Sara Kirsner is the mastermind behind this sinfully beautiful and organic brand of green clothing, called Doie. Kirsner recently moved her line from New York City to Los Angeles, simple calling her new line “Los Angeles.” Sara began her journey in the fashion world by attending the FIT and Parsons in New York City. She then began interning at Marc Jacobs and DKNY and working in the design department of Ann Taylor.

Kirsner then decided to create a line of clothing in 2005. That’s how it all began. Sara Kirsner’s line has been described as flowing, elegant, simple, and most importantly: organic.

Sarh grew up in a very eco conscious family and therefore, began infusing her green lifestyle into her designs. Kirsner’s natural eye for line is apparent in all of her clothing, as she has been drawing and sketching gowns and clothing since the tender age of eight years old where she found inspiration from her fashion icon, her grandmother.

Sara’s designs are not only made of organic cotton but they are also inspired by nature. Most of her designs reflect an Asian inspiration or tropical locale in both the patterns and lines that she uses.

Her clothes are also locally made, in Los Angeles, where she now resides which also cuts down on her carbon footprint and also allows complete control over the production process to insure that it remains entirely eco friendly.

In her mission for creating beautiful sustainable clothing, we at Have It Green Magazine fully appreciate the clothing that Sara Kirsner has created and cannot keep our hands of her latest. If only the pieces could just fly into our closets. Now that would be a green dream.

Among the many designers featuring green articles in their lines, Samantha Pleet stood out among all the rest. Samantha Pleet showed her collections at the GreenShows during New York Fashion Week. The Brooklyn designer, uses only organic cotton, organic wool, and makes her fantasy outfits in a wind powered factory in New York City. Yes, we said a wind powered clothing factory in New York City. Didn’t think it existed? Neither did we.

Her statement is one expressed through dark colors, somewhat rough looking materials, and her clothing is certainly not suited for that of a suburban housewife. She touches on the unreal and fantasy world and brings a whimsical, dark feeling to her clothes that is original and unlike any other we’ve seen. Her fashion shows are to say the least dramatic, yet all the while environmentally dreamy.

The renowned designer just recently released a men’s line called Patrick Pleet, which will soon be available in stores worldwide. So whether you’re a man looking for a twist to that boring suit of yours, or a woman looking for a new look that might surprise and maybe even shock some others, Samantha Pleet has the designs you need. All that, along with being eco friendly, we certainly are happy to say Pleet’s designs are an HIG Magazine favorite.

The green fashion scene has certainly taken off and we’re proud to say that it looks like “Green Fashion Shows” during Fashion Week are here to stay.

A simple search online will show that most “green menswear” is actually in the early stages of production and manufacturing. We discovered that what the average green guy shopper is mostly likely to come across, if he’s lucky- is a few organic tee shirts. What we rarely find is an entire sustainable men’s line of clothing, let alone fashionable garments. Additionally, when we do come across a “green mens line”, we usually discover that organic materials and green processes have been employed only to varying degrees.

So ladies, watch out, menswear is sure enough to catch up in the green fashion race towards sustainability, but until then, it seems that the ladies are in the lead.

Her first ever creation was a belt made from recycled leather, which was quite a surprise in an era that celebrated conspicuous consumption.

Lindquist’s current collection features “a few pre-loved fabrics that have become staples in her collection such as: cashmere, kimono, sari, scarf, wool, leather, and lace”. She is also experimenting with some new textiles such as “hemp blends, organic cotton, peace silk, modal blends, and soy chiffon”. When asked about the “greenness” of some of these fabrics, Lindquist is surprisingly blunt. Soy, for example, has its downside. Although the fiber is spun from waste generated by tofu manufacturing, soy is often genetically modified and requires pesticides and herbicides. This is a particularly sensitive issue for Lindquist, whose father almost lost his leg to pesticides after a mishap on their farm in her childhood. Other fibers debuting in her current collection are “peace silks”. Any other silk is made by “boiling the intact cocoons and unwinding the single silk strand onto reels”, but peace silks allow the moth “to emerge from their cocoons and to live out their full life cycle”.

Self dubbed environmentalists may wince at even the suggestion of animal fibers, however Lindquist is surprisingly philosophical about them. As long as the animals are well treated, de-hairing a goat for cashmere or shearing a sheep for wool is about as natural as it gets. We couldn’t agree more.

So what’s next you ask? Simply said: Spring 2009. But after that she’ll turn attention expanding her wedding line, children’s line and dog line.

The fabric created using pineapple is appropriately called Pina Fiber. The threads are derived from the leaves of the pineapple plant, usually grown in the Philippines. The process of handcrafting this fabric is shown above, as it is often created as such in the Philippines and Indonesia. The textile produced is described as soft and luxurious and is being used by fashion designers across the globe.

The next item on the list is surprisingly, x-rays. Yes, the same X-rays that confirm your broken bones are now being worn as the latest fashion statement. Playback Clothing is launching a line of x-ray recycled t-shirts that are made by mixing the x-rays with recycled cotton material resulting in an array of colors. Playback also recycles old soda bottles to make hoodies and t-shirts. However, what differentiates this company from others is the use of dye is completely eliminated in the process, using the original colors from the soda bottles. Thus, hues such as “Beer Bottle Brown” are featured in the line. Now you can have your beer and wear it too!

Another odd resource being put to new use, is coffee grounds. “S Cafe” is a fabric being created in the Taiwan based company Singtex Industries by using waste coffee grounds. That old cup of joe you drink every morning can yield as much as two shirts.

Seacell is, yes, you guessed it, fabric made from seaweed. Seacell is made by combining cellulose with a small percentage of seaweed. The fabric has even been claimed to have therapeutic assets as well, however, that rumor is yet to be proven. Nonetheless, this kelpy innovation is still more than welcome in the textile industry.

Altogether it looks like cotton might be getting a little competition with these alternatives. We’re just excited to see what’s next.

The brands featured by Fashioning Change must use sustainable manufacturing, organic materials, cruelty-free materials, and ethical production. Everything from men’s apparel, women’s apparel, jewelry, children’s apparel, and even home furnishings will be featured on the site.

The non-profit organizations featured by Fashioning Change fall under the categories of animal rights, education, environment, health, and human rights. Fashioning Change supports non-profit organizations within as well as outside the United States, as they support and encourage change on a global level.

“Everyday we have the opportunity to do something to help make the world a better place,” said Founder and CEO Adriana Herrera.  ”Fashioning Change is passionate about partnering with designers, non-profits and shoppers to provide an additional avenue to create positive change.” Fashioning Change’s mission is to provide  consumers a marketplace for sustainable and beautiful designs that make the world a better place. With a mission like that, Fashioning Change is sure to make an impact on the environment as well as humanity.

http://www.fashioningchange.com/