Fashion Forward: Environmentally Friendly Fashion

WSVN--It was a political and a fashion statement in the late 1960's and early 70's.But while hippies may have been earth friendly, their clothes weren't exactly fashionable. Fast forward to 2005 where clothes and accessories, that look good and are good for the environment, are all the rage.

Jonathan Marcoschamer from Ecoist: "Our goal is make products that are 100 percent either made of recycled, organic or biodegradable materials."

You could say they're card carrying tree huggers at Ecoist on South Beach. The company uses old candy wrappers, soda cans and food labels and turns them into fashionable, but earth friendly handbags.

Jonathan Marcoschamer: "Instead of throwing them away and have them end up in landfills, we have people that pick them up."

The bags come in seven different styles. From a bright pink coin purse?to a large silver tote, made from the shiny inside of candy wrappers?to this orange clutch. At Ecoist, there's no sacrificing style to save the planet.

Jonathan Marcoschamer: "People usually associate eco-friendly products with hemp or very organic, earthy colors, but our products are different because they're very eye catching."

U2 lead singer, Bono is hoping you'll desire his new business venture. He may be known for his music, but now Bono is making a mark in eco Fashion while hoping to raise awareness. Bono and his wife Ali just helped launch a new clothing line called Edun sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. The clothes are stylish and made of organic fabrics like pesticide-free cotton.

Sonia Gibson from Saks Fifth Avenue: "Oh, it's hip, it's very hip. It's quiet, but very sexy."

And the clothes aren't just environmentally friendly; they could help reduce world debt.

Sonia Gibson: "The aim of the collection is to generate employment and commerce for development countries such as Africa and South America."

Big name designers are getting in on the trend too. Oscar de la Renta and Diane Von Furstenberg just showed their eco-friendly fashions during New York Fashion Week in March.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: iamor@wsvn.com

ECOIST HANDBAGS
305-674-0433
http://www.handbags.com

EDUN CLOTHING LINE AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com