Last week, I had the chance to sit down with Scott Mackinlay Hahn, one half of the design duo behind the eco clothing line, Loomstate. I really looked forward to chatting with him not only because he is insanely gorgeous, but because he has a deep passion for bringing awareness to some of the problems that face sustainability.
Since it is Earth Day, I must be completely transparent: I found this interview to be one of the most challenging ones that I have done so far. When I sat down to think up my questions, I realized just how uneducated I was on sustainable fabric or “green fashion” as some would call it. I also realized that I am not alone in the confusion surrounding good sustainable practices, and that is one of the biggest road blocks in making eco-friendly fashion the standard instead of just a passing trend.
I did video the interview, but unfortunately it was too dark at the event for the picture to show clearly. However, I do hope that you take a few minutes today to read the transcript of this interview.
Happy Earth Day! Thank you for joining me for this interview. Could you explain how important it is to have organic fabrics and the process behind producing them?
First, organic is a tricky word, so is sustainability, so there is a lot of information that needs to be brought to the surface here. Fundamentally, the fiber origin is usually agriculture, if it’s natural fiber. So you look at the farming process: are they using gmoc, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides in the cultivation of primarily cotton.. This is all about soil fertility.You’re talking about preserving the ability to grow things and to have food and fiber and crop rotation going forward not just for our generation but for future generations.You don’t realize the demands that our society is putting on soil.So by paying attention to that, you start looking at ways to balance it out andthere are a lot of ways around poisoning the soil.
Then you look at synthetic fiber and trying to avoid fossil fuels and petroleum based fibers.Looking at how to use recycled concepts, and a lot of the stuff that’s going on with the nylons, and rayons, it’s about waste and what chemicals are off gasing.You kind of, from a production standpoint, you get real educated about this and you hold the suppliers accountable.You want to know content, you ask about the footprint.And slowly as it moves up the chain to the market, you want to communicate as simply to the customer as you can to educate them.The big idea is traceability and transparency so that customers, merchants, and production managers at fashion companies can be informed in their purchases.
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How important is it for the government to get involved to help regulate or invest in textile development?
Policy is an important step in regulating progressions in the market. With free market concepts, unfortunately, we are a rational but self-interested species so a company has the ability to marginalize the people they are selling to for more profit…somehow that always happens.That’s where the policy and regulation comes in and without it, things get a little crazy.You’ve heard common pool resource dilemmas where u have a certain amount of land where herdsmen are grazing their cows and sheep and if they’re all left to eat as much and add more sheep and add more sheep for more profit, eventually there’s no more grass. You need rules in place so that various herdsmen can share that common resource.That concept is where rules and laws come in so everyone knows how to play.So yea, that’s a long answer, but policy is a big part of what we are doing.
It’s all about responsibility.It’s about feeling gratified about what you are putting in your closet and your body.It’s all connectied and that’s the big idea at Loomstate.It’s trying to show people that from the farm all the way to the kitchen table and your wardrobe, that it’s all connected. It also has the ability to be designed in a way that is pretty special and sexy.
A lot of people think that going green means things will be more expensive. Is that the case?
In some cases it can be a little bit more expensive to produce because of the supply and demand or the ability of resources. It does sometimes cost factories more to retool and bring a cleaner product to the market. Once the tipping point occurs and the majority of America wants this stuff because it matters to them or it’s an important value to the family or to college kids, we will see change a lot faster. Eventually it wont be about green fashion, that will be the price of entry. Green fashion is a way to think of it , but for us it is good design.
For more about Rogan and Scott’s line, Loomstate, go to Loomstate.org
They also are having a sale on Gilt Groupe today for Earth Day! Here is an exclusive invite code for you! INVITE CODE
Here is the video from my FOX25 Boston segment this morning! The segment is about dressing thinner, which is something that every woman can relate to because no matter how thin or heavy we are, we all want to feel sexy and confident. *Please disregard the Elle Magazine under my name.. I do not represent them, it was a mistake and confusion by the network*
I recommended Slimpressions and Ardyss during the segment. Spanx of course is the first company people think of when it comes to body slimmers, but these brands both offer similar results, amazing slimming technology, and a variety of shapes.
Body slimmers can do wonders and they make the clothes you already own look better so you don’t have to go out and spend a ton of money on new clothes! The Body Magic can make you lose up to 3 sizes instantly…it is the Holy Grail of body slimmers.
Other tips include:
*Wear nude shoes to elongate your legs
*Avoid too many layers because they can add bulk, but if you must layer then belt your waist
*Dark denim is very slimming and if you are wide in the hips, pick a boot cut or flared leg to balance out your shape
*V-necklines can make you appear longer as can wearing a monochromatic color scheme
There you have it! Beauty comes from within so if you feel confident and sexy, it radiates to everyone around you.
Summer is rapidly approaching and New Yorkers are steadfastly planning their escapes from the city, but there is one place that you know you will find Cynthia Rowley: Montauk. An avid surfer herself, Cynthia’s love of the waves caught the eye of Roxy’s VP of Marketing and a brilliant collaboration was born. The debut collection of surf inspired fashion isn’t made up of your typical “surf” fashion. This collection looks to the future of surf/fashion wear with neoprene skirts and girly wetsuits/party dresses. The best part? The price point is under $225!
I teamed up with fellow blogger Lala from Lala NYC on a dream interview with Cynthia Rowley herself at her Bleeker Street store to hear more about the collection!
We had so much fun during this interview that the raw video was 12 minutes long!
You can purchase the collection online and in-store at Roxy and Cynthia Rowley. It is also selling in select Barneys and if you are fabulous enough to travel to Paris, you can buy it at Colette as well.
