by Pamela Ravasio

Ethical Fashion Show PARIS & Prêt-à-Porter

SS12 ethical BEST of – ready to wear

Attending Paris' fashion trade fairs is a rather intense experience. In just a few days, several thousand brands of all sizes and trajectories present the fruits of their labour, and compete for orders on a scale rarely seen at any other occasion. There is something for nearly every taste and with the Ethical Fashion Show and – for the last time – the 'So Ethic' section in Prêt-à-Porter, ethical fashion even has its own dedicated space. There is many a gem amongst the stands, yet a few brands clearly outshine their peers in the two most important aspects: quality of material and design. Below is my personal 'best of' selection among the exhibiting apparel brands:

Aditya Khandelwal, the designer behind the label ADI, takes the inspiration for his collections from collaborating with outstanding traditional craftsmen and women. He combines Western silhouettes with hand-loomed fabrics of the highest quality existing on the subcontinent, and refines the designs with a superior cut, pure silk yarn and pure gold ('zari') thread embroidery and stitching. Rather than ready to wear, this is very much 'haute couture'.

Similarly, Dilbar's roots in haute couture and costume design attract the onlooker's attention through its slightly exuberant signature look: a combination of rich, daring, and highly attractive patch-work materials such as Indian sari silk, Margilan silk, Kyrgyz wool. Each garment is made by hand throughout the production process by one single tailor; the outcome of which is in reality only comparable to the likes of Chanel and Versace.

Elementum by Daniela Pais is a series of garments that each can be worn in many different ways thanks to an incredibly ingenious design. The fundamental idea is that a garment has one or more 'centres of gravity' which define both its shape as well its ultimate use. Elementum defines these 'centres of gravity' cleverly such that each piece can be converted into a minimum of three different fashionable styles, and many more for the longer varieties. Make sure to check out this video.

Offering women with an urban lifestyle the ultimate three-season-coat that is fashionable, functional and fair, making a raincoat redundant is LÖV's 'raison d'être' . Their designs exist in both classic – business suitable, but never boring – varieties, as well as in lively colours for those that like to contrast the grey of British rainy days. All coats are made from organic cotton, doubled and lined with (recycled) polyester and taped seems to make them waterproof.

'Ala Kiyiz' is an ancient felt technique from the Central Asia, and which has been revived by Magic Felts using natural wool fibres and hand-dyed silks. This type of rare felt is the basis to their fashion collections, expressing the roughness of their origins landscape into subtle, feminine and stunning designs with clear lines yet without adhering to the traditional tricks of high-end tailoring.

VelaVera is the result of the rebirth of a small Peruvian fashion family firm. At its heart is the knowledge of traditional Peruvian textile skills and fibres - notably Alpaca and Piman cotton - acquired over the course of two generations. The results are stunning: inserted weft or mesh knit fabrics result in a much refined and elegant collection for both men and women. The use of – for instance – cotton sliver (combed cotton yarn before spinning), gives the garments a cosy, soft touch all-the-while earning full marks aesthetically.