30 July 2006

The Brits Go Green


Why the in-crowd are wearing

Eco Chic

Britains Daily Mail has the dirt on the clothing industry, tauting it as one of the worst offenders in terms of environmental damage.

According to the UN, enough cotton for one jeans requires 10,850 litres of water and an unhealthy dose of some of the world's most hazardous pesticides and carcinogenic chemicals.

Cotton cultivation accounts for 24 per cent of global insecticide use and is suspected to contribute to one million cases of poisoning and as many as 20,000 deaths a year. The end result is just as bad, as in Britain alone, 500,000 tons of unwanted clothing end up in landfill sites each year.

As awareness increases so does the demand for organic and fair trade fashion. It doesn't hurt that stylish A-listers such as Jade Jagger, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell have all been seen wearing the latest ethical labels - Ciel and People Tree are favourites. Meanwhile Bono's wife Ali Hewson has launched Edun, the socially conscious designer clothing line now stocked by Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Helena Christensen is a fan and Cameron Diaz particularly loves the jeans.

And they are not alone. New designer fabrics like ecoKashmere bamboo by Jonäno offer cashmere fans an organically grown, no dry cleaning needed option.

"People want clothes that they can feel good about, as well as feel good in," says Ali. "When I buy clothes for my children, I don't want them to have been made by other people's children. And I don't want to be wearing clothes that were made from someone else's despair.

Check out more on this article: Why the in-croud are wearing eco chic, The Daily Mail



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