The fashion industry is in full swing when it comes to the “green phenomenon.” For me it started last spring when I spent 2 hours in the rain standing in line at the Anya Hindmarch store on 60th and Madison for a “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” Canvas tote. I got two and made a heap of cash selling one on ebay. (Someone all the way in Texas purchased it.) I carried it for a while, got a lot of attention for it and threw it into a bin with my loads of other bags. It’s been about 8 months since I last carried that tote and guess what? I’m still using plastic bags something fierce.
Becoming green seems to fit the do-gooder attitude in the fiercely liberal fashion community. I have seen so many initiatives and blogs about how to help the environment that it is only natural that the fashion community jumped on board. According to Woman’s Wear Daily the opportunities to “go green” are endless
In fashion, this may involve any of the following initiatives: sourcing sustainable materials, growing organic fibers, contracting with factories whose treatment of workers is ethical, delivering garments in a way that has the least impact on the environment, reducing energy and chemical emissions and finding unique ways to dispose of waste.
New Yorkers forget Barney’s CO-OP. Londoners forget Top Shop. Neither of these stores have ANYTHING on Colette. Colette is an interesting design concept store in Paris, France. You can get everything from music and books, to young and hip designer threads. I think you can even get food there! Shopping in Colette is truly an experience and when I visit Paris this summer I will definitely bring back insights into the goodies they have. When are they opening a branch in NYC??? The trendy set here would be there in droves. They have cool glasses by Cazal x Dita and trendy shirts by Ksubi x Cory.
One of the reasons I wanted to do a post about this store is that Colette is showing pieces by the Swiss artist Comenius Roethlisberger on the ground floor of their Paris store. The exhibition is entitled “Dearest Constellation, Sweetest Invitation”. Roethlisberger uses powdered sugar and cocaine (yes, that yayo) suspended in resin boxes to create the logos of many of the top fashion designers. Cocaine and fashion…well, that’s new!
For all you New York Fashionistas, this show will be in the city from March 26 – March 28 at SCOPE.
Ajuma Nasenyana was born in Kenya in 1984. Her look is so striking, but honestly you probably haven’t seen much of her unless you have been to London Fashion week or read French Vogue. For some reason many designers, agencies and magazines don’t want to use her or other ethnic models. But when Ajuma does get to strut down the catwalk she is unbelievable. Check out Ajuma in this youtube video. The video is pretty long, but she’s at 3:02.
In 2003, Ajuma won Miss Tourism Kenya and was actively scouted and articles were written about her. Wikipedia states:
“Gamma photo agency came to Kenya to do a story on [the Surazuri Agency's] scouting work and were so taken with the 5′10 beauty that she became the main feature of the story, which late ran in Gala Magazine, France. The pictures that were taken on this shoot were to provide the basis for Nasenyana’s portfolio, and these were duly presented to top international agency Ford Models, who signed her up for the Ford Models Supermodel of the World Competition.”
