‘Green is the new black’ is always in fashion

The fashion industry isn’t exactly known for its sustainability, but Carbondale Green’s New Black fashion extravaganza is changing, with Sew, presenting its 12th fashion show from Thursday to Saturday.

Show director Amy Kimberly said: “Many high-profile and mainstream designers have been slow to commit to sustainability but it’s amazing how well it’s making its way into the fashion industry. “We’re lucky, we have talented designers in this valley and state for their lines and reuse, and it’s exciting to see what they create.”

The sold-out fashion show at the Carbondale Rec Center featured 49 models, 29 Colorado designers, 19 dancers and 11 additional actors. With more than 600 tickets sold per night, proceeds benefit Carbondale’s arts education programs, including free after-school art classes, curriculum-based art classes, youth scholarships, a bilingual piano and a traveling Rosiebell mobile maker bus.

During her five years as executive director of the Telluride AIDS Benefit, Kimberly used the same format to raise funds and saw how music and rhythm can raise emotions. Her goal of bringing a sustainable fashion scene to Carbondale is to highlight creative makers, asking designers to meet sustainable standards of employing upcycled or recycled materials, such as organic cotton, hemp, or recycled plastics.

“We have a very strong group of designers who have grown up with us,” she said.

Not the least of which is Accomplish Clothing, a Carbondale outfit started by brothers Mike and Patrick McCarney, who started out as a T-shirt and made-to-order operation out of Los Angeles.

“Every year they strive to be more sustainable, and they’ve made great strides in becoming a more sustainable company,” said Laura Stover, stylist, forecaster and costume designer.

She will also display 10 of her sustainable pieces – from the 40 damaged stalls she received from Steamboat this year.

“One of the easiest things to do when starting out is to go to a thrift store and take things apart and see how they’re made,” she said. “It’s hard to be 100% sustainable, especially when you have a different vision to bring to life. I’m always trying to find something sustainable or upscale. Sometimes you have to buy something new, and that’s okay. The most important thing about this show is that you are trying to be sustainable, and we are doing more and more.

The organizers are excited about Lillian Lara’s debut. The mixed media artist and costume designer often draws on her Mexican roots to create unique pieces and will teach a workshop on wearable art at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center June 26-30.

Skye Barker Maa is another front-line designer who “does beautiful high fashion in a sustainable way,” Kimberly said. Ironic Dilemma Designs is another company that produces bags and jewelry, in addition to clothing, from recycled, upcycled, and natural materials. and Bespoke Fashion handmade menswear.

“They make immaculately tailored, beautiful clothes,” Stover said. “It’s hard for us to find sustainable menswear.”

Apart from the sustainable designs, what makes this Carbondale fashion show stand out is the quality in the produce – and the fact that it was dormant for three years during the pandemic. Organizers have canceled the 2020 dress rehearsal night. Now it returns in 2020 with a twist on the “Mirror, Mirror” theme.

“Mirror, Mirror” originally explored themes of good and evil in fairy tales, but the show now explores the storyline through the lens of the hero’s journey, where darkness and light are part of us all.

The production combines rousing music, aerials, hip-hop and other dances with runway models and interactive video projections that suggest a woman can “dance” with golden balls of light, all while moving to an uplifting theme.

“The show is so high-quality and high-quality that we often hear, ‘Wow, this is better than anything I’ve seen in New York.’ The show itself takes you on a journey of visual joy. It makes you think and it’s really fun,” Kimberly said. “We leave it open to the audience to take their feelings and thoughts, and the audience definitely takes more than the show. That’s why we sell it because people have an experience that goes beyond a fashion show. In fact, we don’t think ‘fashion show’ does it justice as it sounds shallow. They come[thinking]that good things are happening in the world, and they want to do more around sustainability. They feel like they’ve seen something very moving. This is a widespread feeling. It creates a very strong community in our valley.