Estethica: Sustainable Chic

Style with a conscience is a nice idea in theory, but is it really feasible in the unforgiving world of fashion? The enduring image of eco-friendly clothing is of shapeless, itchy hemp dresses, available in a variety of tea stain shades. However, even the most sceptical tastemaker would have difficulty contesting the sophistication on show at the Estethica Press Day.

Presenting a wave of new designers who produced their collections either through fair trade, British craft traditions, or recycled materials (a handbag made from fire hose) the British Fashion Council event succeeded in proving that luxury goods and ethical production were not mutually exclusive goals. With an array of wildly diverse materials, styles, and products, the atmosphere at Somerset House was just as heady as it had been during Fashion Week earlier in the year.

The spectrum of design ran from highly wearable demure classics, to sublimely unconventional pieces. Christopher Raeburn’s highly acclaimed practical sportswear collection, incorporating his signature decommissioned parachutes and British battle dress, jostled for attention alongside the decidedly eccentric Lu Flux, a label which marries chintzy vintage print charm with modern sculptural forms to great effect. A personal favourite was the kooky Out With A Bang dress. The Portico rooms were bursting with many other ingenious highlights, including Maxjenny’s breathable streetsculpture ponchos, and designer Minna’s sensuous organic Scottish lace confections.

Accessories were equally imaginative, and, as it soon became apparent, eminently collectable. Brand ISSI launched this season of Estethica with a collection of handbags designed by award-winning artists. The aforementioned Beelzebag of fire hose, complete with ornate wing detail, was designed by Simon Periton of Pulp album cover fame. Other examples of desirable adornments included fair trade jeweller Oria’s delicate gold and silver nature inspired designs and cute animal charms, as well as Nina Dolchetti’s extraordinary vegetable tanned leather shoes, complete with curved wedges based on the reverse of insteps.

A clear standout was the exquisite body-con collection by Black Isle native, Henrietta Ludgate, winner of the Ethical Fashion Forum’s Fashion Innovation Award for London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2010. Her minimalist lines, sumptuous colour palette, and distinctive details make for a refined and subtly chic silhouette, eco sophistication at its finest.

A luxury aesthetic and her Scottish heritage are of paramount importance to Henrietta as a designer, encouraging her to incorporate traditional craftsmanship and indigenous materials in her choice of materials. “I only use locally sourced fabrics, such as Scottish wool, and superfine Yorkshire wool jersey.” This dedication to her Celtic roots is also evident in her design inspiration, with Highland forestry and folklore underpinning her Autumn Winter 2010 collection. With the help of textile designer, Aimee Kent, at Glasgow School of Art, Henrietta recreated the dense woodlands of the Highlands with “foil and silver flake branch prints” on a series of moonlight black separates and dresses. The muse of the collection is the legendary oracle, the Brahan Seer. “He was said to use a circle with a hole in it in order to see his visions. My sister and I were told stories about him when we were little because he was from the Black Isle too.”

Concluding the press day, a panel of Estethica spokeswomen, comprising Creative Consultant Yasmin Sewell, curator Orsolo de Castro, Laura Bailey, and Baroness Lola Young, fielded questions on the importance of ethical fashion. The issues raised were the disconnect between fashion seasons and actual seasons, the need for this branch of fashion to connect with the teenage market, and especially the desirability of sustainable clothing, not only within the ethical sphere, but in the wider realm of global fashion. Laura Bailey said “Clothes must stand alone in the market place whether they are ethical or not, people don’t want something that is not as good because it is ethical.” Based on the talent and originality of the designers on show, these concerns will soon be a thing of the past. Sustainable and chic are closer to being synonymous than ever before.