Bianca and Michael Alexander, founders of Vert Couture, had their work cut out for them this past Sunday hosting Chicago’s first ever green fashion show. But with an already established track record in the sustainable field, the couple pulled it off with flying shades of green.

The husband and wife team, who recently migrated from California, have made the windy city more interesting with Conscious Living TV and Soul of Green. So producing Chicago’s debut sustainable design show was just another step in their progression towards sustainable.

Michael Alexander says he and his wife have a serious passion (bordering on addiction) for fabulous fashion that’s created consciously and sustainably. Vert Couture is their way of sharing this passion with the public.

“Seeing and meeting so many talented and committed eco-designers in our new home of Chicago, we wanted to support them by providing a platform to show the world their talent. We felt we could best serve them and the sustainability movement by producing arguably the hottest show of fashion week.”

Bianca and Michael Alexander, founders of the Vert Couture eco-fashion show

Chicago’s conscious community, including Fashion Focus Chicago and the Chicago Fashion Foundation, helped sponsor the show where Mountains of the Moon, Vaute Couture, Bryant McLemore Smith, Frei Designs and students from the International School of Design and Technology featured the best of their Spring 2010 collections.

Melissa Baswell, designer of Mountains of the Moon, says the show has strengthened the connection between Chicago’s eco-designers.

“Annie Novotny of Frei Designs and I decided that we’re not stopping with Vert Couture. We want to organize monthly gatherings with some of our fellow Chicago eco-designers to brainstorm and help each other out.”

Melissa Baswell of Mountains of the Moon takes a stroll down the runway at Vert Couture

Baswell says that unlike traditional shows she’s been a part of, more factors were involved in Chicago since the show was produced as green as possible (the event was carbon neutral, featured organic and vegan drinks and hors d’oeuvres, had green sponsors, eco-friendly printed materials, and of course, sustainable designers).

“There were a variety of designers and a wide array of pieces shown. It was put together as a fashion show first and foremost, but it also educated people on the importance of sustainability, and included much more than just the runway show.”

Annie Novotny, founder of Frei Designs, says that being part of Vert Couture is just what designers have to do right now.

“It turns some people off, promoting yourself as an eco-designer. But it’s my choice to produce ethically. It’s never been a cool thing to do. So whether people are educated or not, whether or not they know about issues of waste and sustainability, I’m going to be part of something like this simply because it’s important,” says Novotny.

Sustainable designer Lara Miller didn’t show her line at Vert Couture, but did show during Fashion Focus at Macy’s Designers of Chicago last Thursday evening. Her line is carried in the Chicago Designer Shop at Macy’s on State street.

Lara Miller Spring 2010, at Fashion Focus (Photo by Michele Wayman)

Miller says that Chicago is getting more competitive with the other major fashion cities in the U.S., but thinks that Chicago, in general, is just different.

“We’re providing a different view, a different market and allowing our designers to grow while reaching out to other markets. I think that Chicago designers have a unique perspective on fashion and on the industry. We’re incredibly hard workers, we understand who we sell to, and first and foremost we’re good people who support each other and our garment manufacturers here in the city.

Not all of our businesses are about creating a stir or a groundbreaking trend. We’re about quality, individuality, and our customers. We each have our own individual message and brand identity. And I think that we’re all showing something different and creating trends in our own ways, some more than others, but the trends to me don’t matter as much as creating beautiful quality work that pleases our customers. Because while we’re designers at the end of the day, we’re also entrepreneurs, which means that we want to make our customers happy.”

Chicago and Vert Couture have certainly made me happy.

Kevin Baum, CEO of Sust and Moriah Carlson of Feral Childe at the recent NOW Showcase in NYC

October marches on with another look at men in eco-fashion.

Kevin Baum, CEO of sustainable label Sust, is one of many men carrying a well-lit torch for the eco-designing movement. He’s made great strides in laying the groundwork for the Sustainability Across America Tour (of which EcoSalon is a sponsor).

I caught up with him in the midst of markets and orders recently. Here’s what he had to say:

I know you come from a Fortune 500 background. How is it similar or different being the CEO of Sust, a sustainable clothing line?

Managing a start-up is an amazing and wonderful opportunity. The functional aspects of the business (concept, branding, strategy and infrastructure) are the same, regardless of whether or not you’re an eco-fashion or conventional company.

What are some ways you’ve drawn from your collection of experiences and put them into SUST?

This is a tough question, probably because the complete answer would be the foundation of a semester-long course at many fashion or design schools. In short, running a business (restaurant, retail store, etc.) is much the same in principle. It’s about designing or creating great product that is focused on a target market with enough disposable income and interest to purchase the amazing goods you’ve produced. Of course, the distribution model, price points, capital and infrastructure all come into play when you’re building a new business from scratch. All of these complicating factors are what makes a start-up such a great experience.

Tell me about some challenges that have entered your path that you couldn’t have foreseen?

I don’t think there really have been too many surprises in the basic day-to-day business. Of course, no one really understood the impact of the recession back in 2007 when Tristan & Marion started the company. I joined in early 2009, so I had a pretty good idea of what we were up against and we’ve adjusted our model to be more price competitive with conventional brands that we benchmark ourselves against the specialty store space. I feel strongly that we would have done the same thing, economic downturn or not, and the current macroeconomic climate may have expedited the exercise.

I asked the question on Twitter “Do you know of any men involved in the eco-fashion industry?” and all said they didn’t know any. Does that surprise you?

Not really. In the past 20 years I’ve always seen the core population in retail, merchandising and design positions primarily held by women. I don’t have a statistic, but I would venture to say it is 75% or more in the industry. Spend one day at any major trade show and you’ll see it’s an industry run by women. Yes, there are “other men” in eco design. Many of them happen to be focused on the men’s space or have companies that have multiple product categories.

Are you a part of the design team for Sust?

Marion McKee is our Creative Director. In most companies, there is an intersection between Creative, Sales and Production. In other words, how to take great design and match it up with what can be made with the right value proposition to ensure it will be successful in the marketplace. I handle the Sales & Production side, so Marion and I collaborate daily on how to build the right product each and every season.

What do you think is the hardest part of being a sustainable designer?

The market is nascent, but really very small in the overall retail landscape. Combine that with the macroeconomic climate and it is clear that most customers will not pay “more” for eco products. Our challenge is to find a way to make beautiful products cost effectively, so we can sit side by side with conventional brands and remain price competitive. The current environment has helped us to focus on this aspect of the business. It all starts with great product, but if you are not competitive on price, then you’ll have amazing goods with no place to go.

Henry Schwab of Kate Organic, Synergy Organic and son

There are lots of men thriving in some way or another in the eco-fashion world. We’ve decided to give them a plug as it’s often their female counterparts getting the buzz on EcoSalon.

In fact, we’re going to do a weekly mini-series celebrating their work. We’ll call October “Men In Eco-Fashion” month.

First up is Henry Schwab, co-president of Kate Organic (Kate’s his wife) and sister company Synergy Organic. In addition to recently becoming a dad to a second child and balancing his firstborn on his hand, Henry is busy with all that makes a business go round successfully.

I caught up with him recently amidst the bustle of his daily life in California.

What challenges you more in the fashion world, the design or the business end of things?

I work more on the business end, but help with colors and styles. Challenges come up everyday in so many ways. We all have the same problem as everyone in the non-eco world: shipments late, wrong fabrics, kids getting sick, price points…

I asked the question on Twitter “Do you know of any men involved in the eco-fashion industry?” and all said they didn’t know of one. Does that surprise you?

No. If you asked men if they knew women involved in professional sports you would hear the same thing. At least we are seeing more male nurses.

How challenging is it to either design or work with the designer creating for the opposite sex?

Both men and women like to see a woman look good so I don’t find it hard. My main problem is the women on our staff (my wife), liking for me to be well-groomed and as a Santa Cruz, California hippie, my look is for 1969. But I try to keep up with the modern eco-fashion. I’m just waiting for the cycle to come back to my look.

What do you think is the hardest part of being a sustainable designer?

Survival!

Anna Korte of AK Vintage, me and Gretchen Jones of Mothlove meeting face to face for the first time during NYC Market Week

I just got back from selling at D&A during New York City’s Market Week and am tired. Like, I can’t get out of bed, don’t want to talk to another designer or buyer dry-heaving in the toilet tired.

It wasn’t because I spent the past week enclosed in a 10×10 space presenting clothing lines to legions of stuffy buyers or entertaining press and new friends over cocktails, it was because sometimes eco-fashion sucks the ever-living life out of me.

So much is there to consider all the time but Market Week, oh man.

From the designer’s manufacturing, amazing new ideas and business plans desperately being shoved down my throat over dinner to the buyers wondering how the heck they can sell this “organic crap” that scares their customers, I get to see and hear it from all sides.

Take note, we all choose our paths but sometimes the weight of it all is crippling when you compare it to how much easier non-eco designers have it (you know, not having to consider the planet and all). And I had to stare at many of them for four days.

I love designers – even have a t-shirt that says it – and true, there’s always the inherent design process that takes skill and a muse, but not designing sustainably has its perks (cheaper to source, easier to sell price point wise, not freaking out customers). Yet I still can’t believe all designers aren’t trying to do something sustainable.

Blah, blah, blah.

In a perfect world, I would wave a magic wand over the designer’s head and whisper three times “Your business now thrives,” and they’d gaily skip away clad in U.S. grown organic cotton and hemp silks to Dylan’s “The Times they Are A’Changin”.

Buyers would just know that educating their customers about what they put on their bodies was par for the course. Shoppers would consider their purchases and be more invested in the person who designed for them and know that by buying a simple coat this fall, they are also doing such virtuous deeds like helping an organic farmer through another season, putting food on the table of a local seamstress, allowing a designer to sleep peacefully through a night and enabling a boutique that does care the ability to buy consciously for another season.

Still, it’s hard to create progress.

After all, Marshall’s is having a fall incentive sale! So, another time we’ll do it, but not today.

But maybe, just maybe, we will begin to consider something else next time there’s a craving for boots or a pretty cardigan or even a new wireless bra. Maybe we’ll step outside the box to consider more than that purchase; prioritizing the dedication (or lack of it) involved in the process.

Me? I’m bound by it.

Chris Brogan, President of  New Marketing Labs

Social media’s newest darling (Twitter) has become a very important platform for eco-designers and boutiques to connect with the public and each other.

Women’s Wear Daily recently featured an in-depth look at fashion brands and how social media – Twitter included – is radically changing the way fashion brands engage with their customers online, forming “relationships with a community of customers, particularly consumers for whom the Web is as important as a limb.” (WWD boasts that its own Twitter page has grown to more than 688,000 followers from a measly 200 since its launch in February.)

Chris Brogan, a nationwide social media guru and President of Boston based New Marketing Labs, a media marketing agency, works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications as well as helping individuals to use social media.

Brogan says a service like Twitter isn’t just a new marketing channel, it’s an opportunity to cut through the clutter and the worst of the traditional approaches and return to basic human interactions.

“Social media provides the ultimate in listening tools, so boutiques and designers can listen. Further, there are several free or cheap distribution and media making options available, so maybe you can invite in designers and those interested in fashion to have conversations,” says Brogan. “Imagine designing with a live cam running so that people could check in on progress, give opinions on changes, shape the projects in real time?”

As we become more invested in our clothing and see how much it can work for us, being implicated in its design isn’t just forward thinking, it’s smart.

“Imagine prototyping live on video without having to ship the product around for reaction,” says Brogan. “Imagine having private showings online where people could get an early opinion on whether or not they would be willing to buy a certain product before shipping.” He adds that other ways designers could involve the public is by having people commission certain designs in a crowd-sourced manner, using a tool like Chipin.

“The possibilities are endless,” says Brogan. From personal experience, I agree.

Some of my favorite eco-designers on Twitter whom I follow religiously include Doucette Duvall, cmarchuska, Lara Miller, Bahar Shahpar and Feral Childe. Eco-boutiques include Nimli, Greenloop, Pivot and Equita. These are designers and boutiques who will respond right away to you. How wonderful is that when you’re just starting to understand the worth of eco-fashion or, better yet, to get discounts and heads up on sales and events?

Got a question for me? I’ll be your switchboard operator to them when you find me @amytropolis. And be sure to follow @ecosalon for links, tips and ideas you don’t see on the blog.

How do I know it’s summer? I hear bees and see flowers blooming; I’m working out because that beach vacation is looming. I watch baby birds as they learn to fly; I welcome new beginnings into my life.

And yes, I write terrible jingles that barely rhyme.

Actually, I know summer is upon us because all of a sudden I’m in the mood for dresses. All I want is to bare my legs and to wear strappy sandals. I’ve gathered some of my favorite sexy frocks for frolicking your way through the next few months:

Elroy Larkspur Dress

Don’t be fooled by the basic looks of this little knit dress. Not only does the low v-back say sexy but the long gathered “scarf” that connects to a side seam creates an entirely sensational dress with tons of possibilities. The aqua, chocolate and white are 95% modal and 5% spandex, while the black and royal blue versions are 100% bamboo knit jersey. Find it in sizes XS to L for $122 at Elroy.

Lara Miller Tiered Ronnie Dress

There’s not much to say other than simply stunning when looking at this dress made of organic cotton and bamboo. You might also call it short, sexy and sleeveless in a dirty periwinkle blue they call Iron. Oh, and it’s available in x-small, small and medium for $297 at Nimli.

Doucette Duvall Milly Dress

I adore the red and white checked print of the Milly Dress and its tilt toward the traditional, but it’s the open back with big white buttons that seals the deal. This frock can go just about anywhere melding modern, feminine and mystery. Made from 100% cotton rescued from a mill in Spain, you’ll find it in sizes 2, 6 and 8 for $370 at The Violet Hour.

Organic Zip Front Dress

I happened to be at Fred Segal this past weekend and found myself trying on this dress by Organic. Soft as a baby’s bum, it’s made of 100% biodegradable cupro with a zipper running down the front. The combination of floral, feminine and metal zipper is très sexy”¦as well as very expensive at $565. Find it in sizes 0 through 8 at Fred Segal or online at shopbop.

Eco-Ganik Criss Cross Finale Dress

This long, low cut gown is the epitome of elegant, yet it’s casual enough for a hot summer day. The Bora Flora print is earthy and glamorous; the material is woven 100% bamboo and the criss-cross in its name happens at the back (see top image). It’s available in sizes x-small, small and medium for $273 at Nimli.

FIN Goddess Bamboo Dress

What attracted me to this silky number from FIN is the flowing, almost water-like appearance of the 100% organic bamboo fabric. The gathered detail in the front makes for a form-fitting bodice and feminine streamlined shape. I’m a fan of FIN also because of their overall commitment to carbon neutrality and Fair Trade practices. Find it in sizes 4 through 10 for $432 at Equita.

Loyale Valencia Mini

I showcased a bikini by Loyale in this purplish floral print and everyone loved it, so here’s the same organic cotton and low impact dye floral print in a mini dress. “Flirty and fitted” and the perfect piece to throw on for a date or lunch with friends, it’s available in sizes XS to L for $178 at Loyale. (And for those of you who shy away from anything “mini”, there’s a longer version available for $196).

Edun Andie Shift Dress

This tailored shift dress is suitable for work or play, evening or day. The vertical stripes accentuate the longitude of a woman’s body, while the subtle slit up one leg along with the sequin detailed shoulders make for one sassy, sophisticated outfit. Add a pair of simple black pumps and va va vooom. Of course it’s eco – 100% sustainable cotton, fairly traded and sweatshop-free. Find it in sizes x-small, small and medium on sale for $215 (from $325) at Equita.

Beau Soleil Beau Guard Dress

Here’s a slinky, one-shouldered maxi that’s worthy of a head turn or two, if you ask me. 100% bamboo and simply black, the Beau Guard showcases a sexy metal ring on the shoulder that holds the back and front together. I love a dress that screams sexy while leaving so much to the imagination. It’s available in sizes petite, small and medium for $250 at Nimli.

Sublet Catherine Dress

Last but definitely far from least, this dress from Sublet says classic and functional without being b o r i n g. Covered in pleats made of 30% organic cotton, 67% bamboo and 3% spandex for that special stretch, the Catherine sways and clings in just the right places. Find it in sizes x-small through large in three creamy colors, for $280 at Sublet.

Now I’m really in the mood for summer, aren’t you?

It’s an uphill battle for many designers to “go green.”

Some walk the talk more than others.

I caught up with three pioneering eco-designers and asked them if the eco-fashion industry is simply lost in a waste-stream of organic textiles or if it is actually possible for the industry to slim down a bit.

Here’s what they had to say:

Sandy of EcoSkin:

As this question is so broad it is difficult for me to give a specific answer, but what I can do is hopefully provide some insight into this issue for EcoSalon readers.

The fashion industry as a whole may never “go green” because the demand for inexpensive clothing and the American way of having more for less is still very present today. Even with the onslaught of green designers and the incredible movement we have seen these past several years of men and women like me taking a stance on social and environmental responsibility, there are still and will likely always be consumers who choose the other option.

I feel like I am kind of preaching to the choir because EcoSalon readers already understand the importance of the fashion industry going green, and what is going to actually move this process forward is education of those who do not care or understand the purpose of green fashion.

All I can do is focus on keeping my carbon footprint smallest, and providing those who do want to see green fashion thrive with an affordable, high-quality, fashion-forward product, and encourage the growth and sustainability of this industry.

Of course I believe in it, and you believe in it, but for the fashion industry to go green as a whole, we will need to move the rest of the world into this mindset. I believe it is possible though, which is why I started EcoSkin. I knew a contemporary label could be produced entirely eco, and therefore, “why not?”

It is up to the consumer in the end to make a choice between the labels that are green and the labels that are not. When the American public and its influencers in government and, I’ll say it, Hollywood, demand eco fashion, the industry will follow and this has thankfully already begun.

Lara of Lara Miller:

Absolutely not impossible. Sustainability is comprised of three main factors in my opinion  – economy, environment, and social good. Economy is what will drive the industry to be more eco-concious.

Recycling and engineering will be the future of our fibers. We need synthetic fibers, we cannot pretend that we do not – performance fabrics for athletics and various other industries. We want the varieties of fabrics as designers to allow for shine, stretch, and individuality.

Right now eco-designers have to be creative with what’s available. But our options continue to grow and expand as the consumer demand does. In just four short years I am amazed by the variety of textiles that have become available… in the next 10 years I truly see the sewn products industry using 75 percent recycled, organic, or renewable resources for fibers. Green choices simply make economic sense – thankfully – and those of us who are passionate about our environment will see the shift in the fashion industry that has been notoriously wasteful for way too long.

Lindsey of Reif Designs:

I don’t think it’s impossible for the fashion industry to go green, but it will take a very long time to get everyone on the same page. Given the fact that as designers we are in the business of creating new things, and we make our livings off of getting people to buy new clothes, rather than used, our definition of green can be very narrow or very broad, but there are steps that every designer large or small can take to work towards a more sustainable industry.

One of the biggest things I noticed when I started my line was the staggering amount of fabric that is wasted in production. Even the most precise cuts will yield waste, and the more garments produced the more there will be.

My first collection did a really small run, like 50 garments total, and I had 4 bags of scrap fabric from my floor cuts. These are pieces that can’t really be used for anything else but I couldn’t bear to throw them away. My solution was to post an ad on Craigslist offering the fabric to local crafters. I received 32 emails in 2 hours, and was not only able to give the bags of scraps homes, but I felt good knowing that the fabric was going to be used for some good. One recipient, for example, makes quilts for people in nursing homes, and another makes cat beds for cats waiting to be adopted at a shelter.

Another thing that I toil with as a designer is using newly produced fabrics. Regardless of how sustainable the fabric is, it is still brand new fabric, and there are warehouses full of fabric that has already been created and isn’t being used. I buy a lot of fabric end-run, and while some may say not like that its not organic, the fabric is just as sustainable as organic cottons and jerseys, possibly more so, because it’s keeping fabric out of landfills and using what we already have rather than producing new.

Plus, I find some great fabrics that way! There is a place here in Portland, for example, that buys leftover performance and outdoor fabrics from companies like Patagonia and Columbia. These are huge companies, and they might have 100 yards of a particular fabric that they can’t use any more, but for a small designer this is more than enough to create and produce a collection. These fabrics are also really durable and great for climates like the Pacific Northwest. These fabrics round out my collection, and I am able to provide customers with cool prints, colors and textures that I can’t get in sustainable textiles.

Image: Vincent Boiteau

Kiehl’s and the Sundance Channel have partnered to present ECO TRIP, a new eight-part original series on tonight (May 12th) 6 p.m.-7 p.m. EST.

From the Sundance Channel site: “ECO TRIP: THE REAL COST OF LIVING is an eight-part original series exploring the origins and environmental impact of common everyday products. Hosted by eco-adventurer David de Rothschild, whose far-flung travels have garnered international attention, the half-hour primetime program investigates iconic items from cotton t-shirts and paper napkins to salmon and cell phones, and follows their life cycle from production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social and health effects along the way. Eco Trip: The Real Cost of Living inspires and educates viewers on what they can do to live a greener life. Episodes are: Chocolate, Cotton T-Shirt, Gold Ring, Paper Napkin, Light Bulb, Bottled Water, Cellphone, Salmon.

Sustainable clothing designer Lara Miller will host an event for ECO-TRIP to support the show’s launch at Kiehl’s Chicago store after the show (907 W Armitage Ave.) to talk about how everyday products – like a t-shirt – are often taken for granted, how much they add up and the kind of impact they have on the natural world.

Miller, who has has been featured on the Sundance Channels’  “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” says she’ll also talk about “How I deal with the issues, conflicts, etc. that arise on top of the challenges that I already face as a small business owner/designer,” while at Kiehl’s Chicago store.

Miller’s mastery of sustainable fabrics and designs are considered unique among women with discerning tastes and her showroom quotes her work as being “modular designs created with a playful geometry that connects to the personalities of the women who wear them.”

I just like how pretty they are and how you can wear them in a multitude of ways.

If in Chicago, check her out tonight to see what she has to say about her role as a designer dealing with the fashion waste stream.

Should be interesting.

Do you have your email set up for Google alerts? I do. One of them is for “eco-fashion” (go figure, right?).

A few days ago I got an email talking about Oxfam Great Britain’s secondhand and ethically-produced clothing you can buy online and was flabbergasted by how great the pieces were in both sections.

I’m ashamed to say I never knew the same Oxfam has over 700 shops, including specialist shops for books, clothes and music all over the world, which sell many fair-trade items and clothing. This all started in 1948.

According to the website, the proceeds from these usually get paid to different charities or are used to further Oxfam’s relief efforts around the globe. They rely on people donating things for free.

In just the Second Hand section, there are 1,282 pages and numerous others in the Ethical Collection. Where to begin?

Well, how about page four of their Second Hand store under Evening Wear for this stunning evening dress which goes for around $31.00?

Wait until you see the back of it…

Just when you thought you’d heard and seen it all, former Playboy Playmate and Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson has decided to temporarily swap her silicone and Botox ways all in the name of eco-fashion.

No, you heard me right, same sentence, Pamela Anderson and eco-fashion.

Collaborating with 90s punk club kid/actor/singer/designer Richie Rich, Anderson was quoted in People as saying at Richie Rich’s March 27 ROCK Fashion Week runway show (at Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau Resort): “I really don’t like to wear clothes. I would rather go naked. But I love Richie’s designs, so I agreed to be part of Muse.”

A recent front-woman for Vivienne Westwood’s spring-summer 09′ fashion campaign, Anderson plans to launch the Muse collection with Rich this summer starting with leather-free shoes and casual separates including hoodies, skirts and, you guessed it, swimwear.

I wonder if she’ll be inspired next to launch a TV series called Vegan Watch-Babes Attack,where stunning eco-advocates with dreadlocked blond hair run through the sands of Malibu reading beachgoers a vegan bill of rights.

I’d totally watch it.