Fashion Design Goes Green

by Marianne Salina
Fashion School Review Columnist

October 16, 2006

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When you enroll in one of the top fashion design schools you can expect to learn the ins and outs of pattern making, proper fabric selection, and a complete overview of the history of fashion trends. One element of your clothing design education that may come as a surprise, however, is the focus on eco-friendly and sustainable fashion design. Fair trade fabric production, lower usage of water, and recycling old clothing are concepts that are cropping up across the globe, proving that sustainability can indeed be fashion-forward.

How Does Eco-Friendly Clothing Design Sell?
Just because a designer goes green doesn't mean that their fashions wind up lacking style or substance. In fact, for Los Angeles clothing designer Karyn Craven whose use of vintage fabrics and recycled pieces make up the bulk of her popular line Burning Torch, renewable energy and clothing history are part of what make her designs so appealing to customers. Whether it's a cashmere sweater woven out of recycled cashmere, or an organic cotton blouse pieced together with vintage fabrics, Craven is one designer who proves that eco-clothing can still be glamorous.

Get Your Fashion Design Degree
While not every designer has renewable energy on the brain, many of the top fashion design schools throughout the world are invested in making ecology part of the creative process. In fact, if incorporating a holistic, sustainable approach into your design career is important to you, begin researching programs and fashion design schools that offer courses in sustainability and earth-friendly design.

Getting your fashion design degree will undoubtedly open doors and help you achieve your dreams in fashion. But when you go green too, the possibilities are endless!

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About the Author
Marianne Salina is a freelance writer in Spokane, Washington. She writes about pursuits in education and degree opportunities.

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