FASHION Magazine

By Kim Izzo

Noir Spring 2008
Photography by Marc Hom

It’s an accepted fact that one of fashion’s greatest influences is Hollywood. Not only in the literal sense of a particular film’s wardrobe gliding down the catwalk—it’s also felt in the importance that red carpet events have on the profile of designers, and the million knockoffs they inspire. It’s positively commonplace—every woman from Medicine Hat to Toronto can “get the look” of a movie star in every budget known to Visa.

What’s this got to do with the environment, you ask? When was the last time an eco-issue didn’t come with a famous face? Leonardo, Cameron, Angie, George and many more celebs are asking us to do our part in saving the planet and its people. Nowadays, Hollywood is marrying environmental and political policy—hello, Al Gore and his movie.

So it’s no shock that Hollywood fashion and Hollywood eco would eventually collide and create demand for a frock worthy of an award show—that’s right, an environmentally friendly evening gown to wear while stepping gingerly out of a Prius. I bet more than a few actresses will be wearing some sort of bamboo gown. For FASHION’s 30th-anniversary fete, I decided to act the part of a Hollywood diva with a conscience and find a dress without guilt.

When I declare I’m going green for this formal fete, a worried girlfriend e-mails, “On the other hand, maybe you want to look as pretty as possible for the party?” Such doubt!

Unfortunately, my friend proved prophetic—at first—as most eco-friendly garment lines tend toward sportswear and office basics. I began to despair that the true eco-woman doesn’t ever attend formal events.

Fearing I’d have to endure a hemp sack, I went on-line and, after some digging, discovered that more than a few luxury fabrics can make an eco-friendly claim, including organic cotton and silk, and textiles such as Eco-Lux by Syka, a collection made from fibres like bamboo, soy and hemp. Even better, designers are working with these textiles and making supersexy evening gowns from them. A couple of my favourites are Linda Loudermilk, a Los Angeles–based fashion designer and eco-doyenne who has a number of showstoppers on her web site (lindaloudermilk.com), and the Danish label Noir.

Deciding to go local (to add oomph to my gown’s green factor), I found myself standing in the Toronto showroom of Canadian designer Thien Le, himself an activist who has started a charity to raise funds for orphanages in Vietnam. He let me try on a red strapless number made from Eco-Lux. But it was his take on a Jean Harlow 1930s Hollywood gown in stunning purple organic silk that won the day, and my upcoming night of glamour.

As I toured the room during the formal party, the other guests were very complimentary—it was, after all, a gorgeous gown. I announced to whoever would listen (and when you show that much cleavage, your audience is fairly captive) that it was eco-friendly and organic.

“What does ‘organic silk’ mean? That the worm is treated humanely?” cracked a fellow party-goer. Well, yes. No worms were hurt in the making of this dress. It’s otherwise known as peace silk or wild silk, I explained to the snarky girl. The worms are allowed to emerge from their cocoons and live out their natural lifespan as moths—as opposed to cultivated silkworms, which are boiled or baked alive—not to mention that the process is free of chemical nasties. That shut up the sarcastic naysayer pretty quickly, I must say. On that note, feeling satisfied that I could be glamorous and lecture at the same time, I sashayed across the room to spread the word.

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