LOS ANGELES, Oct 9, 2007 / FW/ — From tents to tables and shipping to staging, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios is getting a complete makeover this season and it’s all green.
As the emphasis on the environment has taken hold, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios is proud to put its green foot forward being among the first in the industry to make this commitment.
This season’s eco-friendly initiatives include a series of eco-conscious designers and fashion shows, a greening of the overall production elements and a partnership with The CarbonNeutral Company to measure, reduce and offset the entire fashion event!
Eco-Chic takes on a new meaning with our environmentally conscious line up of shows from Ecoganik, The Gallery and Evidence of Evolution. These socially responsible designers have taken fashion to the next level by providing consumers with stylish, comfortable and organically based clothing. Ecoganik’s clothing is made only with certified organic or eco-friendly fabrics.
The Gallery is a philanthropic PR and marketing company committed to promoting organic apparel lines through green branding. Their green initiative fashion show will feature six collections from Peligrosa, Vintage China, Rene Geneva Design, Roshi Salim, Wet Cement and M the Movement.
“We are happy to bring these talented eco-designers to the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios,” said Smashbox Studios co-founder Davis Factor.
“We hope that this commitment to the environment sets an example for the rest of the fashion community that it is possible to be profitable while using sustainable materials and designs,” Factor added.
The greening will start before any of the designers, buyers, celebrities or VIPs even arrive as all major equipment will make its way across the United States aboard a fuel-efficient locomotive.
Over the course of seven days, many will gather to build the tents at Smashbox Studios. These tents and staging structures will be rented, and be reused for another event in the future. Many forklifts needed to build these gigantic tents as well as other heavy machinery will all run on LPG (Liquid Propane), a far cleaner alternative to gasoline.
As the guests arrive, they will be greeted by signage printed on biodegradable plastic materials, carpeting made from recycled PET plastics installed using an environmentally responsible product – ATC Turf and Carpet Grip (which will be collected after the event to be recycled once again) and furniture covered with sustainable eco-fabrics and will pick up the official program, printed on 100% recycled stock of course. Fashionistas will have the opportunity to purchase a piece of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios through the “William Good” collection.
The “William Good” brand was created by Joe Boxer founder Nick Graham in conjunction with Goodwill Industries of San Francisco with the aim of generating an alternative green solution by creating the ultimate carbon neutral brand. Vinyl signage materials from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios will be donated and reused to create fashionable accessories with all sale proceeds going to the Goodwill.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios has partnered with The CarbonNeutral Company to measure and reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the event, and then helping us offset the remainder.
The carbon credits totaled up for the event will go towards an Indian wind farm (which replaces electricity from fossil fuel power stations) and a Mexican forestry project (which soaks up carbon dioxide and preserves the rainforests ecosystem). By matching CO2 emissions with CO2 savings from verified projects, the result is that the event has a net zero carbon footprint.
On the afternoon of October 17th, IMG Fashion will announce some exciting news for ecoStyle Kuala Lumpur (November 1-11, 2007). ecoStyle invites the world’s leading designers to showcase their innovations with a focus on style in relation to eco-consciousness and sustainable textile and design.
The concept was born out of global movement toward environmental friendliness, ethical shopping, a shift towards renewable resources and efforts being made toward sustainability on a local and global level. All funds generated from ecoStyle Kuala Lumpur will benefit Earth Pledge.
Over the course of five days, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, will also includes runway shows by Sue Wong, Chick by Nicky Hilton, Yves Castaldi, Randolph Duke, Coco Johnsen, Kevan Hall, Elsie Katz Couture, Joseph Domingo, Heatherette, Juan Carlos Obando*, Gregory Parkinson, Jenny Han, Christian Audigier, Dina Bar-El, Grey Ant, Whitley Kros, Tart, Beach Bunny Swimwear, Voom by Joy Han, Jeremy Scott, Bird of Prey, Candice Held, Monarchy Collection, Samora, Oligo Tissew and Petro Zillia.
The sponsors and partners of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios will be getting in on green with a series of individual initiatives discussed below.
Mercedes-Benz will be highlighting the World Green Car of the Year 2007 – the E320 BLUETEC – as the world’s cleanest diesel. Appealing to the most fashionable crowd in the environmentally conscious city of Los Angeles, Mercedes-Benz will be highlighting the long-term objective of fuel-efficient and environmentally compatible premium automobiles that do not compromise on safety, comfort or supreme driving pleasure. “We’re excited to be able to highlight our BLUETEC technology and show how Mercedes-Benz is committed to providing our customers with the safest, most enjoyable, luxurious and eco-friendly vehicles possible,” says Lisa Holladay, National Event Manager, Mercedes-Benz USA LLC. “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios is the perfect venue to display our environmental technology messaging in a fun and fashionable manner.”
Smashbox Cosmetics will be turning over a new leaf with the GREEN ROOM SPRING 2008 COLOR COLLECTION. With the purchase of every GREEN ROOM product, a Moringa tree will be planted in a developing country by Trees for the Future.
The Moringa or “Miracle Tree” is a powerhouse of nutritional value and provides a self-renewing food source for people in need. More trees also mean less soil erosion and cleaner air and water for a greener future. All GREEN ROOM packaging is biodegradable or recyclable and all products are made with environmentally-friendly formulas so it’s beauty you can feel good about!
