By guest columnist Deborah Barnes

I was invited to speak at the opening night fashion show and party at the East London Eco Design Fair, June 26. This was not the debut I had in mind when I decided to get louder and go farther with sustainable fashion.

I had my first lecture lined up at Seattle Central Community College for this coming fall quarter.  The lecture is still on but the debut is over and it was fabulous.

OK, it was good for me and feedback was positive, so I am going with it.

Why does this matter? Fashion is a column in the lifestyles section, fashion is a frivolity, not something you pay attention to even though you dress on a daily basis. Right? 

However, fashion is a multi billion dollar industry that instigated planned obsolescence and impacts our lifestyle choices in countless ways, literally. So, when fashion is confronted head on from the inside, is questioned about ethics, trade patterns, sources, toxins, processes, exploitive economics and resource abuses, we should all pay attention.  For this is the story of change and other industries can follow suit. 

Last October I attended the “Fashioning the Future Summit 08” at the new Sustainable Fashion Center at the London College of Fashion. The invitation arrived via real post and I think I received it because of my incessant research or because one of my blogs got their attention.

I had to go, as this was what I had been searching for. I contacted the Sustainable Style Foundation to do a blog for that organization as I wanted to share the experience. On returning to Seattle, I thought more people would want to know how others were implementing changes but I received little response.  

I went back to teaching sewing and recycouture classes at the Northwest Senior Center and working on my collaborative multiple medium art installation concept called the fashionRIP Project. 

In March, Nicola, a London College graduating designer, emailed me about one of my blog entries. She saw a photo of her dress from the fashion show the evening before the Summit discussions and thanked me for the post. We have continued the correspondence. 

The Eco Design Fair organizer invited me to the fair because of my participation in the Summit. I decided to go, as needed the boost to my spirit and because Nicola was going to show. It wasn’t too long after that when their original speaker canceled and I was offered the gig. That is how I ended up speaking in London.

The Eco Design Fair East was the second part of the fair as a West End event was held the weekend before.  Though smaller in size than Greenfest it was limited to a clothing, accessories and cosmetic agenda. 

I am still organizing all the new information as it ranged from ethical mining practices to clay cleansers, fair trade sourcing to textile fiber issues and engaging, beautiful clothing and products naturally. I find the more we learn and question where products come from and how they are made the better we will be able to create lives of quality for our species and others. After all we are all codependents of this planet’s systems.

The Eco Design Fair was endorsed by the Ethical Fashion Forum. They have been influential in fair trade sourcing and other sustainable fashion concepts.

Nicola started her socially responsible label, Beautiful Soul, with sponsorship from the Forum as the class winner in the “Innovation” category.

This collaboration and support between organizations is why London has had such an impact on changing ideas. Though there are sustainable designers in the states the schools are lagging behind and the requests and inspiration for change have just barely started to surface as energy issues have superseded lifestyle makeovers.

However, as we come to terms with how our activities have collided with our ability to maintain the eco systems we all need to survive, sustainable fashion is coming out of the closet.

Deborah Barnes lives in Ballard and is the former owner of Zootsuit Custom Apparel. She can be reached via email at debbarnesusa@hotmail.com.