ENVI

Here's more about Envi in Callie Smith's own words...we asked for her perspective on the new "Green" trend made popular by brands such as Edun and Loomstate, how she got started, and about some of her favorite designers:

"When I started planning this venture to open my own boutique a few years ago it was about my passion for fashion, not the environment--I recycled and bought organic foods, but didn't even think about the impact of my cotton t-shirt. It was always a dream of mine to open a store, because I love clothes...I love the way the right fit and the perfect color can make you feel so good, and I like helping other people find that outfit that gives them the same amazing feeling. I honestly didn't even know that 'green' fashion existed. I was pretty much of the 'fashion over function' mindset, and scratchy hemp tunics didn't really work for me. I came across an article about sweatshops on a U.S. island where women and children were being lured with the promise of fair US labor laws only to find when they arrived that the laws didn't apply to off-shore sites...I was horrified and started doing a little more research which is what lead me to learn about the environmental impact of the clothing industry. I didn't know what I was going to do at that point...I had all of these plans for my store, but I didn't feel comfortable becoming part of an industry that exploited so many people and was contributing to the destruction of the environment...and that hemp tunic still wasn't working for me. A few hundred google searches later, I had found a handful of designers that were paying fair wages to their producers and were using eco-friendly materials, and Envi was born!

When I first started I didn't know if I would have enough styles to fill a store and now, about a year later, I can barely keep up with the new designers that are popping up all over the world! The brands made famous by celebrity designers (like Loomstate and Edun) are really just the tip of the iceberg...the industry is growing faster than bamboo (one of my favorite eco-materials) and up-and-comers like Stewart+Brown and Twice Shy are starting to really make a name for themselves.

There are so many reasons to choose eco-conscious fashion and now, with all of the stylish options, there isn't any reason not to.

Right now, my hottest designer is Twice-Shy. The organic cotton shirts are super comfy, fit great, and have beautiful graphics (more spring styles coming in the next week or so). I'm also really excited about a new designer, Amelia Pastiche, who makes earrings out of recycled paper and vintage images from magazines, pictures, and books...they are really unique and feather-light. Stewart+Brown is also great...they've been called the "Banana Republic of green fashion". And for recycled fashions, Armour Sans Anguish uses "pre-loved" materials to create there one-of-a-kind pieces that are funky and totally reasonably priced considering they are all handmade."