Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - The Latest In Green Design: Eco-Clothing

From recycled plastic bottles, to organic cottons, to bamboo and seaweed blends, young models were wearing the latest in "green" fabrics on July 10, when the area's first Eco-Fashion show took place at the Southampton Inn.

As the models congregated on the runway for their opening walk, Madeline Kiss, 13, put the finishing touches on her flowered headpieces. As the youngest fashion designer in the crowd, Kiss, of Sag Harbor, said she was motivated to create eco-clothing because of her interest in saving the environment. Her family owns a solar-heated home in Sag Harbor that is almost all energy-efficient.

"I grew up in a family that was conscious of the environment, and I also wanted to give back," she said. "I made these dresses out of bubble wrap and recyclable plastics. One of the dresses is made out of the plastic drop cloths from my Mom, Lisa Kiss's art studio. And the flowers and leaves in the hair of my models remind people of the beauty of nature." Kiss also created colorful purses out of cardboard.

Laura Mastandrea of East Hampton organized the models for this first fashion show put on by Hamptons Green Drinks, a social networking party which is part of an international movement to raise awareness of ecology and the environment. Hamptons Green Drinks meets once a month at different local venues and welcomes the public to attend and learn more about how they can help save the planet through "green" living.

Mastandrea helped the models line up for the show, where they paraded out on the balcony overlooking the guests in the beautiful outdoor courtyard below.

"It's about time we had a fashion show like this!" she said. "I wanted to spread the word that we have options, and that these clothes are comfortable, sustainable and look great."

She explained that the reason for wearing "green" clothes like 100 percent organic cotton and hand-dyed fabrics is that they are safer for people's health, as well as the environment.

"Most people don't know that it takes two-thirds of a pound of pesticides to make one pair of jeans, and a third of a pound to make a t-shirt," she said. "Organic cotton comes from a field that must be pesticide-free for at least three years."

She helped to get the designers for this show, which included Lara Miller, Nadia Nour, Del Forte, Bahar Shahpar, Sublet, Alissa Smith, Panda Snack, F & F Inc., Mountains of the Moon and Ecobags. Panda Snack is the first contemporary luxury bamboo knit collection on the market for men and women.

Alissa Smith, 27, a local woman who owns Smith, her own store in Southampton, posed with two of her models, who wore her signature off-the-shoulder, organic, white cotton dresses with all-natural rope trim and accessories. Smith wore one of her short, flirty, hot-pink party dresses. "I attended design school in Boston, but I decided to do my own line," said Smith. "It is one-of-a-kind stuff that's eco-friendly, such as cotton t-shirts and dresses made from vintage tablecloths and curtains."

Nadia Nour, a designer from Long Island City, said, "My first collection, which is in stores now, takes a 360-degree approach to being green. I only use organic and vintage fabrics and I produce in the garment district of Manhattan. I think being green is an environmental but also social movement. I believe in keeping jobs and finances in the community. I also make my clothes in larger sizes to enable more people to be in this green movement."

Nour said rather than worrying about what is "in fashion or out of fashion, which translates into consumption and disposal," she considers her clothes to be "modern heirlooms."

"My greatest hope is that a woman can keep my clothes in her closet for 10 years and pass them down," she explained.

During the fashion show, about a dozen models walked the balcony and then came through the crowd below. Callie Aadland, a model from New Zealand, who works as a golf pro at Poxabogue Golf Club in Bridgehampton, wore a white outfit by popular designer Lara Miller, who had several of her green outfits in the show.

"This feels really comfortable and it's so light to wear," said Aadland.

At the event, Walter Channing, of Channing Daughters Vineyard in Bridgehampton, said he came with his daughter, who is a huge supporter of the green movement.

"Last fall she collected all the paper cups used in her school, and she planted trees to give back to the environment," he said.

Dede Gotthelf, owner of the Southampton Inn, said she enjoyed having this groundbreaking event at her hotel and new steakhouse restaurant, Oso, for the first time. "I loved the clothes and these talented young designers," she said. "At our business we are also in the process of going green by converting our electric hot water to gas hot water on demand. We replaced our light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, and we've asked our guests to reuse sheets and towels more often. Our staff is driving hybrid cars."

John White of Sagaponack said he enjoys coming to the Green Drinks events to meet like-minded people and make connections in the green field. Chuck Schwartz of LI Green, a Southampton-based company that helps make homes energy-efficient, handed out green raffle prizes, such as the popular, organic Ecobags. As an organizer of Hamptons Green Drinks, he urged all people to attend the next event, GreenSpeaks, which is a forum on "Healthy Food Issues and Answers" to be held on July 28 in Chancellors Hall at Stony Brook Southampton Campus. A panel of experts will discuss many aspects of food including nutrition, pesticides, food supply sources and ingredients, and how these affect your family's health and environment. For more information, visit www.ligreen.com/greenspeaks.