Eco Fashion: Not An Oxymoron

Eco fashion is no longer an oxymoron. Gone are the days of scratchy hemp, unflattering fits, and everything beige. Today's eco or sustainable fashions have both style and a social conscience.

In honour of Earth Day let's celebrate some of Canada's eco fashion industry leaders who are doing their part to save the earth, all while making us look oh-so-good.

Broken Doll Clothing, Chai top, made of Bamboo, Spandex and Polyester

Broken Doll Clothing is a Canadian clothing label that strives to create casual yet chic looks.Their fresh and distinctive silhouettes are made from eco friendly fabrics like tencel, modal, bamboo, and organic cotton, and can be incorporated into any wardrobe.

BuenoStyle, reclaimed vintage earrings

The brainchild of collector, curator, gleaner, designer and assembler Christi York, BuenoStyle is a line of vintage, hand assembled, re-worked jewellery made from eco-conscious materials whenever possible. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are beautiful and unique, just like the women who wear them.

To Desire, wrap, reworked wedding dress

Vancouver's Jeeti, the designer behind To Desire, takes already beautiful garments, such as wedding dresses and saris, and reworks them to create stunning and unique wraps, shells, and shrugs. Worn with anything from jeans to dresses, To Desire wraps add sensuality, sophistication and style to any ensemble.

We3, Galvanize Tank, made from bamboo;
the Spruce Skirt, made from Recylced polyester, organic cotton and spandex

A collaboration between design school friends, Glencora Twigg, Jessica Vaira, and Christine Hotton, We3 is a line of essential pieces that every wardrobe needs, and every woman desires. Inspired by the modern woman, We3 designs are made from sustainable fabrics with the aim of making women feel comfortable, stylish, and socially conscious.

Dahlia Drive, slip dress, hand painted upcycled vintage slip

Dahlia Drive is a line of salvaged, pre-loved slips, shirts and fabric remnants which are resurrected by being hand-dyed, screen printed, embellished and even transformed through rusting techniques. The perfect mix of modern and vintage, designer Wendy Van Riesen's creations are not only stylish, they're one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art.


Sustainability isn't just taking over the fashion design world, but the publishing world as well. More and more fashion magazines are focusing on eco fashion, some even devoting all of their column inches to sustainable style. Ottawa's Ef Magazine is one such publication that shines the spotlight on eco designers and boutiques whose goals are to go green with style.


Sustainable fashion isn't a trend; it's not in one day and out the next. Sustainable fashion is part of a growing philosophy the goal of which is to promote environmentalism, social responsibility, and reducing the carbon footprint. Something we should all be thinking about every day.


So, grab your favourite piece of bamboo clothing, your reusable water bottle, and let's celebrate Earth Day; because, there's nothing more stylish than sustainability.


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