Verte 2nd Edition

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Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Creative Directors

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whole new era of fashion is opening up and the role of the designer is changing profoundly.” Orsola de Castro told me as we toured London Fashion Week’s Estethica wing. There is no looking back. And really, that’s all the better – what’s the use of looking back when the future holds the goodies of upcycling, vegan collections, and artisanal handicrafts entering mainstream fashion?

Let us celebrate the stories of the everyday student and rising stars around the world through storytelling. A “do good” online boutique, a fashion editor who simply enjoyed photo shoots, an upcycling powerhouse tucked in the alleyways of Berlin, a start-up’s journey in India that began on the back of a motorcycle, and a college girl’s experiment with no makeup. From accessories to outwear, lips, and a look for every occasion, this issue gives you the know-how to forge a sustainable lifestyle. According to Orsola, we are the first generation of students saying, “My god, the world might end unless I do something about it.” Have a read, and then, let’s do something about it.

eauty is transient. Style is transgressive.

Sustainable fashion is just catching on to these truths. With this issue, we tried not to push boundaries, but to eliminate them.

We believe that sustainable fashion is high fashion. We believe that industry beauty standards can be dismantled. Fashion may continue in its fast-paced, almost fickle nature, but sustainable fashion slow us down. It begs us to question the consequences of our choices: the models we idealize, the companies we patronize, the planet that we inhabit.

Our partnership has inspired and matured our individual sensibilities. Creativity is a push and pull between the progressive and the sensible, and each of us has played both parts in the making of this magazine. If you, dear reader, are comfortable with everything in this issue, then we have failed to do our job. We hope you are challenged, aroused, and provoked by this magazine. Here’s to a re-conception of everything.

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VERTE IN THIS ISSUE 6 OUTERWEAR

The age-old concept of the trash dress on an age-old campus. Meet the maker on page 83.

Jackets are perhaps the most exciting part of fashion. Sustainable coats are no different. Here are some greats.

12 MODAVANTI We go behind the scenes of Modavanti, one of America’s leading online sustainable fashion boutiques.

16 LEE MYUNG HEE VERTE sat down with the Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Korea for a quick chat about her day-to-day activities and the state of the Korean and global fashion industry.

13 12 DAYS NO MAKEUP VERTE writer Emily Lever went makeup free for 12 days in college. Here are her thoughts.

20 DESIGN JOURNEY: INDIA Meg Partridge shares the story of her quest for artisanal fabrics in rural India.

23 THE QUEEN OF VEGAN VERTE sat down with Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgard, model turned designer, on her industry-first, 100% vegan line.

28 UPCYCLING FASHION STORE Jacqueline Cremos delves into the store leading the charge in popularizing

30 SOLAR FASHION Fashion may soon go electric and quite literally bring spark to your outfit.

Here is where things are now.

31 ON ORSOLA DE CASTRO The leading woman of the British sustainable fashion movement gives us a glimpse into her hectic, but exciting world.

34 BIKINI BOMB On the origins of the twopiece fashion staple.

36 BEAUTY BY EMMY Emmy Williams obsesses over Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics’ vibrant and playful lip tar.

41 DETOX Zara and H&M waste free by 2020.

43 THREE’S A PARTY Turn-up the sex appeal with these responsible fundamentals for a night out.

VERTE VIVIAN WANG 52 A LESSON IN SUSTAINABILITY Being studious does not have to detract from style.

We picked out some comfortable, yet stylish greats.

59 LUXE Luxurious style that goes easy on the environment.

64 UNIVERSAL BEAUTY Beauty Editor Emmy Williams loves to experiment, and demonstrates some of her more interesting looks.

Editor-In-Chief

INJEE UNSHIN EMMY WILLIAMS Creative Directors

ELISE BACKMAN Finance Director

INJEE UNSHIN EMMY WILLIAMS Editors ARIELLE DAVIDOFF / CHANTELLE EKANEM / MITCHELL HAMMER / JANE JEONG / EMILY LEVER / KATHLEEN NEWMAN / NANDITA RAO / LEXI TOLLEFSEN / TERRY ZHU / JOY ZOU Creative Team

74 ACCESSORIES Your neck, wrist, and hands are in desperate need of these new, sustainable accessories.

81 PLASTIC BAG PRINCESS High-school sculptor Vicky Gebert discusses her collection of inventive trash dresses.

CISSY CHEN / JACQUELINE CREMOS / MITCHELL JOHN HAMMER / HEEJAE YUNA JANG / EMILY LEVER / MEG PARTRIDGE / TAYLOR PEARSON / ISABELLA PERAERTZ / MARIA KATARINA RAFAEL / SAMI WALTER Editorial Team MONICA CHON / MICHAEL GLASSMAN / SYDNEY KING / WALID MARFOUK / INJEE UNSHIN Photography INJEE UNSHIN VIVIAN WANG Layout

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OUT ERW EAR

PHOTOGRAPHY by Michael Glassman/ FASHION EDITORS Injee Unshin, Emmy Williams, Nandita Rao

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Model Iara Guzman sports a colorblocked statement vest from Ambrym. The piece is sensual on bare skin and adds a chic brightness to the monochromatic outfit that we recommend you pair it with. Feeling bold? This jacket will ground any loud patterns on the warm side of the color spectrum. Pair the Ambrym with this Tesler Mendelovitch clutch, made of 100% recycled wood. With proper care it will last for generations to come.

Accessories: Necklace from Study NY. shopEthica.com

This Mary Meyer coat adds character to the blandest of outfits. The visually arresting pattern camouflages its classic, low-cut form. A subtle cinching of the waist and chiseled collar add a touch of edge. shopEthica.com

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Nothing like a quality leather jacket to top off every wardrobe. This one from The Sway is made of recycled leather, so you can enjoy its soft suppleness free of guilt. Overlay the jacket atop a bold monochromatic pattern for some serious edge. shopEthica.com

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This cropped, quilted denim coat by Valentine Gauthier is easy to throw on, and infinitely versatile. You can pair it with anything from a high waisted pant to a cropped dress, and if the fashion gods call for it, a pair of jeans. The brown accents ground the piece while elongating the neck.

While you’re at it, pair the look with this delightful vegan leather messenger from UNA Fashion. shopEthica.com

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Designer Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgard of Vaute Couture delivered this update on the perennial trench. Her “Dolphin Blue� vegan suede coat blends what may be one of the most feminine tones with sharp, angular cuts and an aggressive collar.

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A removable hood never looked so vital. This vegan black suede trench from Vaute Couture will give you a low-key appearance, while still turning plenty of heads.

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mere decade ago, the terms ethical and sustainable were rarely mentioned alongside the word fashion.

Sustainability was for self-righteous environmentalists and do-gooders and sustainable fashion meant hemp and poor design, untouchable by the everyday consumer.

Today, game changers like Modavanti are altering consumers’ perceptions of the burgeoning industry by closing the perceived design gap between sustainable and mainstream fashion. More importantly, they open-up the industry to the average consumer through the most ubiquitous medium of all, the internet.

I was greeted into Modavanti’s studio in Brooklyn by Adam Clancy, the Director of Operations and David Dietz, the company CEO. The studio is saturated with design boards, clothing neatly stacked to the ceiling, a garment rack or two, and a plethora of fashion magazines, all accented by a stark blue statement wall. Just looking at the studio it is hard to believe that before 2011, neither David nor Adam considered entering the fashion industry.

Their success with Modavanti, an online sustainable fashion boutique, is remarkable, considering the site opened in February 2012. Before Modavanti, both were journalists who met at Georgetown University. David actually gave up a career as a crisis journalist in the Middle East and Adam, a journalist position in Washington DC. The boutique was motivated by a desire to “do good” on the part of David. According to him, the fashion industry is the ultimate frontier of the Sustainable Revolution. As David puts it, “people want to not only buy a good product, but want to support a good story…they want to feel good about what they’re buying.” Adam’s place in the company, however, is motivated by the belief that “business has a huge ability to make an impact.”

How does Modavanti make its impact, exactly? The company has a three-pronged approach to sustainability: environmental, ethical and social. All of the products and labels that are sold in the boutique must pass Sustainable Thresholds set by the company. The thresholds can be separated into two broad categories: Ethical Labor and Environmental Preservation. Whilst explaining the threshold requirement, Adam lamented that “it’s a shame that it’s even necessary.” (As transparency is extremely important to the company, you can read about the thresholds indepth on their website).

The company even goes a step further with Badge System to mark products that 100 percent fulfill the requirements of a number of predetermined categories. The categories are Eco-Conscious, Energy Efficient, Fairly Traded/ Ethically Sourced, Handmade, USA made, Organic, Recycled/Re-purposed, Vegan, and Vintage. The badges highlight products that are exceptionally sustainable, in order to encourage customers to be more discerning about their purchases.

In addition, Modavanti donates 2% of every sale to one of its three “impact partners.” This element is important to David because, “part of creating a social business wasn’t just the sustainability element, it was also [about] giving back, completing the circle of sustainability.” The organizations are Nest, Charity: Water and Manufacture New York.

The customer gets to choose which impact partner they

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want their two percent to go toward.

This commitment to sustainability and “doing good” has caught the eye of the mainstream industry as well. The online boutique has been covered on the pages of Elle, InStyle, Lucky Magazine, the blog Refinery29, Mashable, the Today Show, and the Huffington Post. Modavanti was even named InStyle’s Best of Web 2013. The boutique is on its way to making it big and is bringing sustainable fashion along for the ride.

Popularity is not the only realm within which the site is growing. Modavanti recently acquired Ethical Ocean, an online marketplace for ethical products and services. Ethical Ocean was attracted to the content Modavanti created

MO DA VA NTI

LAB by Lau Edun

Inkka

RASP

Agave Denim

Nakate Project

Katerina Psoma

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Indigo Han Eric Raisina

interview & story by Isabella Peraertz

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Indego Africa

Waldrip

Faire Collection

and the products they offered. With this move, the site increased their consumer-base and bolstered their potential impact on the fashion and lifestyle industries.

David and Adam both claim that Modavanti is far from where they want it, however. The pair’s ultimate goal is to become the “Whole Foods of fashion.” David’s benchmark for success will be met when “the biggest name brands want to be a part of [the] site because they see the value of sustainability.” According to Adam, they want to get to be able to stop branding themselves as sustainable fashion and just start calling it fashion.

The necessity for sustainability as the gold standard in the fashion industry has become even more relevant after

the collapse of the Bangladeshi factory in May 2013, an accident that killed 1,129 and injure 2,515. Adam was particularly moved by the event, proclaiming that the category of sustainable fashion that most moves him is fair trade. He eventually wants to ”unite sustainability around the world” through Modavanti.

For now, at least, over two-thirds of the brands the boutique offers are US-based. They sell a couple of brands from Canada, a couple from the UK and one from Spain.

The benefits to dealing with brands that are state-side is that they can keep tabs on what the companies are doing, and it is easier to physically check the conditions in their factories. Not only that, but you can meet the employees

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FROCK LA

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Knotty Gal

Drifter Orly Genger

Aje Ecoalf

Jaida Hay

Raven + Lily

Olsenhaus Preloved

AVIU RE-NEW Palma Collection

Passion Lillie

Popinjay

Prairie Underground Indie Twenty Jewelry

Modavanti Vintage Beautiful Soul

George & Laurel

TEN & Co.

Indigenous

Neuaura

GUNAS Heidi Merrick

Sword & Plough People Tree

Westward Leaning

Cecilia Prado

Freedom of Animals Peace of Cloth

Nettie Kent UNA Fashion

Pima Doll

Skinny Jeans

Panda Sunglasses

WOOED Modahnik

Tabii Just Heyne Bogut

Riccardo Forconi

Anne Touraine Paris SVILU

Angela & Roi

Beija-Flor Jeans

Amy Matto

oldsign

Made By

Lavuk

BRELLI

AFIA

Julie Bee’s

Tarun Tahiliani

Anna Sammarone

BAGGU

Cri de Coeur Skinny Tees

ndloom

Natalie Frigo

Amour Vert

D-Due

Dirty Librarian Chains

Proud Mary

Adan Ballou

Koch

Bhava

NearFar

Lars Andersson

Allison Parris New York

Daines & Hathaway Feral Childe

Brave Leather

Lambillotte

4 All Humanity

unison, “persistence.” In order to convince labels to send them products they had to constantly call, e-mail, and make their presence known. David remarked, “There is no difference between getting into fashion and getting into any other start-up.” They had to convince investors, partners, and consumers that the services and products they provide are a cut above the rest.

David and Adam also brought up another term they like to use: rat-like cunning. “When you are told no, figure out what would make them say yes.” It is not easy. “You have to be a little bit crazy to want to do this.”

Most importantly, particularly when it comes to sustainable entrepreneurship, “transparency is key” said David.

Carolina K

Visantine Collective

Susan Woo

Tuline

Shupaca

Study NY Kristinit

TERRA

Hipsters for Sisters

face-to-face, and the factories are usually near the studios.

David, on the other hand, is inspired by the recycling element of sustainability. “Recycling offers the greatest hope for the future. We can reduce waste and create new, cool materials and use them in different ways”- help sustainable products be cost-effective, rather than expensive.

As he explained to me, sustainability can be expensive not only on the consumer’s end, but also on the producer’s end. For this reason alone, most brands shy away from sustainable practices. Cost-effective products reduce the need for certain brands to exploit factory-workers overseas.

When I asked them what advice they can offer to potential sustainable fashion entrepreneurs, both replied, in

Stewart + Brown

In order to fully commit to social good, a full commitment to transparency and accountability are a must. Supposed green companies lacking transparency are fake.

To those looking to get started in sustainable entrepreneurship, Adam believes that “you can make it work. It requires sacrifice and commitment, but if you don’t start doing it, you’ll look back and see someone else doing it and wish that was you.”

For the pair, instinct and perseverance were key to the boutique’s current success. “We’re definitely not there yet—there are things we want to do, and there are things we will do.” VERTE will be closely following what the Modavanti team does next.

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Walking along Garosu road, an arcadelike fashion hub of Seoul, with a significant concentration of designer stores and upmarket vintage shops, I sighted a couple sporting a strong smoky eyeliner, dark crimson lips, bright Interview & Translation by Editor-In-Chief pink and gold hair, with style reminiscent of Heejae Yuna Jang VOGUE Korea vampires in drag. A few blocks down the road, I encountered a rather stout girl in an exorbitant white fur coat with Audrey Hepburn-style eyebrows, and a bright red, wide brimmed felt hat. Such an outstanding display would have been unimaginable just a few years ago—that is, unless you have a Miranda Kerr body and exude the outh Korea is generally regarded as having a fashionable model aura even after an hour-long session of hot yoga. population, enjoying the unique cultural leadership Nobody was brave enough. And although Korea doesn’t of its K-Pop community. The public is very trendy, have France’s Chanel, Italy’s Gucci, or America’s Vera Wang, but the country suffers from a cultural trap. The public’s I find hope in these people’s bold fashion experiments. overly trendy style lacks the element of individualism and The woman at the forefront of this revival, Lee Myung self-expression very prominent in other nations. Partly to Hee, is the ultimate icon this burgeoning group of fabulous blame is the oppressive, simultaneously judgmental and fashionistas. After becoming the founding chief editor of self-conscious social atmosphere, with the implication Vogue Korea in 1996, she played a central role in making signifying a heavy tendency toward non-obtrusive, muted the magazine the top fashion bible for millions of Korean style. Less than five years ago, before the Korean girl group women. Like Anna Wintour of American Vogue after whom “Girls’ Generation” popularized vividly-colored skinny the novel turned movie “The Devil Wears Prada” was jeans, I rarely saw city-goers in articles other than standard scripted, Lee Myung Hee was the inspiration for a famous jeans or black pants. I daresay it required significant courage Korean fashion drama, “Style”. Many people might assume for me to walk somewhere other than my bedroom in my that Lee, like Wintour, has always been a natural fashionista. leopard-patterned skinnies. This also explains why the what However, she started her career from a radically different can only be described as the Celine Fall 2013 aesthetic—a background than many other central figures of the fashion glorious mix of class, edge, and transcendent timelessness— industry. After graduating from college, she worked for is favored by most Korean women, rather than the vivid, a local magazine called Junior as a journalist, and it was flagrant, at times tacky, but always individualistic styles only after becaming the fashion editor of Mademoiselle pervasive in the West, especially Europe. Simply put, I when Lee took a serious step into the fashion empire. Her could never imagine a middle to later aged woman wearing passion grew as she worked for World Women and Chic, audacious mesh tights and stilettos on the streets of Seoul, culminating in her appointment as Editor-in-Chief of a sight that I had the pleasure of witnessing quite a few Vogue Korea. Now, she stands at the heart of the Korean times in Paris. But over the last couple of years, during my fashion industry. vacations back in Korea, I have noticed a change.

Lee Myung Hee

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VM: How did you become interested in fashion, and what motivated you to enter the field?

LMH: This question is perhaps more pertinent to fashion designers or stylists. Most of them are fashionistas by nature and growing up, were naturally exposed to the field in one way or another. Their grandmother, mother, or aunt might have an exceptional eye for fashion, their family might run a fashion business, or it could be just that they were simply interested in fashion since childhood and grew up making clothes for their dolls.

I’m different from these people. Of course, I like fashion more than most people my age, but there are certainly those who love it more than I do. Back then, when I was a fashion editor, I simply enjoyed photo shoots. I worked harder than anyone else because I loved what I was doing, and after many years, I found myself as the chief editor of a fashion magazine, and the top one at that.

The point is, I’m just an editor who plans and edits magazines. The reason I could become the chief editor of Vogue Korea was not because I was more interested in fashion than anyone else. There are plenty others who love fashion to death. It’s more because I worked harder than anyone else in creating photo shoots when I was a fashion editor for a local magazine, and my efforts and talent for editing were recognized. But, of course, I do enjoy dressing up and finding things in the trend that apply to me.

VM: So, you mentioned that you were drawn to “visuals.”

I also remember from reading another interview that you were one of the first in Korea to focus on rendering artistic and creative effects within photo shoots. Why did you find this work so appealing?

LMH: From outlining a photo shoot, reaching out to photographers, hair and makeup staff, styling, to deciding the location, the editor directs everything from A to Z. Although the process has become subdivided and

professionalized now so that if the editor explains the big picture, each staff [member] moves accordingly, and the editor adds ideas to make a final decision. Twenty years back, when I was the editor for a local magazine, I had to do everything by myself. I found it fun to take the lead and supervise everything, and more than anything else, I was thrilled by finding ways to maximize the visual impact through models, styling, setting, and so on.

VM: Can you describe your main job as the chief editor?

How do you collaborate with creative directors and to what extent are you involved in the actual process of photo shoots and the like?

LMH: Basically, I take part in every process of making a magazine: deciding the cover theme for that month’s issue, interviewees, visual themes for the interviews, staff, images for beauty and feature sections, and once drafts and photos are ready, whether or not to retake them, how many pages will be devoted, the layout, and whatnot. Every important decision regarding the visuals has to go through proposal meetings held by me. I also decide the titles and the content for the articles, and if necessary, rewriting them is also my job. In a nutshell, I’m not physically there on the spot but I control and supervise every process. Of course, on the spot, it is the editor in charge of that project who supervises.

After each editor prepares these ingredients, then comes a crucial step which is to present them in a nice package. This is called “editing.” Editing is as important as planning. And by the way, there is no creative director at Vogue Korea, so the chief editor is also in charge of this role.

VM: What do you find most difficult as the chief editor?

LMH: I would say that working overtime continuously is one of the main difficulties. Fashion editors in Korea have at least a week of late nights a month on average.

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all-nighter. Another difficulty is balancing “creativity” and “management”. Chief editors need to have a fifty percent creativity and fifty percent business mindset. I’m more oriented towards creativity, so it’s always hard for me to strike a balance between the two.

stilettos a while ago, so I rarely wear skirts.

VM: In the documentary film September Issue, we see that Anna Wintour’s fashion style and preference exerts a significant influence in the entire editing process of American Vogue from deciding the theme for the issue to choosing what she sees as a new trend. The magazine, of course, then influences the readers. How much influence do you think your opinions on fashion or style have on Vogue Korea?

LMH: Suggesting a fashion trend is easy because the trend becomes self-evident after the fashion week in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Turning this into an image is much more difficult (and it gets harder), more so because of global competition. Perhaps fashion style editors share the same opinion with me, and we try to get ideas from everything from magazines, photos, exhibitions, movies, dramas, traveling, blogs, to Instagram photos. But ideas don’t necessarily come from visual sources. We find inspiration in social phenomena or society’s general interests.

LMH: Of course, the chief editor’s style determines the magazine’s style and the influence is tremendous. After all, the chief editor is the captain of the ship! This is why when the chief editor changes, the magazine changes entirely, and obviously, Vogue in different countries has its own color.

American Vogue is very business-oriented, so their style suggestions also tend to focus on practicality. Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia, on the other hand, emphasizes creativity (although the term creativity is a very comprehensive term), and British Vogue is more text-heavy than visual. I try to emphasize creativity while not losing practicality.

For instance, three out of five photo shoots would have an emphasis on creativity and the other two would be something that readers can apply in their everyday life. I also like to see how fashion and art meet, so in every August issue, we feature “Fashion Meets Art” blockbuster photo shoots. I actually once hosted an exhibition with the same name featuring collaborations between Korean designers and artists.

VM: Setting a fashion trend and turning this into an expressive and creative form of art and image must be very difficult. From where and how do you find inspirations?

VM: What was the biggest crisis in your career so far if you had any?

LMH: When I became appointed as the founding chief editor of Vogue Korea, I didn’t get along with the Asia Pacific president of Condé Nast, America’s top magazine publishing company which also publishes Vogue. He didn’t have any respect for the local magazine culture. In every monthly meeting, we always had a disagreement of some sort. He wanted to fire me but the publisher of Vogue Korea trusted me, and five years after the first publication of Vogue Korea, he was fired from Condé Nast. And by the way, Vogue Korea is one of the two which has its own license and was established in 1996.

VM: What distinguishes Vogue Korea from other Vogues around the world? Does it possess a particular Koreanness?

VM: Can you describe your style in a few words?

LMH: My style? I always like “semi-casual chic.” I gave up

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LMH: Vogue Korea has the largest number of editorial pages out of all Vogues. It also has very strong feature

articles. These two characteristics could come from Korean magazine culture in general because Korean readers tend to think that the thicker the magazine, the more to read. To be honest, in terms of fashion photo shoots, I can’t say that Vogue Korea is superior to American Vogue, Vogue Paris, and Italia because of limitations in models and clothes.

Seoul is still on the periphery of fashion industry and it lacks world-famous top models, and all fashion magazines vie to get a sample from only a handful of samples that top brands have. But Vogue Korea has very strong beauty photo shoots, feature photo shoots, and portrait photo shoots.

for that reason, but to give up fur entirely in Vogue photo shoots is to give up business.

VM: How do you interact with other Vogue editors and how do Vogues of each country influence each other?

LMH: The model industry’s race problem is not something new. Models of color are very beautiful and charming, but most designers have long preferred white models. It’s an undeniable fact that young, white models make the clothes stand out because they’re essentially clean blank pages.

When this becomes a controversial social issue, Vogue releases black model special issues or influential chief editors urge designers to hire a couple of black models in their fashion shows, but I think all these measures are temporary. For Asian models, it’s a different story than for black models. Fashion brands tend to hire Asian models with the Asian market in mind. Many fashion designers started to hire Asian models as China has suddenly grown into one of their main consumers.

LMH: Vogue in each country is very independent. There is no real active communication among the editors. On the last day of Fashion Week, chief editors of Condé Nast International, excluding American Vogue, have “Vogue Dinner” in Paris together, but I’ve only participated four times because I always had to rush back to Korea to keep the deadlines for publishing.

VM: Is there any particular country that took your notice?

LMH: I’d say former chief editor Carine Roitfeld’s Vogue Paris!

VM: What is Vogue’s take or method of contribution on sustainable and ethical fashion? How do you think that Vogue, as a magazine, can encourage it?

LMH: Issues surrounding sustainable and ethical fashion are being brought into spotlight as there is a growing resistance to rapidly changing and consumption-oriented fashion.

But the dilemma is that fashion business is predicated upon consumption, and the fashion magazine industry is one axis of fashion business. So whenever there is information about ethical fashion brands or issues thereof, we do try to deliver this information in a very positive light, but whether we particularly encourage it is another matter. The same goes for ethical issues about animals and fashion. I’m personally very interested in this issue and don’t wear fur

vol. II

VM: Along the lines of ethical issues in the fashion industry, the model industry has always been predominantly white, and top magazines also mainly feature white models. To counter this criticism, Vogue Italia once released an issue portraying only black models. What is your view on this problem? What do you think is holding back the model industry from breaking away from the white norm? As an Asian country, how has Vogue Korea dealt with this issue?

VM: Korean models are also being more and more recognized in international fashion shows. What do you think is the Asian charm that these models have that appeal to international audience?

LMH: Korean models have started to become spotlighted in global fashion shows since four or five years ago, which is earlier than Chinese models. Hye Park was the first, and then followed Hyejin Han, Hyunyi Lee, Soo Joo, and Jihye Park in that order. Asian charm? Well, it depends on individuals.

Hye Park, Hyejin, and Hyunyi have Asian face lines, Soo Joo’s platinum gold hair color creates a mystic aura, and Jihye has long and lean legs and arms. My point is, every model has his or her own charm, although it is certainly advantageous to be fluent in English. Soo Joo, who is the “it girl” in global fashion shows nowadays, is a New Yorker.

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12 days no make-up. story by Emily Lever

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old on, I need to look like a real person,” Penelope says, grabbing several tubes of makeup and setting them down in front of the mirror.

She feels more ready to go to the U-store once she has applied small but transformative doses of concealer and highlighter to her face, though she is already pretty.

When women say that they wear makeup for themselves, because it makes them feel good, what they are feeling good about is looking in the mirror and recognizing that we look the way we should. In a sense we do beautify

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ourselves for our own sake, for the satisfaction we get from conforming.

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” said Simone de Beauvoir, but the process of becoming is linked all too often to learning to apply makeup.

It’s kind of upsetting that learning to be a woman requires learning to correct things about yourself, as though true femininity is an ideal state of being that is always slightly out of reach. Our culture makes womanhood just as elusive to women as it is to men sometimes.

I never “learned to be a woman” through my mom teaching me how to do my makeup in one of those age-old mother-daughter transmission rituals that exist in the collective imagination. But I learned from makeup advertisements that these exotic creams and powders would make me preternaturally attractive. They would reveal to me the secret of womanhood.

Their slogans are like magical spells. Magic the ugliness away with luscious lips, they command. Magic away the blahs, the little spots, the wrinkles, everything about yourself that isn’t good enough. Magic yourself into a woman.

And the essential ingredient of womanhood is red lipstick.

Gwyneth Paltrow is credited with an insufferable quote that buys into the mythos of this particular variety of cosmetic goop: “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” Gwyneth sucks up to the rhetoric of inner beauty only to slap it in the face, to show that as far as she’s concerned it’s founded on nothing.

The supposedly iconic appeal of red lipstick, its enduring supremacy over coral, fuchsia, oxblood and nude, comes from its association with traditional femininity for reasons no doubt traceable to the same ideals of Old Hollywood glamour that make us think smoking is cool. Smoking is what cool people do and red lipstick and sheath dresses are what glamorous women wear. Like many other women, I was long intimidated by red lipstick in a way that I never was by any other makeup, even the weirdest colors of eyeliner, because it is part of such an iconic representation of Being a Woman.

Independently of these culture wars, makeup is also an important tool in the pursuit of what I would call conventional attractiveness: we’re going for dewier skin, larger eyes, and more flushed cheeks and lips, which are all associated with youth and health and therefore are, supposedly, evolutionarily desirable traits. The goal is to not look tired, even if we are, and to make all our features more “defined,” as the terminology has it: make our eyes/lips/cheekbones “pop”, distinguish them from the rest of our faces, create shapes and reliefs and angles and contrasts that don’t naturally exist, but with one caveat: it can’t look like we’re wearing makeup. That would break the spell, and it must not be broken.

In the “get thee to a nunnery” scene in Hamlet where the title character berates Ophelia until he drives her senseless, he speaks for all the men who ceaselessly, courageously question the mysteries of “girl things:” “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another.”

Railing against Ophelia’s way of making herself beautiful doesn’t mean he would prefer her ugly, of course.

Hamlet is expressing a commonly held desire: men want a girl who doesn’t wear makeup, but not a girl who looks like she’s not wearing makeup. It’s an ideal that requires putting a lot of effort into keeping up the appearance of not putting in any effort.

One day, I’m not sure why, I decided I was going to try to stop trying. I gave up makeup for what felt like a month but was probably closer to 22 days.

Going without cosmetics is perhaps a stylistic statement in itself, because it moves you around on the spectrum of cool even as it pushes you lower on the spectrum of attractiveness. Consider Léa Seydoux’s un-made-up shoot for Jalouse, which is one of the coolest, most stylish things I’ve ever seen. The photographer, Juergen Teller, routinely shoots his models in harsh lighting with little to no makeup with the result of bringing out the lushness of the clothes and the backgrounds of the shoots but also of creating rawer, more intimate, more emotional portraits of his subjects.

In the real world, though, even the most deliberate aesthetic statement is also made in personal terms. I dreaded the skin outbreaks and dark circles that I knew would turn up on my face, especially during midterms. If I heard those deadly words “are you okay?” or “you look tired” I was afraid I might develop urges to wear a paper bag over my head.

But when I told a room full of people I had started a makeup cleanse, several of them said they hadn’t noticed.

If they really couldn’t tell (and weren’t just being polite) this is probably due to the fact that I don’t wear a lot of visible makeup regularly more than to my natural radiance. And sure, I didn’t get a lot of male attention on the street, but that probably had more to do with the default expression on my face (decidedly not come-hither) than with my face itself.

This also means that it’s not really about other people seeing my dark circles, but rather about how I think other people perceive me.

My friend Anne told me that she is always afraid of going without makeup but felt emboldened by the fact that I look perfectly OK without it.

Generally, it seems that going barefaced feels like a bigger deal than it is. In other words makeup functions as a kind of placebo. It helps me give myself a countenance, like wearing a button-down or a blazer on days where I don’t have my act together.

I relapsed into, rather than deliberately resumed, wearing makeup earlier than I thought I should have. I had originally planned to hold out until a formal occasion, not trusting enough in my confidence to go bare faced among my gussied-up peers on a night where so many pictures would be taken, but I didn’t even make it past Halloween.

But now, though it’s nice to cover up the odd blemish, I do feel strange wearing any makeup that substantially transforms my face. As though I have become accustomed to looking like what I really look like. Touche Eclat and Volum’ Express give me a boost, but I am able to recognize that I don’t need them all the time: I do not need to rely on them to like how I look. That is, I think, the only lesson in being a woman that I needed.

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INDIA story by Meg Partridge

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angalore, India – There is magic to be found in the Indian handicraft tradition – in the rhythmic clack of the loom, in the smell of newly dyed fabric being laid out to dry, in the swish of silk as it tempts one’s skin with its cool escape. From the banks of the Narmada River to the deep interiors of Rajasthan, artisans’ studied techniques breathe life into a rich cultural heritage, their work at once a translation of the vernacular landscape and the embodiment of the symbiotic relationship between human and cloth.

With an estimated 7 million people engaged in craft production across India, artisan craft forms a vital source of livelihood second only to agriculture in the rural economy. But high structural barriers to achieving full economic citizenship leave the vast majority of these artisan enterprises undercapitalized and alienated from promising market opportunities. Often left at the mercy of commercial middlemen who loan them raw materials at high prices and pass on less than 5% of the end price of goods upon sale, many artisans are trapped in a cycle of perpetual debt. The United Nations estimates that industrialization of the textile sector has also contributed to a 30% decline in Indian artisan populations over the past three decades, as their work is displaced by cheap machine-made imitations that render handicraft uncompetitive in both local and global markets. In the face of these developments, skills traditionally passed down through family lines fade away as the young look towards the relative security of unskilled employment in urban centers as an alternative to a bleak economic outlook in their ancestral homes. The very future of Indian handicraft tradition and the cultural meaning it enshrines hang in the balance.

A new cadre of social entrepreneurs seeks to reverse this trend, revitalizing Indian handicraft and teaching both young artisans and global consumers to value the power of the pieces that pass from one set of hands to another. I was recently privileged with a glimpse into the world of Indian textiles through their eyes, and the view was nothing short of amazing. As Maheshwari weaver Aasif Ansari put it, “We have gold in our hands and we did not even know it.” How right he is.

Journey to the Heart of India My journey began on the back of a motorcycle, making my way through the narrow, winding streets of Varanasi in the company of Jitendra Kumar of Loom to Luxury Pvt Ltd. A man driven by deep conviction to reverse deteriorating socio-economic conditions for Varanasi’s venerable handloom weavers, Jitendra directs Loom to Luxury in translating the needs of luxury fashion houses into dignified work for about 70 weavers in villages on the outskirts of the city.

With the support of non-profit Nest and its on-site program manager Sara Otto, Loom to Luxury has developed a high-profile relationship with ethical fashion brand Maiyet and seeks to form similar partnerships with like-minded designers who can incorporate the famous Varanasi gold zari brocades, intricate jamdani motifs, and fine silks into their collections.

Settling into a chair in the middle of a sunny, open courtyard in the village of Ayodhyapur, master weaver

Bhaiyalal shared his story. He spoke to me of his desire to ensure the continuity of his family’s craft and his duty to support the wellbeing of his community, which fell upon ill-fortune with the introduction of the power loom. “In the early days,” he said, “the yard where we are sitting was filled with looms. Now it is empty. My dream is to see this house be full of weavers again.” Unfortunately, Bhaiyalal’s experience is representative of a broader phenomenon of weaver unemployment and underemployment in Varanasi. Around the year 2006, many of the estimated 150,000 weavers in Varanasi were displaced from their jobs as a result of market preferences for cheap power loom imitations. Though it is a sharp and painful departure from the 75 looms he had previously overseen, Bhaiyalal’s work with Loom to Luxury has helped him keep 20 looms in operation – an upward trajectory from the 5 looms to which he had been forced to downsize in the wake of the 2006 crisis. Though Loom to Luxury is still early in its development, Bhaiyalal is optimistic about the prospect of nurturing a thriving handloom operation again.

A similar sense of optimism can be found in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh, where WomenWeave Charitable Trust, founded in 2003, endeavors to make handloom a “profitable, fulfilling, sustainable, dignified income-earning and life-improving activity” for marginalized women and young weavers. After gaining my footing in Mumbai with WomenWeave founder Sally Holkar, I traveled to enchanting Maheshwar, situated on the sacred Narmada River, to learn about the unique weaving tradition that has graced the town since 1760 AD. Here, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth plays out on the ghats, in the homes of weavers given a renewed chance at success, and in the innovative Handloom School, where WomenWeave COO Hemendra Sharma coaches Maheshwari youth in embracing their heritage and sharing the beautiful designs of their ancestors with the world.

I had the distinct honor of being Hemendra’s shadow for the week, getting a first-hand look at the work that has captivated the imaginations of textile aficionados around the world and solidified the enduring legacy of a culture and art form once at risk of fading into silence, with the onset of cheaper mill cloth and the loss of wealthy patronage in the 1950s. Along the way, my spirits lifted as the 160 women of the Gudi Mudi Project wove, spun, and laughed their way into my heart; as I witnessed the pride with which the 18 women in the village of Itawadi showed Hemendra their works-in-progress; and as I learned of the organization’s plans to vertically integrate its Maheshwari supply chain, enhance the environmental sustainability of its operations, and expand its weaving revitalization programs across India. Perhaps most inspiring, though, were my conversations with Handloom School graduates about their dreams for the future and their strategies for turning their self-organized enterprises – aptly named Weavers Creation and Fab Creation – into successful businesses. They are the embodiment of a modern India that takes pride in its past while moving with confidence into the future.

The final leg of my journey took me to Bagru, a small town in Rajasthan where the Chhipa clan has been hand block printing with natural dyes for over 350 years. MasVERTE SPRING 2014

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ter printer Vijendra welcomed me with open arms, walking me through the intricate process of carving wooding blocks with sisam wood, preparing natural dyes in a large dye vat, cutting and washing raw fabric, soaking the clean fabric in harda mordant for colorfastness, drying the fabric under the hot Rajasthani sun in a communal drying field, and printing the fabric on a long table one of his workshops. Using one of two types of printing – dye printing or dabu mud-resist printing – Vijendra and the other printers who comprise the Bagru Textiles membership transform simple cloth into brightly colored works of art.

Though things were very hard in the early days, Vijendra’s eyes shine with pride as he discusses how far he has come since first founding Bagru Textiles four years ago with the help of Jeremy Fritzhand of Union College, the possibilities for expansion, the new patterns and prints he’s developing, and the educational possibilities of his son Yash and his daughter Chehika. A kind spirit with a tremendous work ethic, Vijendra is carving out a better life for his family and community, using his craft as a catalyst.

Building an Ecosystem of Support Beyond the organizations that are working to revitalize India’s handloom and hand block printing traditions, I found inspiration in my encounters with social entrepreneurs who are crucially working to build out a supportive ecosystem in which artisan craft can thrive, bolstering their competitiveness in modern context. In Mumbai, I was introduced to Artisans’ gallery, the brainchild of the delightful Radhi Parekh, whose gorgeous space in the heart of Mumbai’s art district showcases thoughtfully curated and contextualized exhibits of traditional craft reimagined in contemporary form. Radhi’s bid to elevate the status of Indian handicrafts from their current “Third World, cheap and cheerful” stereotype to a luxury positioning reflective of their true cultural value has been met with the praise of global tastemakers, leading a wider effort to put artisanal techniques on the map.

In New Delhi, I was led to Design Darpan and its dynamic founders Deepak and Riya, whose initial grilling serves as testament to their fierce commitment to the highest standards of ethical fashion. Upon passing, I was generously given open access to their considerable expertise and treated to a tour of their unconventional factory floor. As Riya explained, “In most factories, the workers are like elephants chained to a pole, tied to executing one repetitive, menial task over and over again with no chance for mobility. It strips them of their dignity, to be just another cog in the machine rather than craftsmen in their own right.” Design Darpan breaks with this norm and has workers assemble full garments, taking ownership of the fabrication process from start to finish, and provides a rare opportunity for dignified employment to the urban poor.

And of course there is the incredible Apurva Kothari, whose relentless passion and strategic foresight for addressing social injustices deeply impressed me over the course of our three-day visit in Mumbai. Upon learning that farmers in India’s cotton belt commit suicide every 30 minutes, Apurva took action into his own hands to create consumer awareness and correct the unethical pricing and

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labor practices driving farmers to this act of desperation.

No Nasties serves as a marketing platform for über-comfortable organic, fair trade T-shirts that uniquely cater to a domestic and international millennial market increasingly desiring clothing that looks good, does good, and feels good. A pioneer in the sustainable fashion space, No Nasties serves as a shining example of the potential for fashion to make a difference and change lives for the better.

Looking to the Future by Reaching to the Past There is no denying that the emergence of a hyper-connected global economy addicted to the unrelenting pace of fast fashion and the machines that enable it has given rise to a distinctive type of poverty – a poverty of structural neglect that renders traditional forms of artisan livelihood obsolete. And yet, the work of the organizations mentioned here suggests that this outcome is not a singular fate. Rather than leaving the handicraft sector behind, there is great potential for heightened global connectivity, technology, and new forms of presentation to unlock unprecedented opportunities for India’s artisans, bridging divides that have historically alienated makers from consumers and cultivating newfound appreciation for their craft.

As we endeavor to understand and create the conditions that can successfully empower artisans to achieve sustainable and fulfilling livelihoods from their craft, it is critical that we do not lose sight of what makes it truly beautiful. The artisan tradition is more than a way of life; it is also a way of capturing the ever-evolving histories of the people and cultures that collectively form the lifeblood of India. It is both a reflection of India’s colorful history and an integral part of India’s bright future.

Let us celebrate the stories embedded in the cloth and honor the people whose handiwork quietly, lovingly uplifts a nation.

THE QUEEN OF VEGAN Leanne Mai-ly Hilgard

on her

100% vegan

collection

INTERVIEW by Maria Katarina Rafael / PHOTOGRAPHY (candid) by Sydney King

L

eanne Mai-Ly Hilgart is a confident half-Taiwanese, half-German redhead with some serious bite.

Though petite, this young woman is an undeniable powerhouse with a big heart, bigger voice, and even bigger dreams. Leanne and I sat across from each other in a sunlit corner of an otherwise dimly lit urban vegan cafe located just a few blocks from the Bedford Ave metro stop in Brooklyn.

When she took off the layered scarf and winter coat that covered her small frame, it revealed a classic black turtleneck and simple black pants. She apologized for not having dressed more stylishly for the photos that would be taken during our interview, but the photographer and I politely disagreed. Actually, the timeless look of her sophisticated, monochromatic outfit served as a perfect complement to the edginess of her striking reddish-pink hair.

Failing to take the advice of all those who told me to never judge a book by its cover, I had hoped that her personality would reflect the perfect duality of her outward appearance. I was not disappointed.

Leanne’s character was a perfect manifestation of the way she looked. She held a quiet confidence throughout the entirety of the interview and managed to maintain a still composure even in moments when I had thought my questions would have caught her off guard. She spoke with an infectious passion for her cause, responding to each question with little hesitation and with the accompani-

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ment of enthusiastic hand gestures that seemed to feed the flames of fire in her confident and booming voice.

Calling the servers by their names with a kind but self-assured smile, it became very clear that Leanne was incredibly comfortable in her surroundings. I thought, perhaps, that her confidence stemmed from the fact that she was certainly a “regular” at this coffee shop, but throughout the course of the interview, the sound of certainty in her voice never faltered. It came from more than the fact that this hip little cafe on the corner of the street was a place where she felt most creative because of its calming quiet and its twinkling lights in the wintertime. Her confidence was in her nature.

Leanne spoke with the air of confidence and can-do attitude of a native New Yorker, but the warm and welcoming demeanor of a gentlewoman from the Midwest. So, it came as no surprise when she told me that she was born and raised in Chicago. Her hometown was actually responsible, in part for the inspiration behind VAUTE COUTURE. It actually all began with a dream to create a women’s dress coat that would be warm enough for frosty Chicago winters, luxurious enough for all style-seekers, and ethical enough for socially conscious consumers.

The independent fashion house takes its name from French fashion term, “haute couture,” but charmingly replaces the “H” with a “V” for “Vegan,” nodding a head to VAUTE’s commitment to ethical design and Leanne’s per-

sonal mission to take animals out of the fashion equation for good. Incubated at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago and Ford Models in Hong Kong, Leanne fearlessly dropped it all to create a line to promote vegan, recyclable, and locally produced fashion. Her mission was to develop apparel and fabrics that would be better than wearing animals ever could be. But Leanne also wanted, above all else, to really give people the chance to make conscious and careful choices for themselves and give them the opportunity to vote - vote high fashion, vote high function, vote high ethics, vote VAUTE. VM: So how did VAUTE COUTURE get started?

LMH: Well, it all began in 2008 when I decided I wanted to make a women’s outerwear label that was ethical and better than what was already out there on the market. I wanted to break the rules and reinvent the traditional winter dress coat. I knew that if we did it animal-free and did it better, we would have no excuse to ever wear animals again. After 8 months of fabric research working with high-tech brands like the ones that work with Patagonia and The North Face, we had the basis to really start something innovative. We launched a design contest around the world, and got back 8000 design offers in under a week! We took some of the designs we got from our fantastic contributors and incorporated them into real templates for coats we sell today.

After 5 years, you can already see how much VAUTE has grown. Now we sell more than just outerwear and have even expanded into men’s clothing, too. It’s all very exciting! We might even consider launching some flagship stores overseas, so who knows where we’ll be another 5 years from now! [Crosses fingers].

VM: How would you describe the quintessential VAUTE girl or guy? Who does your brand cater to? Who are you making your designs for?

LMH: I would probably say that the ideal VAUTE girl or guy is someone who refuses to be only a silent participant in this greater machine of optimized production. I create for anyone who loves animals or just feels in their heart that they want to make good choices that impact the world in a positive way! I create for anyone who recognizes that she has the option to make these choices for herself and doesn’t have to let others make decisions for her. We don’t realize it often, but we are voting every moment of every day. And even though the choices we make can sometimes seem frivolous—like deciding what to buy or what to wear— every choice really does matter. I want to design for people who want to be involved in creating a better and kinder world for us all, and getting involved can start just by caring about how the clothes they wear are made.

VM: When did your love for animals start? When are some instances in your life that you stood up for animal rights?

LMH: When I was about 6 years old, a girl who lived across the street from me received a fur coat from her parents as a Christmas present, and that bothered me. That was prob-

ably the first instance in my life when I remember really caring about animals and wanting to stand up for them in any way I could. When I turned 8, I raised money for a local animal shelter by creating a t-shirt design that raised animal rights awareness. Eventually, my t-shirt design sold to a major company and ended up being a huge hit, selling nationally for a good number of years thereafter. The next major event in my life was when I was in high school, and one of the science classes had dissecting cats written into the syllabus. This just wasn’t ok with me, and so I reached out to the principal only to be laughed at and not taken seriously. I was about 16 years old at the time. Just a few days later, I wrote a letter to the board and after being denied the opportunity to do anything they finally allowed me to speak my piece. I gave them a 20-minute presentation, and by the end of it everyone in the room was actually in tears. Eventually the Tribune picked up my story, and it sort of became national news. It got people talking and actually started a movement for the passing of a new bill allowing for alternatives to dissection in all Illinois K-8 schools. Years later, the bill would become law.

VM: Wow, that is truly impressive. Were you ever nervous about how people would react to your passionate activism?

LMH: Well, when I look back on it, all the best things I did VERTE SPRING 2014

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in my life I did without asking for permission. I was a pretty brave kid, and I learned at a young age that I didn’t need to be popular to be respected. I found out that I could choose to do what I knew was right and stand up for what I believed in without having to be afraid of what other people might think of me. One of my favorite quotes by playwright Eve Ensler really speaks to how I go about living my life: “Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you’re doing here.” I made my decision pretty early on, and I always chose to believe that finding out what I was put on this earth to do was more important than being liked by other people.

VM: Did you always know that this path was for you? Was starting VAUTE always an idea you had in mind?

LMH: No, not really. I always knew that I loved animals and fashion, but I never really put two and two together until later in my life. I don’t really have any experience in fashion, other than modeling, but I’m a firm believer that every experience you have in your life—no matter how seemingly trivial or unrelated or even accidental—prepares you for what you are meant to do later on. That is, I think we’re given experiences in our life that direct us and become tools for us. And no two people have the exact same set of experiences or set of tools. These are the things that make us uniquely us [smiles] and allow us to do what only we were meant to do.

VM: Were you ever scared about starting the business?

And did you ever anticipate VAUTE would come such a

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long way, after only 5 years?

LMH: I guess you could say I was never really scared. As impossible or crazy as it seemed, I just knew that I had to do this for the industry. This was something that no one had ever seen before, and I knew that I had to be the one to do it. It was never a question of failure but instead how I would succeed. There were risks and small setbacks—as with any new venture—but we always figured things out. I always had a passion for startups and campaigning so this was nothing very new for me. When there are high stakes, a lot of money, and your reputation on the line, you find out that you are a better listener and a more observant person than you thought you were. Starting a business is about being resourceful and pulling from everything you have. I’m a grassroots activist. I studied ballet when I was young and was always really into Japanese fashion. I’m an entrepreneur who just believes that any big dream is possible [smiles]. My parents come from science and technology backgrounds, so they’re always thinking about a “plan B”.

Looking back, it was never scary. It all just made sense!

VM: Would you say you have a favorite fashion icon who inspires your collections?

LMH: Definitely Audrey Hepburn! She was a strong and thoughtful woman with such a huge heart. Actually, when I first started thinking about forming VAUTE, I was in Hong Kong and read a ton of books from secondhand stores. One of the books I read there was How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern. It’s one of my favorites, for sure. Audrey manages to be elegant, playful, and

almost tomboyish. I’d say that the VAUTE COUTURE brand really draws from these 3 things. I even named one of my coats after her! And my dog, too!

VM: Where would you say you feel the most creative?

LMH: Hmm, this is a hard question... I can say that Illinois is probably the last place where I feel creative. But I don’t know if there is just one specific place for me. I love being outside and I love being with animals. I love twinkly lights and people who don’t know me. Take me to wherever I’m out and around strangers, and I’m probably the most creative in that situation. I guess you might say I’ve always been inspired by traveling. When you travel, I think you get something like a reset button. You get to start over with a blank slate and that is your creative outlet. Since you’re in a completely new and different place, not surrounded by the usual variables, you’re forced to be pushed beyond your limits. You’re pushed to be the most creative you that you can be.

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lier it is that you’ll come across the term “fast fashion.” Fast fashion has a high turnover, with stores like H&M and Forever21 getting new styles delivered daily. It’s supposed to connote an emphasis on volume and speed over workmanship, and, like fast food, fast fashion is typically scorned by the industry gourmets. Upcycling is one way to break out of the dichotomy of mass production and haute couture.

VM: Do you consider your work “fast fashion” or “slow fashion”? What is the difference?

by Jacqueline Cremos

T

ucked away on Anklamer Street in Berlin’s gallery district, the Upcycling Fashion Store is quietly leading the charge in a new industry movement. Upcycling takes unused resources like second-hand clothing and army surplus and turns them into new products. Intrigued by the concept, I emailed the generic address on the store’s website and crossed my fingers for a response. How could a store like this survive in a market dominated by fast, disposable fashion? I was in luck. Luise Barsch, who runs the store aloing with Carina Bischof, Arianna Nicoletti and Jonathan Leupert, granted me a virtual tour. She explained that there lies a whole world between Bershka and Burberry, a world where a brand can choose both affordability and high quality – not to mention social and environmental responsibility. As it turns out, sustainability doesn’t have to be something a company does on the side for a PR boost. The Upcycling Fashion Store embodies social responsibility every step of the way.

The best way to explain upcycling is with that old proverb, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Upcycling means finding potential in used material or “waste” like leftover fabric, parachutes or bed sheets, and transforming them into products of higher quality, like a blouse or a tablecloth.

VM: What is upcycling?

LB: We tried to put it in a short description: Upcycling is the process of transforming unused, valuable resources into high quality products. Those resources might be considered “waste” by others - for upcycling designers, they are a source of inspiration, a challenge and the basis of sustainable products. We divide the material into post- and pre-consumer waste. Post-consumer waste is everything that was used, like second hand clothing, used household textiles and textiles from hospitals, hotels or the army.

“Pre-consumer waste” is what we call industrial leftovers like end-of-roll fabrics, cut-offs, and colour-charts.

The more you read about sustainable fashion, the like-

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LB: We consider our fashion “slow fashion”. The upcycled material (upcycling is reducing waste and saving recourses, energy and water), the quality (made in Germany), the classical, unique style and a collar that can be unbuttoned (2 styles in 1) are making our shirts and blouses sustainable.

“Fast fashion” is the fashion that follows trends and changes constantly. Collections are made every 6 weeks, the production takes place in countries where workers rights are not a thing to talk about, and the time pressure cuts down the quality, so the items won´t last very long.

The history of the Upcycling Fashion Store begins with a brand called aluc, founded by Luise, Arianna and Carina in 2010. The brand features small collections and simple pieces in bright colors. There’s a certain patchwork quality to the shirts that highlights the upcycling process. The vibe also showcases the influence of the brand’s creative parent, From Somewhere, although aluc’s pieces seem a little subtler.

VM: How was the Upcycling Fashion Store born? Where did the idea come from, and what were your biggest influences?

LB: Arianna, Carina and Luise met in 2009 in London all working for the upcycling-fashion label FROM SOMEWHERE. Being inspired by the designer Orsola de Castro and feeling the urge to bring the concept to Germany, we teamed up with Jonathan to found the upcycling-fashion label aluc in Berlin in 2010. The next step was the opening of the Upcycling Fashion Store in November 2011.

We started an upcycling fashion label called “Aluc”. We make shirts, blouses and accessories. We don’t make collections but concentrate on a couple of styles that we reproduce in different fabrics and designs. We use pre-consumer waste from fabric production firms in Austria and Switzerland. The pieces of fabric we buy there are short, so most of our shirts are limited editions, if not one-of-a-kind pieces.

The styles on the aluc website and in the Upcycling Fashion Store are generally quite simple, although often with several colors and patterns living on a single shirt or dress, thanks to the use of post-industrial waste fabrics.

VM: What is your favorite piece in the store right now?

LB: My favourite pieces are the tops made from socks by Steinwidder and the leggings made from pre-consumer waste by Antiform.

The Upcycling Fashion Store is only as strong as the community that supports it. As you might expect, the labels carried in the store are fair-trade, locally sourced, energy efficient, and never tested on animals. But the Upcycling Fashion Store has found a unique way to give back to the Berlin Community.

VM: What are some other ways in which the Upcycling Fashion Store practices social and environmental responsibility?

LB: When we opened our shop we started building a great network of designers and interested people called “Strich und Faden Modestammtisch”. We meet every last Tuesday of the month to network, start projects, or introduce new ideas and concepts. Through this network we got in touch with a social institution called “Berliner Stadtmission”. They mostly take care of homeless people and run second hand shops. People can donate clothes for the social projects. Not everything can be given to the people in need or sold in the second hand shops, so they asked us to upcycle for them.

We started a project called “The Upcycling Pool”, where designers can ask for second hand material and we sort it out for them. That makes it easier for upcyclers to find what they need and we are very positive that more people will consider upcycling if it is easier to access the material.

a practice that will be used on a regular basis in the future.

Mostly because people are starting to be much more aware of the origin of their clothes. They start to ask questions and use their power as consumers. The reaction to the upcycling concept in our store is always very positive because people can refer back to when they were making or repairing their clothes themselves in the past. It is an easy to understand concept. And also the industry will get behind that and see that it is financially and economically positive to use waste materials. We dream of a future where big companies produce less waste, recycle as much as possible and have an upcycling designer who is creating great fashion from what is left.

Upcycling is a promising concept, and it encourages social consciousness in designers and consumers alike.

Right now, you cannot compare prices for brands like From Somewhere and Aluc to the sort of prices you might find in a thrift shop. After all, these labels appear on Fashion Week and the industry elite takes them seriously. But upcycling is appealing because it feels like the next step in sustainable fashion. Even if it might prove difficult to convert the entire industry, the success of boutiques like the Upcycling Fashion Store is an inspiring sign for sustainable fashion in Europe.

VM: What is the future of upcycling? Do you think it will become a regular feature on the runways or in stores, or is it destined to be a “fringe” trend?

LB: Looking at the development over the last 3 years in Germany we are very positive that upcycling is becoming VERTE SPRING 2014

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Mae Yokoyama

by Cissy Chen Chanel

SOLAR FASHION

I

set out for my day, aware of my infinitely tight schedule, and realize that my cell, my palm-secretary, the key to my timeliness to back-to-back meetings, is in the red. I am desperate for an outlet...

At least I have my favorite jacket, a soft trench of lightblue vegan suede, to allay my anxiety. But what does a jacket have to do with a cell teetering on the edge of the dreaded 0%?

Thanks to recent innovations in solar technology, it is now possible to charge a mobile device, like a cell phone, from the power delivered by an article of fashion, sourced purely from solar energy. It is now possible to weave fabric that functions as a flexible solar panel. Clever designers can then transform these into sleek and futuristic fashions capable of withstanding the stresses of daily use.

As enticing as the concept sounds, the use of solar technology is still a relatively new development in the fashion industry, since most wearable prototypes in existence were developed by scientists and engineers. Unfortunately, many of these pieces are chunky, impractical, and frankly, not very fashionable. Thankfully, some designers are just starting to dip their toes into solar technology, integrating these miniscule power plants into jewelry, handbags, and even full outfits.

One of my personal favorites is the solar cell statement necklace, designed by Mae Yokoyama of the Konstfack University of Arts, Craft, and Design. The small panels store enough energy by day to illuminate its small bulbs by night.

Full outfits have been showcased by Pauline van Dongen of Wearable Solar. Her dresses and coats incorporate nearly 50 solar cells and produce enough power to charge a mobile to 50% battery after just an hour of solar expo-

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sure! Although they possess a certain aesthetic value, these pieces are still unworthy of a high fashion runway. However, they mark a considerable step toward realizing the idea of the wearable solar cell.

Even if stylish pieces with working solar cells and energy-producing capabilities haven’t grazed the glossy stretches of the high-fashion runways, there are a number of designers who have toyed with the aesthetic concept of the solar cell.

Project Runway winner Seth Aaron Henderson unveiled his solar-inspired fashion line called “Solar–the New Black” showing a fierce and sexy repertoire during the 2010 Portland Fashion Week. The show was staged on a sleek, solar-paneled runway provided by SolarWorld, a solar manufacturer.

Lagerfeld, during the CHANEL Spring/Summer 2013 runway presentation, also put on an extravagant showcase of sustainability in the form of a stageset of gigantic wind turbines and a solar cell-patterned floor. Although neither the set or the fashion were very sustainable, the show was an advertisement for the green energy technologies of today. We even saw a dress made of panels closely resembling solar cells. Although not the best piece in the collection, Lagerfeld merged the proprietary Chanel aesthetic with the reality of a new, solar fabric.

Although the dress could not actually generate any power, it signifies a trend in the making. We have the technology to make solar cells smaller and sleeker than ever before, and newfound interest in the futuristic aesthetics of solar-panel-inspired looks. So maybe it won’t be long until we see such pieces stir up a solar storm in the fashion world. Look out.

ON ORSOLA DE CASTRO story & interview

by Sami Walter

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rsola de Castro, founder of the English sustainable brand From Somewhere, is an innovative and internationally recognized voice in the global sustainable fashion industry. Along with her partner Filippo Ricci, de Castro is most prominently known as a co-founder and co-curator of Estethica, the sustainable fashion sector of London Fashion Week which serves as the primary venue for sustainable brands to showcase their seasonal collections. Through her label From Somewhere, Orsola primarily works with pre-consumer surplus from manufacturing houses and textile mills, piecing together upscale fashions that are all limited run. Orsola was the inventor of the now ubiquitous term for this process, “upcycling.”

“It’s about taking an object and, through a creative process of design and manufacturing, you turn it into something else or into a better version of what it was before,” de Castro said.

This idea originated when de Castro set her sights on her grandmother’s old jumper as the outfit of choice for an event. The heirloom overalls were riddled with holes, but a thoughtful application of a contrasting crochet earned her a number of orders from other attendees.

“It was completely accidental, and it had absolutely nothing to do with recycling at that point. It had everything to do with memories,” de Castro said.

From there, she started selling her pieces locally, but soon expanded to an international reach. In 2000, Orsola’s current method of upcycling originated after a visit to the Miles factory in Vicenza, which produces knitwear for high-end designers including Saint Laurent, Chloé, and Lagerfeld. She initially arrived at the factory to collect surplus cardigans, but was seized by a new idea whilst passing through mountains of patches, sleeves, squares, and other scraps of fabric.

“I started patching on myself with the stuff on the floor, and I just saw recognition in [my partner’s] face. She knew exactly what I was thinking about. She grabbed my hand, and we literally ran after the rubbish van, and we saved four bags of amazing cashmere backs and sleeves.”

For de Castro, upcycling became the go-to method for designing fashion. According to her, upcycling differs from recycling at a fundamental level: Whereas recycling simply re-purposes waste, upcycling involves significantly more creative energy, resulting in a better-designed second life for a product that is not mass-produced, a process which devalues the product.

“Recycling is comparatively common in the textile industry. And by recycling, I mean the shredding and re-pulping of off cuts and production waste to make wetwipes, mattress filling, insulations, yarns, and other textiles.

However, this process involves transportation, consumes vast amounts of energy, and leads to an inferior quality product—and it is by no means endemic. Upcycling is about creative immediacy. Very little mechanical intervention is required apart from sewing machines and a whole lot of imagination,” de Castro said.

As an upcyclist, there are certainly many challenges.

To begin with, you have to find a source for fabrics; Orsola termed this a “supply flow.” In addition, it can be difficult to balance the supply flow between having too little material

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and having too much.

“For most upcyclists, our greatest problem and the only unfeasible aspect of being an upcyclist is the amount of waste that you do have to sit on because it’s unlikely that they give you bits and pieces. You have to take the whole lot, so you end up having an awful amount of waste on which you then adapt your designs.”

Because From Somewhere has been in operation since 1997, the designer has created a sizable network of factories and fabric providers. However, her designs vary based on the nature of fabrics available from these sources. The brand is very much an experimental space for, but the operation is still versatile enough to have filled large orders for more commercial volume brands including Topshop and Speedo.

“From Somewhere has a brilliant little reputation, but it’s always been about creativity. It’s never really compromised its creativity to achieve conventional goals. Because we are so profoundly small and creative, we have had the honor of trying every possible way around,” de Castro said.

Her expansion plans for the brand include the launch of a menswear line.

“We have a new virginity with it, and there is a huge niche; there is a huge hole in the market for ethical menswear. There is hardly anything around, so we now have the experience and the drive, but even with that, we will not launch in the conventional way. We are launching with a project, and we will do very limited whole sale,” de Castro said.

On top of her brand, this sustainability guru also occupies herself with a number of additional roles in the sustainable fashion world. She speaks all over the globe about the movement, and continually promotes creative, original, high fashion sustainable brands through Estethica.

“There were already some eco-fashion platforms at the time, but they were very much about showcasing anything that was organic. We started with a very strong selection, so we only showcase brands that we like the look of and we like the principles of. If the design isn’t strong enough we will direct them to another fair, or we will offer to give them tips on how to better design, but we only showcase good design,” de Castro said.

De Castro has found that the sustainable fashion in-

dustry is able to thrive because of a public shift away from the big name brands. Buyers are changing from big names to smaller, more local shops that allow for unique self-expression and individuality.

“If you think about it, in the ‘80s, we all wore the big brands because we wanted to feel that we were part of a community, but we never saw these people, so it was through the clothes we wore that we felt a sense of belonging. Today, I am proud to show you that I am wearing something different. Even though our communication is definitely based on the same topic, and you know that we are on the same page in terms of sustainability—we don’t need to wear the same clothes.”

De Castro sees sustainable fashion as a movement within the general fashion community, calling it the first one of its kind since the revolutionary punk movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s. She says that she wouldn’t have said this a year ago, but thanks to youth interest, sustainable fashion has the power to endure.

“Students, you are the first generation thinking, ‘My god, the world might end unless I do something about it.’

This is a very new concept, and I’ve never seen anything so strong as this recently,” de Castro said.

The sustainable fashion movement has grown into an international community of makers and consumers. This community is influencing the way that larger brands operate as well as public perceptions of the industry itself.

Most young designers no longer send their concepts over to China for immediate production. Instead, they are leave the job to Wal-Mart, Topshop, or other big brands. In contrast, today’s sustainable fashion companies concentrate on keeping production both local and environmentally conscious.

“All is changing in terms of the way that we visualize clothing. We are really re-appropriating the making of our own clothes,” de Castro said.

Collaboration is a key element behind sustainable fashion. This is an antithesis of the current industry, which is very insular in nature, more interested in collaborations with the other art forms, rather than the world in general.

This nature fuels De Castro’s belief that the fashion industry is the least collaborative and least curious industry of all. She sees this trend slowly shifting as issues like waste reduction, better manufacturing ethics, and environmental friendliness become a greater concern.

“We are beginning to see an opening, in terms of the mainstream fashion structure. How long it will take, we don’t know,” de Castro said. For de Castro however, sustainable fashion is “the antithesis of your mainstream fashion.

What we are trying to do—we are trying to change perspectives, innovate, and create new methods of production that are environmentally friendly and people-friendly.”

Because sustainable fashion and sustainability in general is an international movement, de Castro sees plenty of ways for the individual to get involved in sustainability.

“Make a little step, but think big, because very soon it’s going will be easier and easier and easier to make the big whopping changes that we actually do need. So you always start with a small step,” de Castro said.

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The Bikini Bomb by taylor pearson

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hink fashion. What comes to mind? Naturally, images of haute couture generate exclusivity, inaccessibility, and innovation mark the very reason high fashion persists despite its apparent lack of practicality. Paris, Milan, New York. But usually Paris first. Why? Because the few contemporary heritage fashion icons Chanel, Hermès, and Saint Laurent- first took off in Paris, but continue to manifest globally via the means of the European fashion powerhouse.

Fashion, by definition, marches to the beat of its own drum. Nevertheless, in times of global crisis, even the world’s most independent art form, and its most renowned nucleus, have to react and adapt to its changing context.

An example of said reaction commenced on July 5, 1946 in none other than Paris, France. World War II had invoked a fabric shortage, among many other deficiencies around the world. This, in turn, meant the increased production of “necessities,” which excluded fashionable excesses like handbags, sunglasses, and bathing-suits. Despite this apparent setback, fashion designers became inspired to work with the few resources they had to evoke innovative wartime styles. One of which was the bikini. Ironically named after the news-making U.S. atomic bomb test in Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean in the first week of July 1946, the bikini was unveiled at the Piscine (pool) Molitor in Paris on July 5, 1946. Louis Reard unveiled the innovative two-piece bathing-suit that was largely received as promiscuous and appalling to the public so much so that he could convince any model to sport the new style and opted to hire a Parisian showgirl at the Casino de Paris, named Micheline Bernardini, to unveil the bikini to the poolside population.

Despite its apparent innovation, European women had been wearing two-piece bathing suits consisting of a halter top and “skort” (a crossbreed between a skirt and short piece) since the early 1930s. However, only a mere pencil-width of the midriff was exposed. The United States

did not come to accept this modest two-piece model until World War II when an even more groundbreaking design was in the works in Western Europe.

By contrast, the bikini rid itself of the skort design as well as the superfluous fabric that covered the midriff. It introduced minimalism to the world of beachwear such that the design merely consisted of the bare necessities, including two triangle pieces connected by a string for the top and an undergarment-like bottom piece. In addition, while many designers attempted to emulate Reard’s bikini, he declared that a bathing-suit could only bear the name bikini if it could be “pulled through a wedding ring.”

Though the bikini was crafted in response to fabric shortages induced by World War II, it only became widely popular along the Mediterranean coast in the summer of 1946 after the war had ended. This was, in part, because people were beginning to travel to beaches again and had the money to spend on non-necessary items.

In “prudish” America, the bikini had a hard time breaking the glass ceiling. In this way, the “promiscuous” design was resisted until the early 1960s when a new emphasis was put on liberating the youth and freedom for all people.

The Beach Boys, California surfing culture, and the American classic “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini” fed the bikini’s popularity in America.

Louis Reard’s bikini is an example of how one can draw inspiration from a crisis and create an iconic symbol of fashion out of nothing (or more precisely a mere thirty inches of fabric). In this way, in the coming years of global crises due to climate change and the resulting shortages of fabric and raw materials, fashion designers have something to learn from Louis Reard. Just as old styles re-circulate in later generations, it is time for the world of fashion to embrace fashion as a part of the past, present, and future and recycle our diminishing supply of materials. If not, fashion is history.

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psycho

electric grandma

strumpet

harlot

BEAUTY BY EMMY O.C.C. LIP TAR

authentic

black metal dahlia

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anime

rx

hoochie

black dahlia

f tough times lead to an uptick in lipstick sales, then college is the time to buy all of the lipstick colors. The statement lip has been a runway staple for more than a few seasons, with a vibrant tangerine shade its most recent incarnation, apropos for brightening up a rainy day or celebrating the advent of spring. But, as you might have noticed, there’s nothing half-assed about trendy lip color: You need to go bold or go home. Enter Lip Tar, a liquid lipstick with a vegan formula from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Lip Tar is made in over 50 different shades and finishes and it delivers a highly pigmented result whether you’re wishing for a sweet pink, a vampy red, or a stark neon hue.

Each Tar comes with a small lip brush and a clear pouch for portability and minimal messiness, and the liquid formula allows you to mix multiple Tars for a custom shade.

While it’s $18 for a third of an ounce, Lip Tar is so highly pigmented that one tube will easily last you a couple of years.

These appealing features have made Lip Tar a fast favorite of professional makeup mavens and amateur enthusiasts alike. Lip Tar appears inaccessible and confusing at first, but its long-lasting ability, sweet peppermint smell, and lack of harmful ingredients quickly won me over, and I think you’ll like it, too.

at least five minutes. If you’re hoping for ultimate long-lasting power from your Lip Tar, you can fill in the entirety of your lips with a coordinating lip liner at this stage—starting with a defining X on the Cupid’s bow—but lip liner is optional.

3) Next, apply a pinhead-sized dot of Lip Tar onto the lip brush. Beginning in the center of the bottom lip, dab the pigment outward toward the outer edge of your lip. Then, without reapplying pigment to the brush, begin at the center of the top lip and dab outwards again.

4) With both lips evenly covered, blot gently on a tissue.

Then repeat step three.

5) With the second coat applied, blot once more, then (optional) apply a bit of concealer around the outside edges of your lips to prevent bleeding throughout the day.

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As your beneficent lipstick godmother, I will share with you my foolproof method for applying Lip Tar. 1) Moisturize your lips while applying the rest of your makeup to prep them for lip color. I use Aquaphor, but any heavy-duty, emollient lip product will do. If you have particularly dry lips, exfoliate with a lip scrub or a toothbrush to slough off flaky skin.

2) Firmly blot off the lip moisturizer with a tissue after

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With these steps, you’ll have the confidence and the know-how to flaunt a bright pair of lips late into the day or night. Pair your bright lip with a simple eye for a refined look. Or, pile on the eyeliner. It’s your face, and there are no rules at all.

DETOX DETOX DETOX DETOX DETOX DETOX DETOX on the toxin-free ambitions of Greenpeace International Story by Mitchell John Hammer

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n April of 2012, a single customer purchased 141 articles of clothing from retail giants worldwide, including brands such as H&M, Zara, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Levi’s, and Victoria’s Secret. But the sale is nothing to be envious of, as a large majority of these garments tested positive for toxins, some with carcinogenic properties.

Greenpeace International, a major environmental activism organization, bought these pieces last year as a part of their “Toxic Threads” program, an investigation into mainstream fashion’s torrid affair with toxic products enmbedded in their supply chains. An overwhelming 89 of the 141 tested positive for nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), among other chemicals also known for possessing toxic properties. And not a single one of the retailers investigated escaped blame, as each company sold at least one product with trace toxicity.

One chemical group in particular discovered in abundant amounts during the investigation, NPEs, cause extreme harm to wildlife. Once NPEs are released into the wild, they degrade into nonylphenol (NP), a notorious hormone disruptor. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, NPs are “persistent in the aquatic environment…and [are] extremely toxic to aquatic organisms.”

Because of their harmful environmental and health repercussions, nonylphenol ethoxylates are banned in the European Union and strictly regulated for manufacturers within the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, developing regions, where retail giants maintain the majority of their production base, have yet to write policies regulating NPEs, explaining the need for Greenpeace International’s justifiably aggressive accountability initiative.

Plus, even with American regulation of NPEs, an estimated 270 million pounds of toxic chemicals are still released within the borders of the country each year, mostly through household drains. First, trace toxins either become components of the clothing or remain on the garment as post-manufacturing residue.

Then, we unknowingly launder and wash some of these chemicals into municipal waste systems, which in a significant number of cases lead straight into natural water systems, untreated and unfiltered. Thus, pollution occurs both at the production end during manufacturing and the consumer end during laundering.

Even more troubling, as production and consumption often occur in separate regions, is the realization that a single toxic textile pollutes two separate waterways thousands of miles apart. Simply by wearing the clothing they purchase, fashionistas and casual dressers alike involuntarily pollute.

To stop this chemical pollution and raise consumer awareness of the literal toxicity of the fashion industry, Greenpeace International targeted mainstream fashion companies in “Toxic Threads” with the hopes of persuading them to find and develop environmentally friendly substitutes for hazardous chemicals.

“Toxic Threads,” however, constitutes only a small part of Greenpeace’s efforts to detox fashion, and marks the second phase of their “Detox” campaign, launched in 2011.

The original report of this revelatory nature, titled “Dirty Laundry,” identified factories used by international brands that were “discharging…hormone disruptors into Chinese rivers. “Dirty Laundry” focused mainly on athletic brands, but the recent report “Toxic Threads” expands the campaign to include more popular and prolific street brands. Once the reports hit the media, the floodgates opened. Angry about fashion’s dirty little secret, activists across the globe called for reform.

Bowing to public pressure and fearing a massive public-relations fallout, major brands one-by-one began to pledge to Greenpeace International’s Zero Discharge by 2020 commitment. The list is still growing, and fashion powerhouses such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Benetton, and Levi’s have already committed to eliminat-

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ing toxic waste in their supply chains. Luxury brands, as fashion forward as they are, have always been rather conservative in most other aspects, have predictably been slower to react, although Valentino Fashion Group leads the charge with their promise to be both Zero Discharge and Zero Deforestation by 2020.

However a lot can be left to desire from a simple pledge, and in order to keep these companies honest, Greenpeace International continuously keeps tabs on their pledges’ progress. The laterst 2012 study served the dual purpose of both convincing more companies to pledge their commitment while also evaluating the progress of those who already had.

And the Campaign seems to be working. More than a dozen pledged retailers have been identified as making significant progress towards a sustainable future. Both H&M and Zara, the world’s two largest fashion retailers, were among that group—a big deal when you consider the fact that their shared profits for 2012 totaled to over three billion USD. H&M is one of the early adopters of the toxic-free charge, quickly emerging as a leader in the movement after pledging commitment to Zero Discharge in late 2011, post- “Dirty Laundry.”

In the years following, the firm has established a comprehensive plan of action to become not only environmentally sustainable, but also ethically conscious. H&M’s “seven commitments” encompass long-term goals such as strengthening communities, recycling, and creating a responsible production tier, and go above and beyond simple transparency and waste reduction. They tackle broader, systematic practices embedded in the industry since the beginning.

“H&M proved that its commitment wasn’t just a fashion fad, agreeing to phase out 11 priority groups of hazardous chemicals,” stated Greenpeace International on its website.

Zara signed on to the Detox campaign a year after their competitor H&M, but has also proven a legitimate commitment to Zero Discharge. Zara’s parent company, Inditex, laid out a combination of long-term and short-term goals not only to eliminate NPEs and other harmful chemicals from supply chains, but also to establish increased transparency. Their steps towards ‘right-toknow’ policies are crucial in ending involuntary consumer participation in toxic fashion, and holds retailers accountable while giving consumers crucial information that they deserve to know about chemical residues in their apparel.

The success of the Detox Campaign with big retailers like Zara and H&M paves the way for smaller businesses to follow suit.

Greenpeace International and its fashion conscious supporters have begun the path to a toxin-free fashion future, ensuring that consumers will not have to choose between fashion and the environment. The program, however, is far from over. Despite the momentum and success of industry leaders like Zara and H&M, other companies have either failed to live up to their pledges or have yet to even sign the pledge. Greenpeace International is continuing their fight against toxic fashion and recently expanded their vision to target children’s clothing brands. The organization’s continued efforts towards clean retail production continue to meet with great success and set the industry well on the road to achieving environmental sustainability.

3’s A Party PHOTOGRAPHY by Monica Chon / FASHION EDITORS Injee Unshin, Emmy Williams VERTE SPRING 2014

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Model Tyler Starr wears the simplest of sun dresses, but that’s a misnomer, as this example from 4 All Mankind flatters in the sexiest of ways, with chevron cutouts that tease. Tyler also wears the perfect accessory, a chunky bracelet from the same designer that plays well against the flagrant effemininity of the dress.

Michelle Alexandra wears a patterned suit jacket and matching shorts from Heidi Merrick. This loud outfit should be worn sparingly, but makes for a great statement. Pair it with of bright flats and a tight blouse.

On Jacob Perricone, a quirky, shortsleeved button-up from Vaute Couture paired with active dress pants from Nau. The print really transcends this look above other similar combinations, as it boasts loads of personality.

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Nothing can ever become the new black. Michelle rocks a black suit and gray chambray blouse by Heidi Merrick. Tyler’s slip dress by Heidi Merrick can of course look great with a pair of essential heels, but we decided to make our model more approachable with a pair of herringbone boots from Bhava.

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Michelle swaths herself in this oversized raincoat from Heidi Merrick. The removable hood and reversible nature make it a versatile purchase. For comfortable style day and night, try these perforated booties from Bhava.

On Jacob, an opaque Issey Miyake raincoat that opens up a world of possibilities for what to wear underneath. Bright colors are a necessity with this jacket. The waxed pants from Vaute Couture have a careless, loose fit and an adventurous texture.

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Tyler sports the morning after look in a men’s Issey Miyake suit and matching pants. The collarless construction is very contemporary VERTE 2014 and makes her SPRING seem taller.

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Ani Stefanova-Petrov “studies” in a creamy white jumpsuit from Amour Vert. The piece is comfortable enough for all-day wear and easily translates from day-to-night. The relaxed fit and open back play well with the edge inherent in the jumpsuit style. Her sweater is an upcycled cashmere top from Piece x Piece. The panel exudes modernity and the sweater feels soft and almost silky in texture.

A LESSON ON SUSTAINABILITY PHOTOGRAPHY by Walid Marfouk/ FASHION EDITORS Injee Unshin, Emmy Williams VERTE SPRING 2014

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On Yegor Chekmarev, is Vaute Couture’s material update on the perennial cropped biker. Instead of leather, this one is made of a waxed canvas that repels water and has a stiff, yet supple tecture. Underneath, he dons a patterned, short sleeve button-up also from Vaute and trousers from Nau. The biker brings a relaxed edge to an otherwise wholesome outfit. Also check out his messenger. Made of recycled plastic bottles, this one from Bluelounge features soft, terra-cotta color that can accent most collegiate outfits.

Danielle Holman sports one of this edition’s favorites, an oversized tweed coat from Study NY. The gridded pattern visually exaggerates the coat’s movements as it bellows in the wind. We suggest you play up the slouchy look with a nice pair of baggy trousers, like these ones from Amour Vert, tucked into tightly zipped combat boots. Her bag from Angela & Roi brings an element of intentionality and control into an VERTE SPRING 2014 otherwise carefree outfit.

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This down puffer from Nau features a unique, metallic color that really differentiates it from others. To make sure the jacket popped, we chose to pair it with a monochrome outfit. If you want to be loud and about with your sustainable practices, grab this printed tee from Vaute Couture.

Made of a super light material, Yegor’s trousers from Nau are comfortable and versatile enough to easily translate from day-to-night.

And for that stylishly academic look, grab this oversized backpack from Bluelounge and say goodbye to its ugly relatives.

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Study in comfort and style in this skirt + sweater pairing on Ani. She wears a plush, vibrant purple skirt and oversized sweater from Vaute Couture. Danielle channels the collegiate look with a men’s printed button-up and waxed trousers from Vaute, and an upcycled cashmere cardigan from Piece x Piece.

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LUXE PHOTOGRAPHY by Arjun Jain / FASHION EDITORS Injee Unshin and Emmy Williams

On Morgan Nelson, Heidi Merrick’s loud update on the suit is sure to turn heads. For the summer, show some skin and pair it with this bustier from Frock LA and a pair of chunky heels for a sublime, yet grounded aesthetic.

Accessories: Bangles courtesy of Jane Consignment.

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A leather shift dress... a concept that normally results in a tacky and overtly sexual product. But Heidi Merrick has cleverly avoided this trap. Thanks to the matte texture of the vegan leather, as well as the rather conservative patterning, the piece is flattering, and surprisingly professional. Consider it for your next daring work outfit. And while you’re at it, grab this studded clutch from Elkarti Morocco. It is light and small, yet eye-catching.

Accessories: Bangle and Necklace VERTE SPRING 2014 courtesy of Jane Consignment.

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The re-imagination of the polka-dot dress by David Peck is the perfect companion for the formal night out.

The gradient is endlessly interesting and the fit, effortless. The dress also has a slightly sheer top and a revealing back, so you almost go through a personality transformation VERTE SPRING 2014 from front to back.

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Pastel lips (OCC Lip Tar in Femme) play nicely on Lana with a fierce hunter green cat-eye (Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Loaded). Give eyes some definition in the crease with neutral shimmery shadow, and swipe a bit of bronzer underneath cheekbones to accentuate bone structure.

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UNI VER SAL BEA UTY PHOTOGRAPHY

by Injee Unshin BEAUTY EDITOR Emmy Williams

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Opposites on the color wheel make eyes and lips pop! Try OCC Lip Tar in Authentic and a deep cerulean smokey eye, or experiment with purple lips and a shimmery gold eye.

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Colored, metallic, and bleached brows have been all over the runways recently. To get the look shown on Stanley, comb a concealer pencil through eyebrows, then apply a gold cream pigment (such as Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold) with an angled eyeshadow brush.

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Get graphic with liquid liner applied in cool geometric patterns. You can use the edge of a business card as a flexible straightedge to guide your hand in applying the liner, and finish with two coats of your favorite mascara. If you’re daring, try an ombrÊ lip using OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie with OCC Black Dahlia in the center of the lip.

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Stanley has great bone structure naturally, but you can fake natural definition by applying a matte contouring shade around the hairline, beneath the cheekbones and underneath the hairline. Then highlight the bridge of the nose, the tops of the cheeks, and the cupid’s bow with a shimmery pale highlight to draw features forward.

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To get Stanley’s look, comb brows through with concealer, then apply a shimmery white cream pigment (Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool) VERTE SPRING with an angled brush. 2014

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Meredith Armstrong dons a story around her neck. The necklace by Dirty Librarian Chains is a glittery collage on chains that attracts the eye to the neckline Model Alex Quetell sports a new take on the perennial chain necklace

by Dirty Librarian Chains. It is not perfect for every occasion, but great to throw on with an otherwise prim and controlled outfit.

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ACCESSORIES PHOTOGRAPHY by Michael Glassman / FASHION EDITORS Injee Unshin, Emmy Williams, Emily Lever, Chantelle Ekanem, Joy Zou, Mitchell Hammer / BEAUTY EDITORS Emmy Williams, Terry Zhu

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Meredith’s statement necklace from Study NY is actually woven by a robot. The colors are subtle, and the chunkiness will serve to its advantage when you pair this necklace with a strapless, floor-length gown. Also, be sure to get your hands on these cork watches from Sprout. They have a very youthful look, but the tastefully colored dials can add pop to every outfit.

On Alex, a gold ring from A Peace Treaty, which has an artifact-like quality, but also has Art-Deco undertones.

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Featured on Alex are a pair of industry firsts from Sprout, biodegradable watches. Made of corn resin, they will break down soon after reaching the landfills. To help separate and accent these pieces is a bracelet from Dirty Librarian Chains.

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VERTE SPRING 2014

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This handcrafted Anton Heunis necklace on Alex, featuring a deep aquamarine Swarovski crystal setting, is versatile enough for daily and evening use. Its elongated shape lengthens the neck, making you seem taller. shopEthica.com

80 VERTE SPRING 2014

Plastic bag

PRINCESS Story & Interview by Emmy Williams Photography by Sydney King

Crowned with a friendly tuft of hair, Vicky Gebert might be a species of bird with her head cocked at such an inquisitive angle. On a bright January day, I sat down with this precocious high school student to talk about her artwork—a series of regal, sculptural gowns showcased in fashion shows and installations at Princeton University and in the community of Princeton, NJ, her hometown.

The twist? Vicky crafts these elaborate gowns entirely from scavenged, discarded materials.

Vicky, 16, is articulate, engaging, and seemingly unaware of the intricacies of her own work. She insists that she is not an environmentalist, that she simply enjoys non-traditional materials. Vicky is not a marble or granite kind of girl.

Likewise, Vicky stumbled into the world of fashion only a short while ago. She’s unable to name any fashion designers whose work she admires, but the lines of her gowns belie her keen observation of sartorial trends and techniques.

They’re a little bit princess, but a little bit rock-and-roll: Classic lines and dainty details play off of daring cutouts, armor-like breast-pieces, and revealing necklines. Think Balmain meets Marchesa.

Vicky’s sculpture-garments—when they can be worn— also wear like couture: The gowns lace up the back, bringing stiff strands of telephone cord and papier-mâché panels of bodice together for a perfect molded fit. Like any well-made garment, the real work of the gowns lies in the layers and layers of structured crinoline underneath the full skirts. Vicky’s crinolines just happen to be made of New York Times subscription plastic bags, which she gleaned from neighbors’ doorsteps and trashcans. Resilient boning made from hard plastic holds up the corset. The dress on our model moves quietly, swishing softly with her steps across the cobblestoned courtyard.

Incredibly, Vicky didn’t start her art education until her 8th grade year, when she began to dabble in drawing and ceramics. In 9th grade, she realized her passion for sculpture, using repurposed materials—“anything I can find”—to express her appreciation for the human form. Interaction with the human body, she says, “completely transforms” her art and inspires her work.

Speaking with Vicky, I’m relieved that she doesn’t consider environmental sustainability to be a significant factor in her artwork. Repurposed materials are no longer a statement. How carefree to live and create in an age where sustainable art can be “just art”!

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On Savannah Strong, a layered gown of plastic bags and newspapers, evoking a classic form that Vicky updates with recycled materials.

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