The Triangle

Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

The Drexel University senior project, "Green With Fashion," took over the F.U.E.L. Collection on Earth Day 2009. Marketed as a charity event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the eco-fashion show featured designers from all over the country. Drexel fashion design students also unveiled their eco-friendly sportswear collections during the show. "Green with Fashion" took eco-friendly to a new level by advertising through web sites, blogs and Facebook. The students avoided unnecessary paper wastes to promote this event and utilized online communication. The generous sponsors of the event kept the environment in mind by donating five tons of carbon offsets, making the evening a carbon-neutral setting. Carbon Fund covered the day's "carbon footprint" for all the guests of the show.


The fashion industry is in inception of the environmentally friendly world. All the garments featured in the show were eco-friendly. Eco-friendly fashion is about creating clothes that consider the environment, the health of the buyer and the working conditions of the designers in the industry. The garments are made using organic raw materials, such as cotton, grown without pesticides, and there are no detrimental chemicals and harmful bleaches used to color the fabrics. Some of the fabrics are made from recycled reused textiles and plastic bottles. It is the responsibility of designers and manufacturers to use sustainable materials and processes.


Gretchen Rossi, from Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County," attended and walked the green runway. Recently Rossi has dedicated much of her time to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Rossi worked the crowd while modeling a sky blue asymmetrical off-the-shoulder form fitting dress. Other models included five Miss Philadelphia winners as well as Drexel University students.


Some of the designers included Arcadia Boutique, Green with Glamour, Nixa, Loomstate and Rella. Other Drexel student designers included Chelsey Breidenbach, Lendrell Martin, Elena Lecce and Selena Starr.


It is difficult to comprehend how all the garments in the "Green with Fashion" show were eco-friendly. After viewing the event, many of the audience members realized that eco-friendly fashions look and feel just the same as other mass-market brands. Therefore, the show was an eye opener for many consumers to purchase eco-friendly fashion.

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