Eairth hour
MANILA, Philippines - The business of heels, hemlines, and high fashion has never been concerned with reality but all that looks to change. As the steel wheels of style continue to spin defiantly, those of the global economy have become woefully rusty and threaten to stop turning altogether. With the undeniable effect the latter has on the former, a new earth-friendly ethos has emerged. Not only is green the new black; it is, by all accounts, also the new gold.
Eairth, a local label that successfully merges environmental responsibility with exceptional design, has been going from strength to strength with each season. The secret lies in designer Melissa Dizon’s clever use of ethnic leitmotifs and fair trade practices. Each garment she produces, from Rick Owens-style jackets to shirts with Tausug-inspired embroidery, is well thought out and easy to wear. The Zobels, in fact, are certified fans of Eairth’s brand of fashion-forward sustainability.
“It’s all about how you style them,” goes Eairth collaborator Melissa la O’ as she hands me a pair of their latest drawstring pants. “You can wear them with the hems folded up to show some ankle, or with the waistband folded down to make the crotch drop a bit more. Really, organic clothing is cool to wear every day.”
This enlightened mindset seems to be sweeping the globe. “‘Sustainability’ and ‘responsibility’ are the new buzz words. The first is a necessity in a market where credit is no longer as easy to find as a cappuccino,” Suzy Menkes wrote in the International Herald Tribune. “Two different strands are converging in fashion: a yearning for lasting value and an urge to know more about the way that fabrics are sourced and clothes are made. This is the sea change in a fashion world where the fate of the planet is becoming more of an issue than the latest foibles of celebrities.”
In our own backyard, it’s encouraging to know that a company cares enough to want to change the way we consume fashion. Eairth deserves an A for proving that today’s luxury is less about logos and more about deeper values that encompass social and environmental issues.
