NY Salon Asks "Is the Future of Fashion Green?" (Video)
NYT's Sandra Ballentine on Vintage Fashion
Ballentine admits that green is not at the forefront, rather it is a second or third thought, when writing for T: The New York Times Magazine. In the video above, Ballentine speaks on vintage fashion and while she has a personal appreciation for the style, her work instead focuses on what is new. As a Beauty and Style director, she has a first hand glimpse at the excess amount of packaging materials that go into press kits, shipping samples and in the products' packaging alone. She spoke to a theoretical example of a face cream costing five-hundred dollars with excessive packaging as if the consumer expected to get the most for their dollar, which Hutchison's touches upon when he speaks to the ever-developing retail stores.
Fashion Retail Architect Jeffrey Hutchison on Sustainable Design
The rapid expansion and rise of megastores to reflect the power of the brand with the idea that bigger is better, consumers charging their credit cards for goods they inevitably cannot pay for, and the idea that fashion is disposable from season to season, all have contributed to the recession we are in today, Jeffrey Hutchison says. What's in store for the future of retail design? Hutchison suggests pop-up-shops as an alternative to opening numerous retail locations. He notes that sustainable design is invisible and that unless there is a label or a conversation, consumers have no way of knowing how their environment has been created. While this is often the case, familiarity with the look of sustainable design in the form of bamboo flooring or LED lighting, can help combat the unknown. Finally, Hutchison envisions a future where green is the expected norm; a future that depends on trust between retailer and consumer. To this I can only say "Caveat emptor" or buyer beware.
Now it's your turn, tell us below, "Is the future of fashion green?"
More New York Fashion
Barneys New York and Elle Go Blue for the Green
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New York Fashion Week: Designers Get Thrifty
New York Fashion Week: IFAW's Tails For Whales Launch (Video)
"Is the Future of Fashion Green?" coverage also on The Huffington Post, Elle, and Scallywag and Vagabond.
Note: Article updated on 8/7/2009 for clarification purposes.
Follow Emma Grady on Twitter @EMMAGRADY.
