Noir – Sexy Eco and Ethical Fashion From Denmark
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09.25.06
Yet another great find at London Fashion Week was the Danish label Noir which really stood out for their stark monochromatic and sharply tailored collection. The Noir aesthetic is unusually minimal for an eco-fashion label. 50% of their Spring/Summer 07 collection is made from organically certified African cotton and in 2008 they will launch their cotton fabric brand Illuminati II which will supply sub-Saharan cotton to luxury brands. They’ve treated the cotton in many ways to create what they call ‘cotton couture’. The coated cotton gives the impression of rubber with a sexy fetishistic appeal, the starched honeycomb cotton creates interesting shapes, while the cotton silks have a luxurious feel. Apart from creating beautiful clothes Noir has created an ethical collection where a percentage of profits from the clothes go back to Africa to support the cotton workers. The Noir Foundation provides essential medicine and micro loans in a so-called Humane Business Model. "We want to be known as the first brand to turn corporate social responsibility sexy” says Peter Ingwersen the founder of NOIR.IlluminatiII. The label is a member of the U.N. Global Compact adhering to human rights, labour safety, environment and anticorruption politics. It is also affiliated with The International Labour Organization. :: NOIR. Illuminati II.
I think the industry needs more brands like Noir.....People are concerned and they do want to act but need easy and accessible ways to contribute to change... The future has to be cool with conscience, but it's down to consumers to demand this.
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