By: Daria Mahgoub

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The global eco-friendly fashion industry is still very much an infant. The materials and processes are the main crisis when it comes to the fashion industry, and when those are chosen to be eco-friendly by the manufacturers and designers, then the items can be deemed so. Certifications systems have been springing up to support these designers and manufacturers, and ensure the legitimacy of the entire process so the label is honest in its representation. Some companies even donate some of their profit to Grassroot environmental organizations and projects.

Eco-fashion designers use a variety of materials ranging from organic cotton, to 100% alpaca wool, polyester satins, hemp, bamboo, synthetic leather made from cotton-backed polyurethane (PU) and recycled sea grass.

The fashion world first saw a large number of eco-fashion designers and their creations in 2005. The FutureFashion runway event was co-organized by the New York based non profit organization Earth Pledge and Barneys to showcase eco-labels and creations. Barneys’ fashion director, Julie Gilhart, jumped on the idea immediately “We felt we should do our part in moving fashion into a more conscious place”. Eco-designs from the likes of Stella McCartney and Phillip Lim were brought in, and the Christmas windows and catalogs were dedicated to green fashion.

Eco-fashion includes everything from underwear, eyewear, dresses, jeans and active wear. There have also been introductions by designers producing shoes, hats and bags. Shoes in particular have specifications like being vegan (no animal has been harmed in their production) and produced from materials that are harmless or sensitive to the environment. Lately, eyebrows were raised at the mineral tanning process that used a known carcinogen in the making of shoes and accessories. So now, vegetable tanning is the safer and more eco-friendly alternative adopted by the manufacturers.

In this section, we’ll profile eco-fashion lines in Egypt and you’ll have the option to purchase their goodies. We like to be optimistic, but we know very well that even in the West, eco-fashion is a tiny percent of the apparel industry and it represents a very small percentage of sales.

Nonetheless, what ever is available in Egypt needs the recognition; after all, we all need our clothes, bags and bamboo shades.