ECO Fashion Week and H&M Conscious Collection Launch April 10-12

Credit: H&M; Kacper Kasprzyk

H&M Conscious Exclusive Glamour Collection

ECO Fashion Week and H&M’s sustainable spring Conscious Collection make responsible fashion fun and accessible

An eco-fashion double whammy is taking place this week. Not only does ECO Fashion Week Season 04 kick off in the Robson Square oval rink, H&M is launching an exclusive, sustainable eco-fashion collection featuring gowns and daywear.

While ECO Fashion Week (EFW) is locally grown and focuses on independent designers, H&M is an international corporation that’s expanding their use of recycled and earth-friendly textiles. Rather than equate the two, I like to think of it as a ‘brother from another mother’ style scenario.

Any eco initiative in the fashion industry is welcome. On the consumer end, 90 million items of clothing per year are sent to landfills worldwide. On the production end, 2,700 litres of water are required to produce just one cotton t-shirt. The use of synthetic fibres in clothing requires more carbon dioxide during processing than natural fibres and unnecessarily exacerbates global warming. Textile waste is rampant.

I could go on, but you get the gist. Here’s the common ground: both EFW and H&M emphasize the word ‘conscious’ when talking about fashion consumption and production. Find out more about how to make your shopping patterns conscious and responsible by checking out the two events below.

ECO Fashion Week founder Myriam Laroche with Mana Mansour (Image: ECO Fashion Week)

ECO Fashion Week Season 04

I was really excited to hear ECO Fashion Week encourage Vancouverites to ‘Occupy the runway’ April 10-12. Where the typical fashion week is exclusive, EFW knows that educating and involving consumers is key in changing shopping patterns and supporting up-and-coming eco designers.

Head out to the The Vintage Runway Show on April 10, at 7:00 pm – a joint production by EFW and Value Village styled by the big Vancouver names: Sarah La Greca, Deanna Palkowski and EFW President Myriam Laroche.

The public is also invited to the Eco Fashion Panel, hosted by Laroche, which takes place on the runway on April 11 at 4:00 pm. Tickets to the remaining runway shows are $20 plus fees, available at TicketsTonight.ca.

And don’t forget to bring pre-loved clothing to donate at the Value Village bins scattered throughout the event venue.

H&M’s Conscious Glamour Collection (Image: H&M)

H&M Conscious and Conscious Glamour Collections in Store April 12

Glamour meets sustainable style this spring at H&M as the mega Scandie retailer makes a move toward more eco-fashion options. The newest initiative is H&M’s Exclusive Conscious Glamour Collection made from materials like organic cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester. The red-carpet-ready looks showcase just what’s possible with greener fashion.

Amanda Seyfried wore the blue tuxedo blazer and shorts at a London premiere, while Michelle Williams wore an H&M custom-made gold-draped organic cotton bodice with a satin-backed crepe trumpet skirt at this year’s BAFTAs in London.
 
We all know Vancouver women are more interested in comfy, casual daywear (no, I do not mean yoga pants) than red carpet frocks. H&M’s ever expanding, basic Conscious Collection is simultaneously launching a line of ephemeral sundresses and botanical print, checked and pastel separates made from one of these eco materials: 100% organic cotton, 100% Tencel®, 100% recycled polyester, or 100% recycled cotton.