Green Is the New Black

Does the eco-chic movement really care about the environment?

Leah Werier, Staff

Outline of fashion bag

In early 2007, Anya Hindmarch, a designer, introduced the fashionista’s must-have bag for the spring season. It was not some bedazzled hobo sac or a sleek patent clutch. It was neither extravagant nor luxurious, something one would expect from the London fashion house. It was a simple canvas bag.

The Hindmarch canvas bag featured some whimsical handwriting, which read, “I am not a plastic bag.” The low-key canvas sac was designed with function in mind. Its purpose is to reduce the use of plastic bags from grocery and clothing stores. The bag’s original cost was set at a reasonable $15.

Hindmarch’s bag sold out in mere hours when it was launched at Anya Hindmarch stores and select boutiques in Paris, London, Milan and Japan. A limited number of bags were available online, and 100,000 customers registered with the hope that they too might get their hands on this designer bag. Almost immediately after the bags sold out online, auction websites such as eBay.com were re-selling the bag — some fetching prices up to $400. The bag had become an instant cult classic.

To have this kind of consumer reaction for a bag whose primary function is carrying food-stuffs is unheard of. However, this bag goes beyond fashion because the designer’s phrase “I am not a plastic bag” informs the world that the person carrying this bag is not only fashionable but also environmentally conscious. Hindmarch has even stated, “Our aim with this project has been to use our influence to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags. ‘I’m not a plastic bag’ was designed to be a stylish, practical, reusable bag that would raise awareness of this issue.”

Hindmarch collaborated with the organization We Are What We Do. This organization is “a new movement inspiring people to use their everyday actions to change the world.” We Are What We Do felt that by supplying consumers with a sustainable fashionable product, they would inspire consumers to change.

The success of this bag suggests there is a new “eco-chic” movement; being environmentally conscious is a fashion statement in and of itself. The idea that you can buy a product that is both fashionable and sustainable has people waking up in their McMansions and slipping on their $436 “natural” bamboo Gucci slippers before opening the door to their new hybrid Lexus. Are these trendy product purchases helping the environment? Or is this movement just another way to appeal to our consumer culture? Will being ecologically concerned pass on when it is no longer in season?

The Eco-chic movement

Designers such as Hinmarch are leading the way for a new movement that calls for consumers to become conscious about the decisions they make. The eco-chic movement is not limited to the use of trendy grocery bags; it has encompassed all areas of consumption from water bottles to magazines, luxury vehicles and house paint.

The not-for-profit organization Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP) aims to create awareness on the use of sustainable technology. On its website, there is a wide range of case studies including one on environmentally sustainable fashion. STEP defines the eco-fashion movement as “products that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.”

Items that meet this definition can be made using organic raw materials grown without pesticides or recycled materials, such as using old tires as shoe soles. For fashion to be “eco” it should also be made by people earning a fair wage in a suitable environment. This movement stresses that we abandon the use of chemicals, harsh dyes and bleaches to colour fabrics as well.

This movement did not erupt overnight; designers have been using sustainable fabrics for some time. The eco-chic movement really had its debut in 2005 with New York City’s fashion week. Fashion week is a widely popular event in which top designers showcase their season’s new line. In 2005, the not-for-profit organization Earth Pledge and the clothing store Barneys sponsored an event titled Future Fashion.

At this event, 28 top designers set out to wow the world with their runway creations. The criteria that all designers had to comply with was using renewable or reusable non-polluting fabrics. Earth Pledge viewed Future Fashion as a way to “continue to educate, research and demonstrate to the industry and consumers that there are interesting options and that we still have a long way to go.”

The provocative fashion line Heatherette was part of this Earth Pledge initiative in 2005. Designer Richie Rich of Heatherette stated, “People often perceive the fashion world as superficial, so it’s great to work with materials that are actually good for the environment. I had my doubts, but when we actually saw the fabric swatches we were blown away. They were gorgeous, and it wasn’t hard to design with them.”

Future Fashion was incredibly successful and truly did change the mindset of major design labels. In the weeks following this event, Barneys featured environmentally sensitive designs in the window displays. Fashion has come along way since 2005, when designers like Richie were concerned that ecologically friendly fabrics might detract from their success. The fashion world took the first step, but the designers realized that the use of these fabrics was an asset; consumers want to buy into this movement.

Current trends in eco-chic

The eco-chic movement has gone beyond the runway, and it now appears there is an environmentally sound choice in entertainment and other products as well. Long before Hollywood reaped the benefits of Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth, they realized the environment was a hot property. After Gore’s film, Leonardo DiCaprio co-wrote, produced and narrated a documentary titled 11th Hour to raise awareness about global warming. But Hollywood began to take note of the environment back in 1989 when The Environmental Media Association (EMA) was formed “to mobilize the entertainment industry in a global effort to educate people about environmental issues and inspire them into action.”

EMA’s first act was to establish an annual gala awards dinner; Academy Awards style, for entertainment that features environmental issues and productions that demonstrate green values. Some of the honorees in 2007 included Happy Feet for feature film, and Big Ideas for a Small Planet: Wear for documentary. Debbie Levin, president of EMA, stated, “If role-modelling a green lifestyle is our message, then young people are the perfect messengers.” That’s why the EMA website column titled “gen e” features eco tips from Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Smart, R.E.M. and more.

Another offshoot in the eco-fashion movement is in the sale of reusable water bottles made out of aluminum, which can be bought instead of purchasing water bottled in disposable plastic bottles. Disposable plastic bottles pile up in landfills and pollute the environment. Reusing disposable plastic bottles may harm people’s health as toxins from the bottles leach into the water. Aluminum water bottles are eco-friendly, and some are now decorated with limited-edition graphics. They have become a fashion statement; recently a Sigg water bottle was chosen to be included in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The fashionable awareness of the green movement has also lead to benefit concerts and the more recent Earth Hour. Earth Hour originated in Sydney, Australia on March 31, 2007, when 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses turned off their lights for one hour. This year, Earth Hour 2008 became a global movement. You may have noticed that Google.com took part in Earth Hour symbolically; the homepage “turned its lights off” and the usual white background was replaced with a black one.

Several businesses in Winnipeg took part in Earth Hour, such as the French restaurant Oui where diners could be eco-friendly by dining fashionably by candlelight. Diners didn’t have to sacrifice a hot meal, though, since the kitchen continued to operate with its lights on. Events such as Earth Hour 2008 certainly raise awareness, but the major parts of the eco-chic movement are products that consumers can buy.

The most widely available eco-chic item is the sustainable, reusable grocery bag. But you don’t have to get one of Hindmarch’s bags to be a part of this trend. Almost every major grocery store is selling their versions for less than $2. This product certainly is not all about fashion. There is now a major backlash against using plastic grocery bags, which are made from petrochemicals, a non-renewable resource. They are not biodegradable, which means that they pile up in landfills. Plastic bags rarely are disposed of properly and they are often seen caught in tree branches or blowing across parks and along sides of the road. They are also a known hazard to wildlife.

Several countries have recognized the threat that plastic bags pose to the environment. Some areas have enacted legislation to curb the use of these bags by either placing a surcharge on the bag or by banning the use of them altogether.

Justin Swandel, a Winnipeg city counselor from St. Norbert, called for the elimination of plastic bags in the City of Winnipeg. He was troubled about the great number of plastic bags blowing around the Brady landfill area. Representatives from the plastic and grocery store industries spoke to the committee members and opposed the ban on plastic bags, stating that most grocery chain stores recycle plastic bags. The representatives also stated that most stores are promoting the use of reusable bags made from sustainable materials.

Unfortunately, the committee designated with the task of developing a strategy to eliminate plastic bags felt that they lacked the expertise needed to study this issue. The committee members decided to lay the issue over.

Problems with the eco movement

While plastic bags are a huge source of environmental devastation, it turns out that reusable bags may not be the wonderful solution that consumers would like to believe. A backlash has occurred from Hindmarch’s eco bag. On close examination of her bag, critics are questioning exactly how sustainable the bag really is. The bags are not made using fair trade and are not made from organic materials. The actual manufacturing of the bags is said to be outsourced to China. Fashionistas who purchased this bag to show off that they are eco-chic may find the truth is that the bag is not sustainable or eco-friendly.

This paradox emerges in almost every example of eco-friendly fashion. The utopian vision that an eco-friendly life can be gained by intelligent product purchases is highly appealing. You don’t have to stop consuming; you just have to consume in a green way. This mindset defines the majority of people who have immersed themselves in the eco-chic movement.

Alex Steffen is the executive editor of the website Worldchanging.com, which is dedicated to sustainability issues. Steffen says, “There is a very common mind-set right now which holds that all that we’re going to need to do to avert the large-scale planetary catastrophes upon us is make slightly different shopping decisions.”

Criticisms of the green movement

Even though buying a sustainable product is the right decision, many people, when confronted with the “environmentally correct” choice, over-indulge. You buy the hybrid car but, because it is fuel-efficient, you drive twice as much.

Alex Williams, writing for the New York Times, addressed this issue when he wrote, “It’s as though the millions of people whom environmentalists have successfully prodded to be concerned about climate change are experiencing a SnackWell’s moment: confronted with a box of fat-free devil’s food chocolate cookies, which seem deliciously guilt-free, they consume the entire box, avoiding any fats but loading up on calories.”

There is a wide range of criticisms against this eco-chic movement. However, the majority of complaints come from individuals — long-time environmental activists, not larger environmental advocates such as Greenpeace. Michael Ableman, an environmentalist, author and a seasoned organic farmer, has stated, “The assumption that by buying anything, whether green or not, we’re solving the problem, is a misperception.”

Ableman has suggested, like several other activists, “Consuming is a significant part of the problem to begin with.” He suggests, “Maybe the solution is, instead of buying five pairs of organic cotton jeans, buy one pair of regular jeans instead.”

Chip Giller, the founder of the online environmental blog Grist.org, voiced his concerns that the eco-chic movement creates a false sense of security. “Over even the last couple of months, there is more concern growing within the traditional camp about the Cosmo-izing of the green movement — 55 great ways to look eco-sexy — among traditional greens, there is concern that too much of the population thinks there’s an easy way out.”

Perhaps the majority of consumers feel that changing their clothing into sustainable fabrics is an easy way out. However, other environmental activist stress that these eco-friendly products are a fraud. Paul Hawken, an author and environmental activist, says that Green consumerism “is an oxymoronic phrase. . . . We turn toward the consumption part because that’s where the money is. We tend not to look at the ‘less’ part. So you get these anomalies like 10,000-foot ‘green’ homes being built by a hedge fund manager in Aspen. Or ‘green’ fashion shows. Fashion is the deliberate inculcation of obsolescence.”

Conclusion

The eco-fashion movement has been criticized by some and applauded by others. Is this all just a fashion trend that is causing more harm than good? To find the answer, one must look to the large body of consumers taking part in this trend. This movement has done one thing, and that is raise awareness in the average consumer. Sure, the “I am not a plastic bag” turned out to be environmentally unsustainable and not fair trade but it opened consumers eyes to the problem of plastic bags, which is not yet going away.

Greenpeace USA supports “green consumerism” as a way to get participation on a wide front from the average shopper. In an article in the New York Times, John Passacantando, the executive director of Greenpeace USA, argued that “green consumerism has been a way for Wal-Mart shoppers to get over the old stereotypes of environmentalists as ‘tree-hugging hippies’ and contribute in their own way. . . . You need Wal-Mart and Joe Six-Pack and mayors and taxi drivers. . . . You need participation on a wide front.”

The co-opting of the average consumer to environmental concerns has been documented by American Environics, a market research firm, which ran a series of focus groups for Earthjustice, an environmental group. Michael Shellenberger, a partner at American Environics, was surprised by the results. The majority of consumers choosing eco-friendly products felt that it was a starting point and not the end of their duties to save the environment.

Shellenberger said, “We didn’t find that people felt that their consumption gave them a pass, so to speak. . . . They knew what they were doing wasn’t going to deal with the problems, and these little consumer things won’t add up. But they do it as a practice of mindfulness. They didn’t see it as antithetical to political action. Folks who were engaged in these green practices were actually becoming more committed to more transformative political action on global warming.”

If an eco-friendly product has the power to engage the average consumer in environmental awareness, then this is a huge success. Large environmental organizations such as Greenpeace have been trying to raise the awareness of environmental issues for years, perhaps that is why they are not anti-eco-consumerism. Eco-chic has provided customers with a newfound consciousness towards the environment; hopefully this attitude is more sustainable than their trendy bags.