February 4, 2008

Greenwashing at NY Fashion Week?

On Thursday evening, as an unofficial kick-off to NY Fashion Week, Earth Pledge staged their FutureFashion show, which showcased one-off pieces made from sustainable and organic fabrics. The FutureFashion show was one of the hottest tickets in town, with the industry’s biggest-name designers participating, the most-sought-after models walking the runway, the front row packed with big-name celebs and magazine editors. The clothes were gorgeous, and it’s got everyone talking. The FutureFashion initiative, like most things done by Earth Pledge, is genuine, thought-provoking, and world-changing.

Can’t say the same for some of the other “green” initiatives that are on full display at NY Fashion Week right now. On Saturday, no less than three designers gave out canvas totes as swag at their shows. What easier way for a designer to scream “I care about the environment” while at the same time sourcing toxic fabrics and staging an energy-sucking runway show? At the same time, DKNY has locked up some 75 neon orange painted bikes to trees and lampposts around the city to promote biking as an environmentally-friendly way to get around. But branded utility it’s not — the bikes are actually unusable, and only serve as urban spam. We think the better ad would have been to actually provide free bikes as a service to weary fashion week guests, buyers, and editors (though we doubt they would actually use them in their 5 inch heels).