Esthetica 2011- Five full years of ethical fashion at the heart of London Fashion Week

 

by Veronica Crespi

Tenth edition of Estethica - quite an achievement. Five full years of ethical fashion at the heart of London Fashion Week. Once more, I expectantly attended, and my eager interest was met by an abundance of creativity by a healthy number of talented designers.

On the first day, the buzz is all about the ‘big names’ in the field.

Prophetik, an American label not new to showing in London (and to dressing London celebrities like Livia Firth on occasions such as the Golden Globes), opened with a collection reminiscent of bygone times in rural Tennessee, home of designer Jeff Garner. The show was actually part of the off-schedule line-up of Vauxhall Fashion Scout - which is a sign of how Estethica can be an efficient launch platform for ethical brands to reach far out onto the mainstream fashion scene, and hopefully contaminate it with their sustainable credo.

Immediately after, it was time for Ada Zanditon’s On/Off presentation of new collection, The Cryoflux. Although a reserved figure herself, there is no doubt Ada is the bright and visionary star in ethical fashion’s firmament. Her talent and craftsmanship are evident in every piece. The Cryoflux finds inspiration in the icy structures of Antarctica, and in their imperceptible but constant flux - reflected in the engineered prints, and the structural construction of the garments juxtaposed to the fluidity of the impalpable fabrics.

Christopher Raeburn

Once inside the Estethica area, a colourful welcome is given by two fun installations by other ethical ’star’ name Christopher Raeburn.

Walking around the space, I find some of the regular exhibitors alongside a few new names.
If there’s one bit of criticism I have for the event, it’s that I would like to see more new names pop up every time. Although the brands that have been there in past editions are the true pioneers, and at the same times still at the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement, I feel the richness of the event would be better fuelled by a constant renovation of participants.
It was indeed with two ‘first-timers’ that I thought I had found the real gems of this season’s edition: Studio NY and Antonello. And I was blown away by the skilful creations of Little Glass Clementine and Michelle Lowe-Holder. These, I feel, deserve a bit more space, and I’ll be reporting about them individually.

L.O.V.E

I also quite enjoyed Monsoon’s eco-range, L.O.V.E. (standing for Living Our Values and Ethics).
Although that of high-street brands’ ventures into the world of sustainable fashion is still a bit of a controversial matter, it is good that at least some capsule ranges by the big distribution companies are being produced under ethical guidelines.

Monsoon, after all, have been sponsoring Estethica for the past four years - and this season were present with an interesting offering, in keeping with the brand’s style, which will appeal to their regular customers, ultimately bringing them closer to an ethical fashion product. Organic fabrics, some tie-dyed or embroidered with Indian craft techniques, give the collection an ethnic feel that will work well for the summer - this was not an A/W collection: in fact, hit the stores on the very day of its Estethica launch.

And Estethica wasn’t the only platform showcasing sustainable fashion during LFW. We have been visiting EcoLuxe, too.

Our Ethical Stylist Veronica Crespi is Creative Director of ReWardrobe, the ‘Slow’ Style Consultancy.

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