Eco-fashion: Save the Planet and Look Good

Environmentally-friendly clothes are in fashion. And on the catwalk, the sack-like eco-fashion of the past is nowhere to be seen. For Dutch jeans-maker Kuyichi, coolness comes before eco-ethics. But by combining savvy design with ethical principles, the company has managed to get its trousers hanging on the rails of top department stores like Galeries Lafayette. The jeans carry labels on how they were produced, with more information available on the web. It's attractive to fashion-conscious consumers who want to keep their consciences clear -- and that means about a quarter of consumers in Germany. After the USA, Germany is now the second largest importer of ethically-produced cotton worldwide. Kerstin Schweizer reports from Berlin on the boom in eco-fashion. ______________________________ Hip, chic, trendy - the Berlin fashion scene is hot these days. And shoppers want to pick up the most of-the-moment items. But are any of them interested in knowing under what conditions their clothes are made? In a fashionable boutique in the German capital's Mitte district owner Fredericke Winkler doesn't want to sell just fashion. She also promotes environmentalism and fair trade by also selling items from "green" labels. Fredericke Winkler presents her fashion: "This is one of the labels I sell that are completely fair trade. Environmentally friendly, fair trade production. This is a retro sneaker from Brazil. It's made in Brazil, and is totally green - with eco-friendly leather." But are customers interested in green fashion? We asked this shopper what plays the biggest role when he buys clothes. His answer: "For me, it's solely the design, how much I like the look of it. And it should be something crazy, not your everyday clothing." He's behind the fashion curve - eco-friendly fashion is hot, as we discovered at the Premium fashion trade fair. One of the exhibitors is the label Kuyichi. They've learned that green credentials can't be the main selling point - you have to follow other rules. The shop assistent says: "It fits well, and flatters the rear. That's always the most important thing, that the pockets are in the right place." Would-be distributors who present an all too earthy image don't have a chance with Kuyichi's manager Tony Tonnaer. He won't sell to places like whole food shops - it would be bad for business. Only young, hip shops can sell his label, he mentiones: "The product has to look fantastic, and also, secondary, comes that it's also organic and fair trade, so we call it 'style conscious'. Style first: it has to look good, has to feel good, good quality. Secondary, conscious: organic and fair trade. And that's the approach we do." And it certainly draws the customers, even with jeans costing up to 300 euros. No problem for Tony Tonnaer: "All firms, small or big - I think both - there's a big change in conscious. Also with the consumer, I think there's a big change in conscious. People are interested in it now. People also know more about it, they become more critical what they buy, more individual choice." The organization Made-By is pushing for greater transparency in manufacturing. It says that one-fifth of the horticultural chemicals used world-wide goes to spray cotton fields - often threatening the health of the people who work them. And conditions in textile mills are often unacceptable. Made-By wants a manufacturing certificate so there can be better supervision. Ulrich van Gemmeren, who works for Made-By explains: "A label with a code is sewn into every article of clothing. You can enter this code on our homepage, with the Track and Trace System, and follow the article's chain of production from the cotton farmer to the sewing workshop to the store." From boutiques to manufacturers, the companies that take part in the system and get certified hope to improve their image and gain more customers. And although Made-By is only just getting started, 24 companies are already involved, including the design headquarters of German retail giant Karstadt-Quelle. So is eco-fashion going to be the next big trend? The Berlin location of French department store Galeries Lafayette has already got an eco-friendly facade. But now customers will find - alongside the usual big names in fashion - the eco-friendly label Kuyichi - even though at the moment, it's pushed to the back of the store.

DW-World | July 29, 2008

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