Sara Kirsner was like many a dissatisfied worker bee after graduating from college. Two years after finishing her degree, she remembers staring out her advertising job's office window in San Fran and feeling totally uninspired. At that moment she decided to take a risk, and applied to FIT and Parsons in New York City. Since she had been sketching clothes since she was eight and had a lifelong interest in fashion, she not only made it into school, but ended up interning at Marc Jacobs and DKNY and working in the design department of Ann Taylor.

Sara Kirsner, designer of Doie, wearing an organic cotton dress she designed with one of her dresses in silk.

A trip with friends to Hoi An in Vietnam -- known for a plethora of tailors who will whip up one-off designs to your specifications-– gave Sara the opportunity to get some samples made, and she brought them back to NYC, creating her first collection for her label, Doie in 2005.

"I had the rest of the samples made in NYC, but just seeing something go from paper to a tangible, wearable item of clothing, gave me the push that I needed to start the line," recalls Sara.

Eco Chick Editor Starre Vartan (that's me!) wearing an organic cotton dress by Doie.

Sara says she learned about the hazards of conventional cotton from her friend's mom, who owns vivaterra.com (an awesome website featuring eco-friendly products). "She loved my collection and asked if I could make a few pieces for her in a sustainable fabric such as bamboo or organic cotton," she says.

Having been raised by an environmentally conscious family made her sensitive to how what she did affected health and the environment. "Five of the most commonly used cotton pesticides in the U.S. (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are known cancer-causing chemicals and classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as Category I and II Chemicals— the most dangerous chemicals class," says Sara. After learning how environmentally disastrous conventional cotton is, "I will never go back."

Sara's Inspiration Board for the upcoming season's designs.

Sara's designs are consistently inspired by nature (especially tropical locales) and Asia and Japan in particular. Sara says, "I am really excited about the Spring/Summer 2010 collection. It is my favorite so far! For this collection, I drew on the laid-back elegance of my California roots to create effortlessly sexy pieces that flatter a variety of body types. I tried to return to my design "roots," and used eye-catching Japanese-inspired prints with super soft bamboo jersey."

From Doie's Fall, 2009 'Paris' collection

Her clothes are locally made in LA (where Sara now lives), which cuts down on her carbon footprint and lets her have closer control over production. Besides designing her easy-to-wear ecofashions, she supports other designers as well. "I love Teich handbags and Charmone shoes. For jewelry, I love Molly M designs -- so cool and unique! I also love Kris Nations," she says.

Sara's grandmother Doie, (above) is one of her style icons and the line is named after her. Sara says, "Even at 90 she still has the most amazing outfits and she is always put together- even around the house! She and her friends love wearing the sweat suits that I design. They all live in Des Moines, Iowa and they are so glamorous!"

See more of Doie's designs here Spring, 2009 collection here, now on sale.

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It is only this year, my 32nd, that I have truly understood the value of the Little Black Dress. Of course I have heard the legend; what woman hasn't? This mythical raiment could be worn anywhere, tarted out or demurely cover up, achieve figure flattery whether one was surviving on a diet of tropical fruit and raw macadamia nuts or daily chocolate bars and creamy pastas nightly. A frock that would work equally well with flats or heels, could be thrown in a bag and would never wrinkle, and be made of fabric that would dry quickly after a drenching but keep you from perspiring in the blasted sun (and could even hide said dampness when it inevitably made its moist mark). And of course it had to be impossibly chic.

Wearing my Carol Young LBD (Little Black Dress) at the Mini Exhibit at the Go Green Expo in LA.

This Little Black Dress from the very specialized boutique, Little Black Dress Shop

Frankly I had more faith that unicorns still existed in some ruddy-mudded and tangled corner of Eastern Europe.

But! I have been around the world and (almost) back again and I'm here to tell you -- it's not a myth. Because I have found my LBD, and it performs all the impossible feats I've outlined above. Best of all, my LBD is chic enough to have garnered compliments from a properly snooty concierge in LA, my girlfriends who run the gamut from hippie to haute, my aunt who lived in Europe for ages, and not one, but two stylists!

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Frei Designs continues to capture my attention, and I think you can see why, below. When I was style editing for Plenty, I chose one of their white blouses for my evening wear shoot and the quality, the unique look, the utter perfection of it's design made it a standout.

Frei's Fall/Winter 2009 collection shows a real evolution in design from their first collections, which were noteworthy. See images below and much more on their site. Annie Novotny's take on modern Victoriana (and interestingly, mourning photography) results in a dark but refined sense of dressing that has really captured a moment in time, an essence of melancholy structure that is apropos and also a bit revolutionary for the times.

Frei Is:

Made with carefully-chosen materials:

• 80% organic
• no agrochemicals
• fast-renewing resources
• low-impact or no-impact dying

Sewn in Chicago by workers who receive a fair and living wage.

Shipped using recycled materials.

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If I spend a bit on any one piece of clothing this winter, it will be a gorgeous knit. I've found that over the years, the pieces I've kept the longest from the cold seasons have been sweater-dressing separates; a great wool dress, a chunky knit vest, fine-gauge tights from Germany, my favorite scarf. Below are top contenders for space in my closet.

I love a great red sweater, and this one from Stewart & Brown has a beautiful asymmetrical button-front and a cable knit throughout. I especially like the detail at the collar and those fantastic pockets. Made from 100% Mongolian cashmere (and seen on Michelle Williams in Vogue).

Lutz and Patmos (available at Barney's and through their own site) is synonymous with sustainable sweaterings; I heard the design team there speak a year ago and their passion for waste-free and long-lasting, high quality yarns was impressive. And their cuts and colors are that perfect cross between modern and classic that means they're wearable forever. My neck always gets cold in the Winter, even when no other part of my body is, so a chunky neckwarmer that can go as well over a thick sweater for a hike, or over pajamas when I set the thermostat low is an ideal piece. Made from 100% eco friendly Merino wool from Uruguay.

I am in love with this vest, but like you, wonder how practical it could be for regular wear. But what is life if one is practical all the time? Some of my oddest clothes have made- and stayed- in heavy rotation. One statement piece like this one makes the rest of the ensemble simple; Made from organic wool by Thieves Boutique.

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While visiting the City of Angels, I had a chance to stop by the Undesigned boutique, where eco designer Carol Young sells her gorgeous clothes (and accessories and shoes by other sustainable companies). Carol wasn't in the store that day, as she has recently had her first child (congrats, Carol!) but Alexandria See, a reuse-oriented designer herself, was there to answer my myriad questions.

I tried on a number of pieces, all of which are made from factory-second materials. This means that the fabrics were used by larger clothing manufacturers and these extras would otherwise have been thrown away. Carol Young uses these materials (mostly from high-end designers) to create her smaller-batch designs.

Having written about Carol's designs previously, it was a treat to get to try on and experience her whole line; I ended up buying the perfect black travel dress (pre-wrinkled and washable in cold water, with an edgy but comfortable crinkle around the neckline and hem), the Moth Microfiber Cowlneck has already been dressed up (lovely dinner) and down (thrown over my bikini at the beach) and worn about 10 times in three weeks. I also found a grey and black striped wrap/scarf that's the perfect layering piece on the sale rack.

Alexandria See, showing me around the store.

The exposed pocket is a classic Carol Young design motif, on a skirt that can be gathered at each side, for a shorter look, or left longer.

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Raleigh Denim Co-founders Victor and Sarah Lytvinenko

All of a sudden, it seems quality and detail are the new buzzwords in the fashion world. After years of fast fashion ruling the runways and money-making trumping sanity for designers, negative environmental impacts, and questionable labor practices, the tide has begun to turn. Thanks to the work of some dedicated designers and industry advocates, the coming decade in the fashion world will show a return to true creativity that respects both human beings and design in the quest to clothe us.

Raleigh Denim's women's styles

Raleigh Denim is a proud part of this transition, creating quality, small-batch denim in true American style, which is about attention to detail, craft and respect for history rather than adding to the thousands of throw-away clothes that end up in American landfills every year.

Raleigh Denim's signature red stitching

I was lucky enough to visit Raleigh Denim's headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina not too long ago, and got a fantastic tour of the design and production facilities. Victor Lytvinenko and his wife and co-founder Sarah do all the designing and most of the sewing of each pair of jeans, using mostly forgotten stitching techniques that make each pair they create both personal and interesting.

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Recently, I wrote about how gorgeous and sustainable tagua nuts are; a renewable resource from the rainforest, tagua nuts make unique jewelry and accessories that also enable the local people from the Amazon region to earn a fair wage without cutting down acres of forest to plant crops there (once the topsoil is used for agriculture for a few years, desertification sets in, and rainforest is lost forever). The Andean Collection's colorful pieces pictured on this page are all made from tagua nuts and according to the site, "In addition to being paid fair wages, our artisans share in the profits of the company as partial owners of The Andean Collection."

Founded by Manhattanite Amanda Judge, the Andean Collection is not only Fair Trade, but a wholly green company, all the way down to the nitty gritty:

Product tags and marketing materials are printed on recycled paper, and we continually strive to reduce our carbon footprint. In our offices, we take great efforts to conserve resources, including using energy efficient lighting and of course, recycling.

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Visceral White Shirt Lust: the perfectly overlong sleeves, the gently gathered neckline (oh-so-flattering) and the dropped armholes. It couldn't be any better.

"I called this season 'perspective,' " says Canadian eco fashion designer Nicole Bridger, of her Autumn, 2009 collection. This past year has shifted the lens for many of us, and it is a designer's job to echo what's happening both culturally and personally in her creations, which Nicole has done beautifully.

Calls to mind evenings by the fire, while reading A.S. Byatt's Possession and drinking Earl Grey. Pairs wonderfully with a white button-down as shown here.

"I realized I'm all about neutrals, greys, creams, and browns [this year]. They just work and it's what I like," says the designer. These colors are also about sobriety and will stand the test of time; pairing them with a shock of color (a scarf or bold bracelet) will anchor them well in this Fall's styles.

Leggings, an oversize shirt and biker boots. What could be more sublimely simple for Autumn dressing?

"The world is a beautiful place and I'm inspired by things around me, things I see when I travel, and nature," Nicole explains about her latest collection. She's not only inspired by the natural world, she keeps her impact on the planet in mind at all times. Her entire collection is made of sustainable organic fabrics and manufactured ethically.

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Chunky statement necklaces, bracelets and rings are an easy way to upgrade your wardrobe without buying tons of new clothes, so when I saw these handmade pieces (at very reasonable prices to boot), I thought they would be perfect for Autumn.

Handmade in Colombia, Muichic jewelry is all made from tagua nuts, which is a botanical alternative to ivory and is actually the seed of the ivory-nut palm or tagua palm. Sometimes called vegetable ivory, tagua nuts are a renewable resource that grow in the tropical forests of South America; harvesting them is a sustainable alternative to chopping down rainforest for cattle grazing or other destructive farming practices and encourages local conservation practices.

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If you do, check out Project Green Search. It's the model competition for women who want to use their natural beauty to give back to the planet, and proves that brains, compassion and community involvement can definitely go along with fabulous looks.

I'm excited for this competition, because not only is this the first green model competition of it's kind, but because I'm a judge, along with Darren Moore, eco model Summer Rayne Oakes, green cosmetics guru and model Josie Maran, eco fashion designer Deborah Lindquist and Michael Kalinski, CEO of Omniquest Media.

Winners Receive:

• If not yet represented, a contract with Option Model Management, an international model management agency for print, runway and television.
• A professional photography session complete with make-up, wardrobe and portfolio images.
• A 20-piece Eco-Fashion wardrobe.
• A natural and organic beauty shopping spree at Future Natural.
• A feature in Organic Spa Magazine.
• A cover feature on Electrifying Times Magazine.
• A spread in Coco Eco Magazine.
• A story in Route 66 Pulse.
• A one year stint as the face of Project Green Search.
• Guidance and introductions by LOHAS to sustainable beauty, fashion and other companies.
• More prizes to be announced in the coming days.

Project Green Search Rules and Entry Info

Good Luck! Competition closes on September 16th and is open to those 17 and older.

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Designing since 2005, Samantha Pleet was quickly recognized as an up-and-coming designer, earning her a collection with Urban Outfitters called Rapscallion.

Now, Samantha has gone ecofriendly, and her Fall, 2009 collection  is locally made in New York City (Samantha lives in Brooklyn) and her factory is powered by wind! Fall collection pieces include organic cotton and organic wool and definitely has that hipster/piratey wenchy/magical thing going on. 

Samantha Pleet's Romper and Jumpsuit are available at Kaight, whose blog first alerted me to this fab designer.

Now I know what I've been missing my whole life! A gorgeous cape to wander through the woods in, with purple piping to delight. This one is made from organic wool.

The ruffle detail around the hips of this dress makes it sweetly sexy and very flattering by accentuating the waist and hiding the bum.

Perfect jumper for exploring the wilds of autumn, and could be worn with thick tights and high boots on mild winter days too. The military button detail is just exactly right.

Simple is as simple does.

All images by Jacqueline Di Milia from Samantha Pleet's Fall, 2009 Collection.

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According to ecofashion designers and retailers, shoes probably have the largest environmental footprint of any of our apparel choices (pun intended!). Even after years of reporting in this area, I was a bit surprised by this fact since shoes generally last for some time, especially if you buy good quality and repair them when necessary. Most people I know aren't going all Imelda Marcos shoe-crazy and usually have between six and ten pairs of shoes that they wear regularly (many guys even fewer). Compared to the number of clothes in the average person's closet, shoes would seems to have far less impact.

But once one understands how shoes are made, which involves a number of manufactured materials to make up their various layers, including super-toxic glues to hold them together, and chemical dyes and hardware (not to mention the labor required for putting all of that together), one starts to get why shoes use as much energy and materials--- and produce as much waste-- as they do.

According to Greenpeace, the demand for leather goods and beef by Nike, Timberland, Adidas, Ikea, Wal-Mart and Honda, among other corporate leaders, is helping to fuel the growth of the Brazilian cattle industry on forestland that has been illegally cleared, the environmental advocacy group writes in its latest report, "Slaughtering the Amazon". Nike and Timberland have agreed and are taking action.

And leather's just one piece of the shoe puzzle.

Of all the shoes in the world: flats, pumps, espadrilles, hiking boots, or flip flops, the one that gets chucked the most frequently are sneakers. With that in mind, I've been noticing that there are some seriously green sneaks around and about these days, and every single one of these is as cute as can be to boot (ha ha!).

The Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot

The Vivo Barefoot sneaks are not only cute (I have the orange/taupe pair pictured) but they are incredibly green, with recycled insoles, heavy-metal free leathers, vegetable tanned leathers, pure latex soling materials, recycled rubber soles and recycled foam foot beds. Phew! And if that isn't green enough, go barefoot! (Which is kinda the point, these shoes are made to most closely imitate walking or running sans soles.)

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Bracelets from the A.D. Schwarz collection; made from sustainably-harvested wood from Mozambique.

Clearly, the perfect Summer bracelet is elusive; tennis bracelets are pretty but boring (and where DO those diamonds come from?). Bangles after a few hours always manage to become awfully....bangly. Charm bracelets are only for days when you're feeling charming, really. (And in the heat of the season, that is less and less likely.) But what about when you want some serious sleek, some sublime simplicity, something singular that nobody else is rocking?

The debut collection by A.D. Schwarz makes a great case for the revival of modern urban safari chic that has stayed with us the past few seasons (for good reason; styles and fabrics that work on the plains and in the forests of Africa also tough it out beautifully in the urban jungle). The collection is not only eminently wearable (see eco model Summer Rayne Oakes below, who sported the bracelet at the top of the page, unforch just outside the image) it has that always-cool intensity which works as well with a crisp white short-sleeve shirt as it does with a hippie-print maxi-dress.

The line is almost as guilt-free as a green tea Pinkberry as it is made in Mozambique by a local worker's cooperative from sustainably harvested wood. Now available at the Linhardt Studio in NYC. Lindhardt specializes in ethically made jewelry and A.D. Schwarz is the latest addition to the creative and conscious jewelery there.

Summer Rayne Oakes at the A.D. Schwarz party; Summer helped bring the line to NYC.

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That's Leanne on the right!

Project Runway 5 (and Eco Chick fave) Leanne Marshall is debuting her eco-friendly line for Bluefly today!

Check it out; gorgeous stuff with Leanne's signature flair for color and drape. There are nine pieces in all, which range from $98-$990. The two tops, the skirt, and jacket are bamboo, organic linen, and tencel, and the dying method is earth-responsible, too. The gown is not made from eco-friendly materials.

Check out a video interview I did with Leanne here.

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2009 is the third anniversary of the Project Earth Day Fashion Show; I've been lucky enough to attend all three and it's one of those events I really look forward to every year. It's really a showcase of the most innovative talent (both student and designer) in ecofashion for that year.

Starre Vartan at Project Earth Day Fashion Show

Some of the most creative work in fashion design right now is going on in the world of ecofashion, which includes but is not limited to sustainable textiles, upcycling, animal-friendly fabrics and nontoxic dyes. The designers included in Project Earth Day (and others, too) are constantly pushing the boundaries; finding original materials (hemp silk was everywhere this year, there is less bamboo); uncovering new and traditional dye sources (cochineal beetles and Indigo) and making reuse truly beautiful. They are setting the standard for the next incarnation of American fashion, which will become more planet- and people-friendly every year because of the forward-thinking work of these designers.

This year the designer's show (which followed the student show ) featured Bahar Shapar, Lara Miller, Sublet, Melissa Kirgan, Mika Organic, Bodkin, Covet, Fearless Dreamer by Meiling Chen, Larsen Gray, Xing-Zhen Chung-Hilyard (AKA: XZ), Loyale, Mociun, Mottainai, and also shoes by Cri de Coeur, Charmone, OlsenHaus, and Neuaura. Jewlery by Alkemie.

The theme of the show was "Through the Looking Glass" and makeup and hair (adorned with huge bows) reflected the Alice in Wonderland on a Lovely LSD Trip background and accompanying hanging bug sculptures. Held at the Openhouse Gallery, the event was superpacked and everyone was excited to be there.

Bahar Shapar and Molly Garretson organized the event.

Designers Meiling Chen, Melissa Kirgan and Xing-Zhen Chung-Hilyard from the EKO-lab

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