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Eco Fashion Week Vancouver: Summer Rayne Oakes

Eco Fashion Week Vancouver 's President Myriam Laroche. Read her interview with V.I.A. HERE . Peter Holst photos.

Eco Fashion Week Vancouver's President Myriam Laroche. Read her interview with V.I.A. HERE. Peter Holst photos.

Vancouver's first bi-annual Eco-Fashion Week wrapped up its successful run last week, culminating in a closing night party that saw K-OS spinning on the turntables. In addition to shining a well-deserved spotlight on talented local (Nicole Bridger) and international talent within the grassroots movement, the aim was to educate designers, retailers and consumers by encouraging awareness and an open dialogue about both social and environmental sustainability in the fashion sector.

In addition to hosting keynote speaker, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Andrew Weaver (read his interview with V.I.A. HERE), Eco-Fashion Week Vancouver invited eco-fashion model, activist and author Summer Rayne Oakes to speak on the topic as well. She chatted with me about her involvement with Vancouver's newest eco-event and the growing movement towards sustainable fashion.

Peter Holst photos.

Sustainability in fashion - what does that mean to the average consumer?

Not a household name just yet, still getting over the hump until one day eco-fashion just becomes “fashion.”

We're in a critical period of talking about it and educating people about it right now. For me, sustainability in fashion means taking the steps to ensure that what is available is more socially and more environmentally conscious along all levels of the supply chain. It's quite complex, and it's very difficult to educate consumers with one little package of information. There are a number of brands and designers that have taken it on and started promoting it, it needs to be bigger and better than what it is right now. We're still in a very nascent industry.

Summer Rayne Oakes.

That really cheap package of ten socks – should I be buying those?

I'm not going to tell you what to buy or what not to buy! (Laughs.) I think this is where a lot of what's happening with the movement can become un-inspirational and very, “go clean up your room!” We need to create new ways of talking about what you should or shouldn't buy. The platform we need to adopt is not one that is a bunch of tips about how to green your life, but rather to present the infrastructure and educate people about the options within it. Even though I understand about creating something like a “Top Ten” which is a hook to get people involved, I don't actually think it's very motivational. It doesn't motivate me.

Peter Holst photo.

Summer and I spend some time talking about the fashion "chain" and the complex hierarchies and infrastructure that supports the retail industry. It's fascinating and vast and, to be honest, something I had never really considered before. We spend a fair amount of time talking about socks, as everyone (save for those Sonny Crockett-types) wears them. And there are a lot of feet in the world. Summer has a strong understanding of the many variants within the industry, telling me that Honduras is a major manufacturer of socks, both brands and labels – “sources” that are lower down the chain. "A number of brands, whether consumers know it or not, are trying to adopt more environmentally conscientious policies. It just hasn't necessarily reached consumer awareness yet, and if that is the case the changes can seem very reserved in the grassroots or independent designer movement when really there is a huge shift happening underneath the crust of the overall apparel industry."

I want to do my part in eco-fashion when and where I can, but so much of it is very boutique and quite often prohibitively expensive. The only sustainable fashion I own (other than items from swaps or vintage stores) are ones that I have purchased on extreme sale. Why does it have to be so expensive?

If it's a smaller company that is selling a product, they don't have as large a quantity to sell which means they can't offer a reduced price on a minimum. Also, it's pretty much a given that more environmentally preferable or socially compliant materials could be 20%-50% more – increased certification (ie, organic, fair trade) is factored in and that raises the cost. Not to mention there's less of the product – a smaller supply but still a great demand.

Again, this industry is all very nascent and all I see is opportunity. It's funny – I live in New York City, the fashion capital of North America and people are always saying, “Do you try to be eco?” I don't have to work hard to live my lifestyle, it comes very effortlessly to me. But I have the infrastructure here, where I live, that supports that but you may not get it in other places. We can talk about sustainable infrastructure until we're blue in the face, but if designers can't access the materials and reduce their search costs then we're not really doing our job. So many designers, and I mean this in a broad way, might want to go that route but they just don't know where to start. Consumer frustration and designer frustration is all wrapped up in the same issue.

Shopping is a very individual experience; it's very tactile and personal. Designers might offer their product online, but I don't think they've cracked the nut on how to convey their material in a way that is meaningful to a consumer.

Innovation – hopeful – things like eco-fashion week bring these things to boutiques, etc., in a more meaningful way.

Why Vancouver?

It's nice that it's happening in Vancouver – we get a lot of events here in New York because it's a core value of the community. It's born out of a philosophy that is undeniably community-based. This is a very grassroots movement and I've see the innovation happening on that level for some time.

Peter Holst photos.

The only thing that I purchase regularly that is "high end" or organic is artisan soap – usually from the Farmer's Market, or more often the monthly Blim events. I think what is happening in Vancouver's local DIY movement is really exciting and I feel very inspired by these craftspeople. I like putting a face to the person who makes something I enjoy. To be honest, their products are far superior to anything I could purchase in a store.

Exactly - you have the infrastructure. The price point may be a little higher but you make the choice. That's really important. I feel the same way about honey. After learning a bit more about honey and where so much of it comes from, I only want to eat local or organic honey to help support sustainable agriculture. I have to seek it out a little bit at a farmer's market... each one of these experiences is so individual and I don't think that it's something that we can necessarily broadly brush over.

Any eco-beauty products you can't live without? What is your Holy Grail?

Duchess Marden, out of San Francisco. The entire line - it's very heavenly. I love it.

And I love Saje! They're from Vancouver. They have a great deodorant mister. And their Rose Garden tea – they better get it in stock because they've been out of it for months – is out of this world. I am obsessed with that tea.

Peter Holst photos.