wide-leg trouser; the men's "Worker" jean has a relaxed straight leg. All are made of 100 percent organic cotton, grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or plant-growth regulators.

The Brazilian brand Osklen combines Ipanema beach chic with luxury nightlife fashions. The fall '09 collection features fabrics produced in compliance with UNESCO and WWF regulations that protect Brazilian farmers and ensure eco-friendly manufacturing techniques, including the use of vegetable tannins instead of toxic chemicals to cure the leather. Among its trendiest new items: a pair of thick, Woody Allen–esque glasses made of eco-wool, spun from sheep that have been raised without hormones, pesticides or overcrowded, stressful conditions. The company also makes a minidress of the same material, with woven fringes that are perfect for swaying to the beat.

© 2009