Nicole speaks at the Eco-Fashion Week launch party. Rachel Fox photo.
Nicole Bridger is a Vancouver designer whose eponymous label is synonymous with sustainable fashion. Each of her garments are draped beautifully (a skill no doubt honed interning at Vivienne Westwood) is made locally, using bamboo cotton, hemp jersey and organic knit from as close as possible (hooray for small carbon footprints!). Embellishments come in the form of affirmation labels, tagua nut buttons and 100% post-consumer paper hangtags, and Nicole even includes where all the fabrics from her minimal, neutral-tone collections come from, too.
The Nicole Bridger show is tonight, with doors opening at 8pm. Tickets are still available, so get yours now.
How excited are you for the first Eco Fashion Week ever?
It's so great that its happening. This is something Vancouver could really be known for.
Tell us about the philosophy behind your clothing label.
There are three main parts. Do what is right, [do] what is good for the earth and [do what is good for] its people and spirit. So we are mindful of the Earth by using sustainable fabrics. We are mindful of its people by using ethical practices, and we help promote positive energy by putting "I am love" labels into each piece of clothing. Reminding people that we are all love energy at the root and to speak kindly to ourselves and others. When you come from love and respect, all these principles are natural.
When is your EFW runway show, and what can we expect? What were your inspirations, and what materials did you use?
[My show is on] September 29 at 8:30pm -- doors are at 8pm. Every season, I look to my life lessons for inspiration. I finally had the strength to leave a very negative relationship with my ex-husband and felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. This collection is called 'Reconnect'. It is about reconnecting with my soul and finding my true happiness, perhaps for the first time in my life. So it is a very happy collection with lots of colour. Through this transformation, my creative energy is beginning to flow again, and I think you will see this in the show.
From when you started your label to right now, have you seen an increased and genuine, growing interest in sustainable fashion?
Absolutely. It's becoming much more mainstream. Before it was on the fringe, something most people thought was too weird for them. Now, only a few years later, most people just get it and are looking for ways to have a lighter footprint.
Why do you think Eco Fashion Week is important for the industry, and for the world?
It's a great way to showcase the fantastic eco lines that are out there. It's also, in my opinion, something that Vancouver is already known for and this could really draw some international designers, buyers and press to the city.
What are your hopes for the outcome of this event?
I would say firstly to have fun. It is a time to share with my clients and just have a good time and get excited about new designs to come. Then of course some press, but not just in Vancouver. And if we could get a few more accounts, that would be amazing.
Finally, what makes Vancouver so awesome?
Do you need to ask? For me, it's the connection to nature. The beaches, the trees. It's being able to live a cosmopolitan lifestyle while getting to enjoy the outdoors. A healthy lifestyle is important to people here, and I really enjoy that.
