Ethical Fashion Show

A story we missed in ‘04. Paris is the hub of glitzy, over-the-top fashion catwalk shows. Yet late last year it was also the host city for the inaugural Ethical Fashion Show. About 25 designers showed off their talents. They came from countries, such as Bangladesh, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Philippines, Sénégal, South Africa and the UK. Traipsing down the runway were clothing creations that emphasized fair trade and natural products. Isabelle Quehe, who established the event, said "You almost never see designers from developing countries doing shows in Paris, so this brings together the natural products, local fair labour, respect for the environment and finding sales outlets in Paris." She was keen for similar shows to be held in Berlin, London and Barcelona. Unlike most fashion soirees, this one included sales to the public and trade seminars on fair trade. On that 'fair trade', one designer noted that the cost of cup of coffee in Paris would feed a person from her home village for a month. (Their website is a tad slow to load - be patient.)::Ethical Fashion Show [by WM]