The 3rd Annual Ecolavish Fashion Show

By Samrah Qureshi

The 3^rd Annual Ecolavish Fashion Show took place at Herban Feast SODO Park on Thursday, November 11^th. The lofted venue played host to Seattle’s only Eco-concious fashion show. The crowd was presented with eco-friendly collections by Revival Ink, Vian Hunter, Cameron Levin Couture, and Twice Blushed. Each look was completed with jewelry from Sucree Jewelry, WorldWise Jewelry and Flutterbudget Jewelry and handbags from Reveal.

Seattle Magazine‘s Kate Calamusa (dressed in a knee-length sparkly skirt with black cowl-neck sleeveless blouse, all from Vian Hunter) introduced each collection. The first collection presented on the astroturf runway was Revival Ink. The Seattle-based company, whose garments are fair-trade, use water-based inks and fabrics from bamboo, and organic cotton. The collection was a muted earth-tones pallet. First up were an ultra-soft brown sweats paired with a mauve t-shirt. The causal clothes seem great for running errands and doing yoga. It was unfortunate that the models had to wear the same high-heeled shoes for each collection, since the the heels made a bit of an awkward pairing with much of the casual wear presented during the Revival Ink portion of the show.

Up next was Lisa Hunter’s Vian Hunter House of Fashion high-end vintage collection. These outfits were elegant, timeless, and simply chic. A raw silk camel skirt paired with a camel jacket with a fur trimmed collar was chic and very Mad Men. A sheer panel black gown with deep-v back was subtly sexy and glamorous. A floor length-halter dress with paisley print and velvet border could be perfect for a night-on-the-town. The cross-halter strap white jacquard print cocktail dress looked divine and could even be used for a wedding dress for that bride who loves to be unique.

The third collection presented was from Cameron Levin Couture. The collection presented was specifically created for Ecolavish and featured an interesting mix of cocktail attire and trendy wears. A lime-green chiffon draped  top was paired with a high-waisted black skirt was followed by sparkly black leggings coupled with with a ruffled vest. A peplum forest-green dress was beautifully done.

Lisa Hunter presented her own Vian Hunter collection next. Hunter produces locally and finds inspiration from the fashion from 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s. A pleather trench with embossed leaf prints was different and not meant to be worn by a wallflower. A burgundy kimono sleeved jacket with a same-colored skirt was stylish and appropriate for an office setting. A magenta skirt with thigh-high slits was sexy yet the glitter finishing took away from the sophisticated sexiness of the look. A black capped sleeved dress with sheer open skirt had an amazing fit and finish.

Twice Blushed re-images previously-owned bridal gowns into new bridal creations. First up was a cocktail A-line bridal dress with a ruffled jacket. The dress was cute and meant for that quirky bride. A hot-pink gown with gathered bodice, asymmetrical neckline, and lace gloves could have looked costumey, however, the dress and styling was chic and trendy. A champagne silk trumpet gown with tulle bottom and asymmetrical neckline was sleek. The dress that closed the collection and the show was a white one-shouldered gown with champagne tulle and sequined strips completed with a top-hat was truly fanciful.

Seattle is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the United States and it comes as no surprise that local design community has embraced eco-friendly fabrics and inks into their collections. Seattleites should be proud of their local fashion industry and come the holidays should snap up some of these eco-friendly designs.