Green is the new ...: ; Manufacturers supplying growing demand for eco-friendly apparel

For Teresa Lamb, the commitment to green living began on a smallscale. She bought organic food at a store near the doctor's officewhere she works.

Then she went looking for organic cotton underwear and came upona small boutique in Kansas City, Mo., called It's Only Natural. Theonly apparel sold there is in Earth-sustaining materials includingorganic cotton, hemp, bamboo and Tencel, a fabric made from woodpulp.

Lamb, of Kansas City, was drawn to the cotton sweaters and thenthe sheets, towels, blouses and, most recently, organic cottonshorts, which "I live in," she says. She liked that they wereproduced without chemicals, presumably with less damage to theenvironment.

It was a turning point that launched her into a new lifestyle.

"Once you get into it, you can't go back," she says.

Lamb is on the curve of a movement rumbling through the garmentindustry. Never mind black. The newest color on the front lines isgreen. Demand and supply for eco-friendly clothing - whether it'sorganic cotton or silk like soy - are increasing.

"It's been around before, but this time it's a much biggermovement," says New York-based trend analyst David Wolfe, with theDoneger Group consultants.

Before, green fabrics were considered part of a "lunatic fringe,and it's now moving into the mainstream. I think everybody is wakingup to the fact the world is in a sorry state," Wolfe says. "Peopleare so cynical. They would like to think they are doing somethinggood."

Upscale designer Eileen Fisher offers an organic group. Dillard'splans to open eco shops in selected stores. Levi Strauss has anorganic denim line identified with a capital E logo. Wal-Mart,Pottery Barn and Target carry organic cotton items on their Websites.

When Jane Fonda appeared on David Letterman's show, she toutedher eco-friendly outfit, a milk-and-cashmere sweater and hemp dress.And many magazines, including Vogue, Town & Country, Vanity Fair andGlamour, have published green issues in recent months.

"We're encouraging people to buy responsibly," says Ashley Baker,Glamour associate style editor. "Fast fashion where you buy cheap,trendy clothes every few months is a catastrophe to the environment.We suggest you save up and buy things that have lasting value. It'snot just about having a bunch of clothes."

The raised consciousness is part of a bigger picture identifiedunder the umbrella LO HAS, an acronym for "Lifestyles of Health andSustainability." It's about conscience-driven consumerism thatincludes driving a hybrid car, buying organic food, consideringconditions in which clothing is made and having a sense ofspirituality. The LO HAS Web site (lohas.com) says the overallmarket is $228 million.

Scott Leonard, the CEO of Indigenous Designs, a 13-year-old SantaRosa, Calif., company that markets fair trade and organicsportswear, says his business was up 30 percent in 2006, and 70percent in 2007.

He gives credit to the "media phenomenon" that helped bringattention to the global issues, and to Hollywood. Cameron Diazspends thousands on Indigenous Designs organic clothing, Leonardsays.

Courtney Fuchs, who owns It's Only Natural in Kansas City, saysthe market is at a "tipping point" as people begin to understand thechallenge.

"I find that less and less I am having to explain what [thematerial] is," says Fuchs, whose stock includes silk like printskirts and soft, feminine dresses.

Lynda Fassa, a former model who founded Green Babies more than adecade ago, sells her organic children's line in Whole Foods andother stores.

"In the beginning it was like pushing a great big elephant up ahill," she says. "Now it's like an explosion."

Credit for the heightened interest also goes to Al Gore's Oscar-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth." Publicity devoted to globalwarming and high gas prices plays a part, says Aysia Wright, whofounded Greenloop (thegreenloop.com), a retail Web site, in 2004.With an environmental background, she saw fashion as an "ideal pathof advocacy."

With one of the first green retail one-stop shops, Wright saysshe now has about 28 apparel lines and 10 to 15 accessory brands.Her line up includes Edun, the fashionable organic cotton linecreated by Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, and New York designerRogan Gregory. Here you find a great trench coat, a chic shortjacket or skinny jeans. The brand is carried by Saks Fifth Avenue aswell as Web sites.

Organic cotton, of course, is at the center of the clothingmovement because cotton requires a considerable amount of chemicalsand pesticides to grow. The transition for cotton farmers requiresnurturing of the land and up to three years. But they are paid apremium for the product once they are certified. In 2005, organicfiber sales grew 44 percent, according to Lori Wyman of the OrganicTrade Association.

But the fashion-minded environmentalist now has many choices.Linda Loudermilk, a high-end Los Angeles designer, uses a range offibers including soy and bamboo for couture clothing often inspiredby images from nature.

Besides his work for Edun, Gregory is producing chic fashion forLoomstate (loomstate.org) in New York.

Panda Snack (pandasnack .com), a New York manufacturer and Website, transforms bamboo fibers into jersey like fabrics. The teesand tunic tops are sophisticated and sexy. Founder Dearrick Knuppsays he and his partner came upon bamboo at a trade show more thantwo years ago.

"It was so soft. It was so beautiful. Then we found out howwonderful bamboo is for the eco movement."

Knupp says the 2-year-old company is selling to specialty storessuch as Stanley Korshak and shipping to London and Japan. He sayshis company plans to add bamboo and cotton blends and eventuallybamboo denim, children's clothing and home furnishings.

The buyin' and wearin' o' the green

Panda Snack: Bamboo clothing at pandasnack.com.

Indigenous Designs: Fair trade and eco-friendly sportswear andactive wear at indigenousdesigns.com.

Sustainlane.com: Reviews on organic products and info on planningan Earth-friendly lifestyle.

Loomstate.org: Fashionable green clothing including denim for menand women.

Greenloop.com: Designer eco-friendly clothing.

Green Babies: Organic cotton clothing and gifts for newborns andyoung children at ecobabies.com. Also sold at retail stores andWhole Foods.

Danny Seo: Environmental consultant and co-host of HGTV special"Red, Hot and Green," a show about making your home eco-friendly.

Annatarian Couture: Los Angeles designer Anna Mkhitarian usesvintage fabrics and high-tech Earth-sustaining textiles to createone-of-a-kind couture designs. You can see the clothes on the Web atannatarian.com and order by phone or e-mail.

Green is the new ...: ; Manufacturers supplying growing demand for eco-friendly apparel

For Teresa Lamb, the commitment to green living began on a smallscale. She bought organic food at a store near the doctor's officewhere she works.

Then she went looking for organic cotton underwear and came upona small boutique in Kansas City, Mo., called It's Only Natural. Theonly apparel sold there is in Earth-sustaining materials includingorganic cotton, hemp, bamboo and Tencel, a fabric made from woodpulp.

Lamb, of Kansas City, was drawn to the cotton sweaters and thenthe sheets, towels, blouses and, most recently, organic cottonshorts, which "I live in," she says. She liked that they wereproduced without chemicals, presumably with less damage to theenvironment.

It was a turning point that launched her into a new lifestyle.

"Once you get into it, you can't go back," she says.

Lamb is on the curve of a movement rumbling through the garmentindustry. Never mind black. The newest color on the front lines isgreen. Demand and supply for eco-friendly clothing - whether it'sorganic cotton or silk like soy - are increasing.

"It's been around before, but this time it's a much biggermovement," says New York-based trend analyst David Wolfe, with theDoneger Group consultants.

Before, green fabrics were considered part of a "lunatic fringe,and it's now moving into the mainstream. I think everybody is wakingup to the fact the world is in a sorry state," Wolfe says. "Peopleare so cynical. They would like to think they are doing somethinggood."

Upscale designer Eileen Fisher offers an organic group. Dillard'splans to open eco shops in selected stores. Levi Strauss has anorganic denim line identified with a capital E logo. Wal-Mart,Pottery Barn and Target carry organic cotton items on their Websites.

When Jane Fonda appeared on David Letterman's show, she toutedher eco-friendly outfit, a milk-and-cashmere sweater and hemp dress.And many magazines, including Vogue, Town & Country, Vanity Fair andGlamour, have published green issues in recent months.

"We're encouraging people to buy responsibly," says Ashley Baker,Glamour associate style editor. "Fast fashion where you buy cheap,trendy clothes every few months is a catastrophe to the environment.We suggest you save up and buy things that have lasting value. It'snot just about having a bunch of clothes."

The raised consciousness is part of a bigger picture identifiedunder the umbrella LO HAS, an acronym for "Lifestyles of Health andSustainability." It's about conscience-driven consumerism thatincludes driving a hybrid car, buying organic food, consideringconditions in which clothing is made and having a sense ofspirituality. The LO HAS Web site (lohas.com) says the overallmarket is $228 million.

Scott Leonard, the CEO of Indigenous Designs, a 13-year-old SantaRosa, Calif., company that markets fair trade and organicsportswear, says his business was up 30 percent in 2006, and 70percent in 2007.

He gives credit to the "media phenomenon" that helped bringattention to the global issues, and to Hollywood. Cameron Diazspends thousands on Indigenous Designs organic clothing, Leonardsays.

Courtney Fuchs, who owns It's Only Natural in Kansas City, saysthe market is at a "tipping point" as people begin to understand thechallenge.

"I find that less and less I am having to explain what [thematerial] is," says Fuchs, whose stock includes silk like printskirts and soft, feminine dresses.

Lynda Fassa, a former model who founded Green Babies more than adecade ago, sells her organic children's line in Whole Foods andother stores.

"In the beginning it was like pushing a great big elephant up ahill," she says. "Now it's like an explosion."

Credit for the heightened interest also goes to Al Gore's Oscar-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth." Publicity devoted to globalwarming and high gas prices plays a part, says Aysia Wright, whofounded Greenloop (thegreenloop.com), a retail Web site, in 2004.With an environmental background, she saw fashion as an "ideal pathof advocacy."

With one of the first green retail one-stop shops, Wright saysshe now has about 28 apparel lines and 10 to 15 accessory brands.Her line up includes Edun, the fashionable organic cotton linecreated by Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, and New York designerRogan Gregory. Here you find a great trench coat, a chic shortjacket or skinny jeans. The brand is carried by Saks Fifth Avenue aswell as Web sites.

Organic cotton, of course, is at the center of the clothingmovement because cotton requires a considerable amount of chemicalsand pesticides to grow. The transition for cotton farmers requiresnurturing of the land and up to three years. But they are paid apremium for the product once they are certified. In 2005, organicfiber sales grew 44 percent, according to Lori Wyman of the OrganicTrade Association.

But the fashion-minded environmentalist now has many choices.Linda Loudermilk, a high-end Los Angeles designer, uses a range offibers including soy and bamboo for couture clothing often inspiredby images from nature.

Besides his work for Edun, Gregory is producing chic fashion forLoomstate (loomstate.org) in New York.

Panda Snack (pandasnack .com), a New York manufacturer and Website, transforms bamboo fibers into jersey like fabrics. The teesand tunic tops are sophisticated and sexy. Founder Dearrick Knuppsays he and his partner came upon bamboo at a trade show more thantwo years ago.

"It was so soft. It was so beautiful. Then we found out howwonderful bamboo is for the eco movement."

Knupp says the 2-year-old company is selling to specialty storessuch as Stanley Korshak and shipping to London and Japan. He sayshis company plans to add bamboo and cotton blends and eventuallybamboo denim, children's clothing and home furnishings.

The buyin' and wearin' o' the green

Panda Snack: Bamboo clothing at pandasnack.com.

Indigenous Designs: Fair trade and eco-friendly sportswear andactive wear at indigenousdesigns.com.

Sustainlane.com: Reviews on organic products and info on planningan Earth-friendly lifestyle.

Loomstate.org: Fashionable green clothing including denim for menand women.

Greenloop.com: Designer eco-friendly clothing.

Green Babies: Organic cotton clothing and gifts for newborns andyoung children at ecobabies.com. Also sold at retail stores andWhole Foods.

Danny Seo: Environmental consultant and co-host of HGTV special"Red, Hot and Green," a show about making your home eco-friendly.

Annatarian Couture: Los Angeles designer Anna Mkhitarian usesvintage fabrics and high-tech Earth-sustaining textiles to createone-of-a-kind couture designs. You can see the clothes on the Web atannatarian.com and order by phone or e-mail.