Bella Sisters - Upcycled Chic

Happy Earth day! As a fashion designer, how do you design a truly Eco-friendly collection?  The Bella Sisters are a team I found in Portland's Saturday Market that answers that question.

A truly sustainable label, designers Cynthia and Jenna Rose up cycle old blazers and coats into their own brand of embellished  outerwear.

Too often, stores that carry so-called up cycled clothing end up looking like a Frankenstein of misfit garments.  Bella Sisters has a distinct aesthetic that make each piece clearly their own. The jackets have flattering fits with their signature back waist pin tucks or contrast tie belt.  A coordinated hood are a constant as are cozy knit cuffs or romantic ruffles.

  Most beautifully, each jacket is embroidered with woolen appliqués that have motifs like birds and flowers on branches, jelly fish or a radiant heart.  The embellishments are always complementary to the fabrics of the jacket and include dimensional details like beads and semi precious stones.

Cynthia and Jenna are actually cousins, but growing up in Seattle and sharing a passion for making things resulted in their partnership as close an any sibling.

To recap, Bella Sisters sources locally, are made locally and transforms previously loved clothing into a one of a kind fashion.  They are happy to do custom pieces for their fans.

I think this is the fashion label for our times.  Innovative, great style, planet friendly and smart. I was happy to support them and love the jacket I bought.  Get on board and do the same!

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Portland Skin Job: Orox Leather Co.

I found several gems in Portland this weekend.  Orox Leather Company is a family business of leather artisans with a workshop and retail store in the Chinatown and Pearl District of the city.  The operation started from Oaxaca, Mexico with Don Pepe in 1933.  Several generations later, the label was moved to Oregon and run by grandson Jose Martinez and great grandson Martin.

  When I first stepped into the store, I inhaled the rich smell of good leather.  The shop offered handmade bags, shoes, wallets, belts and gifts made by craftsmen right in front of your eyes. Like many independent companies in Portland, Orox Leather tries to be a sustainable business by using eco-friendly finishing methods and locally sourced or recycled materials.

In chatting with Martin, he expressed that having the workshop on site with the retail store was perfect for collaborating with customers’ directly on custom pieces or responding to the most demanded trends. 

Rather than smacking on dye and paint to cover textural differences, I loved the rugged, hardy bags that were finished to truly showcase the character of the skins instead.  There were a lot of masculine, doctors’ bags and innovative messenger-like styles.  A bag that resembled an attaché had a front zipper instead of top to have a cleaner shape and line.  Hand tooled sandals were part of their original product lineup and looked like what every Oregon resident covets.  Smaller goods had a great hand-feel. 

This company combines family, fashion, a great coming-to-America story and a great product! Shop local!

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Sustainable Fashion Symposium

Designer with a conscience?  FIT is hosting a conference to help retailers, designers and manufacturers learn about sustainability.  There will be sessions on eco-friendly raw materials, color techniques and production technology to help fashion producers create apparel responsibly.

The symposium takes place on July 12, 2012 at the Fashion Institute of Technology's Great Hall (227 West 27th street).  Click HERE to register.

For more information, check out their website.

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Toronto Fashion Week: Baby Steinberg Salvage

There is plenty of trashy fashion out there.  How often have you seen very chic fashion made of trash?  Baby Steinberg presented one of my favorite shows during LG Fashion Week with an inventive collection from salvaged materials. 

There were dresses made from pleated coffee filters, braided garbage bags and crocheted cell phone chargers.  Found keys jingled with knitted VHS film.  Discarded take-out bags made a dramatic outfit with feathers and seeds.  Window screen puffed out into a dramatic cocktail dress.  

Baby Steinberg is not a mass-market designer.  She made her reputation creating one-of-a-kind garments for performers and socialites.  She also creates jewelry

A concept like this usually looks like a gimmicky art project.  What made the difference in making this look like a sophisticated runway was the treatment of the materials.  The coffee filters were pleated into delicate shapes to mimic organza flowers popularized by designers like Monique Lhuillier.  The garbage bags were twisted and crocheted into contouring forms like a metallic yarn.  

Photos by Ritika Wahal

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