Estethica gives the fashion industry another showcase where ethical fashion is the focus; it undoubtedly changes the way we perceive this glittering industry. Their latest press day, hosted at Somerset House and coinciding with Earth Day on 22 April, was no mistake.
Arriving at Somerset House, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this group of eco fashion designers think and move together as one collective – their goals and ethics are so similar. Their collections, however, are entirely different, and it’s a testament to how rapidly ethical fashion has progressed. Estethica takes fashion and sustainability, as one entity, very seriously.
Orsola De Castro, together with her partner Filippo Ricci, started Estethica in September 2006 as a showcase for labels with ethical and environmental policies. It’s the only sustainable area at London Fashion Week’s vast seasonal exhibition, which De Castro curates and organises with the British Fashion Council. She told me: “Estethica is growing. It’s had positive responses from both the market and the media as well as all the designers hoarded here today. This is our third press day and we will continue to propose initiatives like this which are really important for all the Estethica ethical brands.”
From Somewhere
From Somewhere is De Castro’s own ethical clothing brand, starting with humble beginnings in 1997 and developing into a renowned label over the last ten or so years. “Our last collection made for Tesco has been a great success with all the pieces sold out after the first few weeks,” De Castro revealed.
In the early afternoon I took part in a round table to discuss the promotion and marketing of ethical fashion, with fashion luminaries Baroness Lola Young, Charity Durrant, Laura Bailey, Livia Firth, Vera Budimlija, Yasmin Sewell and Orsola De Castro herself.
The main topic was the future of ethical fashion: how it is evolving, its perspectives for the years to come, and how it deals with a fashion system which still depends so heavily on its seasonality – in many cases up to four collections a year.
Ethical fashion has quality and creativity as its core values more then rapidity, and everybody will readily admit that there’s still a long way to go. Considering fashion’s incredible power and influence, if the values we communicate (as designers) support ethical living, fashion really has the chance to influence consumers’ choices and their sustainable behaviours. In the future experts predict that we will revel in an increase of hybrid brands that more and more embrace ethical causes and processes.
Each designer at Estethica has individual ethical processes and policies. For Ivana Basilotta and her poetic glamour punk dresses, it’s organic peace-silk, aka vegetarian silk, manufactured in a process where silkworms are not killed. This silk is famous for its warmth, therapeutic use and its rareness.
Christopher Raeburn
For Christopher Raeburn, it’s about recycling. He makes use of original fabrics from British army jackets, camouflage ponchos, Swedish snow cotton and battered Italian leather military jackets, creating an original fusion between high-performative fabrics and urban culture.
Maxjenny
When you see Maxjenny’s collection you would never imagine these garments are made from recycled PET bottles, fabric painted with waterbased colour. They are breathable, rainproof and iron-free.
The Estethica press day closed with a performance by Sarah Sarhandi. The sounds of her violin delighted the fashion pack as they tucked into delicious Estethica cupcakes.
Tags:
Baroness Lola Young, BFC, british fashion council, Charity Durrant, Christopher Raeburn, cupcakes, Earth Day, environment, estethica, Ethical Fashion, fashion, Filippo Ricci, From Somewhere, Ivana Basilotta, Laura Bailey, lfw, Livia Firth, London Fashion Week, Maxjenny, Organic peace silk, Orsola De Castro, Press Day, recycling, Sarah Sarhandi, Somerset House, Tesco, Vegetarian silk, Vera Boudmilija, Yasmin Sewell
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