A decidedly non-bling canvas carry-all last year became the
unlikely choice of arm-candy for a league of spoiled Hollywood
celebrities fuelling the phenomenon of the "It bag".
This simple, cream-colored tote with rope handles, printed with
the slogan, "I'm not a plastic bag", was the brainchild of a small
social enterprise aiming to reduce landfill from plastic bags.
The company, We Are What We Do, engaged London designer Anya
Hindmarch to create the bags, which originally sold for US$5
through a Website, and quickly became a cult item.
Proving consumerism and conservation are no longer odd bed
fellows, China's youth are the latest to embrace environmental
protection as a fashion statement.????
According to one trend watcher, a locally produced version of
Hindmarch's hot cotton tote, bearing a Chinese-language slogan
relaying a similar sentiment, has found its way onto the arms of
Beijing's young and style-conscious.
Going green is filtering through as one of the key trends
influencing fashion, as it is being interpreted on the streets of
China's cities, says observer Nels Frye: "young people in China are
aware of the environment and want to do what they can to protect
it, especially when it is a fashion statement to do so."
While this trend reflects the global spotlight on the imperative
of dealing with climate change, environmental protection is an
issue looming particularly large in the lives of urban Chinese.
After all, the common experience of not being able to see a foot
in front of you due to the choking smog is a fairly strong
indication something is up with the planet.
Expect to see more of these local-edition eco-bags, particularly
given recent news of a mandatory charge for plastic shopping bags
that would be passed by supermarkets onto consumers.
Before Hindmarch's creation, the only handbags deemed cool
enough to be donned by the rich and famous bore the flashy
hallmarks of a high-end designer.
"To create awareness you have to create scarcity by producing a
limited edition. I hate the idea of making the environment trendy,
but you need to make it cool and then it becomes a habit,"
Hindmarch told the New York Times after the bags sold out
there in less than half an hour.
Beijing fashionistas are starting to tune into a wider movement
of eco-fashion that has been gathering momentum outside of activist
circles since its debut at New York's Fashion Week in 2005. At a
runway event sponsored by prominent retailer Barneys, a raft of hip
designers showcased pieces made from organic and natural fibers,
such as hemp, recycled plastic and bamboo.
Eco-fashion, as defined by the non-profit Sustainable Technology
Education Project, comprises garments, "that take into account the
environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of
people in the fashion industry".
It can mean taking a stand against mass-produced goods, or fakes
produced in uncontrolled conditions and sold at unsustainably cheap
prices.
(China Daily January 15, 2008)