Modern Life is Rubbish

There is no ignoring the fact that we are on the cusp of an environmental movement. It may well be true that the amount of waste we produce is out of control but thanks to a few visionary types the eco route has never been so cool. That said, we are still a long way off before eco habits become di rigeur and we are well on our way to tackling the issue. At the moment, well, it all still seems a bit of an effort. The media may harp on about carbon footprint this and sustainable that but the reality is very few are embracing the cause and doing something about it.

 

Take plastic bags for instance, Anya Hindmarch may have spawned an eco-bag frenzy with her ‘I am not a plastic bag’ shopper, but still, we on average use 167 plastic bags every year, that’s 10bn in the UK alone. Really, is there any excuse when there are so many stylish alternatives? Fashion designer Ziad Ghanem highlighted the topical concern by creating a range of couture-style dresses entirely out of used plastic bags. The designs kicked off the forth series of ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ giving a blast of high-fashion kitsch to the prevalent issue. For those rather fond of plastic bags in the aesthetical sense Kokon to Zai has some cunning cotton replicas - so now there’s no excuse.

 

Image by Ram Shergill

 

Ghanem keenly endorses the use of sustainable and recycled materials; his designs are bespoke, highly individual creations that are the antithesis of mass production. Truth is if you invest a decent amount on your wardrobe you are less likely to add to the excessive pile of textile landfill, annually over one million tonnes in the UK! Gone are the days when eco-dressing meant teaming a plain organic t-shirt with shapeless hemp pants, now designers such as Noir, Mark Liu and Stella McCartney, with her recently expanded eco-collection, are giving green a cool new makeover.

 

Taking the issue to a whole new level is Dr. Earth, no kidding, who has created Club4Climate. The drinks are organic, the water is recycled and the sprung dancefloor generates 60% of the clubs power. A stroke of genius – environmentally conscious with a side order of sexy fun. And it doesn’t stop there; the concept is due to go global with a Club4Climate Island launching in 2010.

 

Modern life is undoubtedly crammed full of rubbish but thanks to a creative few and their forward thinking initiatives we can all join in to do something about it.

 

 

www.anyahindmarch.com

www.ziadghanem.co.uk

www.kokontozai.co.uk 

www.noir-illuminati2.com

www.stellamccartney.com

www.club4climate.com

 

By JoJo Iles

 

(This article was first published in Drama Magazine – the world’s first downloadable magazine on the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. www.drama-magazine.com)