Coclico SS 2012 featured in the Kaelen presentation
during NY fashion week (photo by Jeannine Tan)
Coclico SS 2012 heels with organic linen
(photo courtesy of ORGANIC Girly)
Coclico is a footwear design company that is grappling with this issue on a day-to-day and long-term basis. Jennifer Barckley at ORGANIC Girly, tackled this topic very thoughtfully in her recent write up after a visit to Coclico's Nolita boutique for a preview of their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. As a vegan, ORGANIC Girly does a great job of building a bridge between the gray areas, if they are really any shadow zones remaining.
Barckley's 'Timeless Is Worth The Wait' sums up many of the variables that this luxe footwear company is contending with as a small label that wants to improve upon its ethical sourcing, manufacturing, and community outreach efforts. The key thing for me in the select purchases that I make is just how transparent a company is willing to be in its disclosure about materials and methods. Coclico is a company that I feel quite good about on this front.
That said, this recent article via Cri de Coeur about leather tanneries being some of the most toxic places on earth is enough to stop one dead in one's tracks – quite literally. Chromium pollution is just bad news. It seems to me that ongoing definitions of ethical style can no longer afford to be just about sustainable materials, fair labor, and life cycle innovation – to name a few, but also increasingly about what one's belief system is when it comes to ideas about 'fashioning self in relation to the environment'. In the same way that we make assessments about political and social events, might it be too extreme to expect that our personal style might now allow others to decode us in terms of where we draw the line?
That said, this recent article via Cri de Coeur about leather tanneries being some of the most toxic places on earth is enough to stop one dead in one's tracks – quite literally. Chromium pollution is just bad news. It seems to me that ongoing definitions of ethical style can no longer afford to be just about sustainable materials, fair labor, and life cycle innovation – to name a few, but also increasingly about what one's belief system is when it comes to ideas about 'fashioning self in relation to the environment'. In the same way that we make assessments about political and social events, might it be too extreme to expect that our personal style might now allow others to decode us in terms of where we draw the line?
1 comment:
Great post Abigail! The idea of aligning beliefs with style is an important question to consider during the holiday season as well as year-round. You certainly offer some tempting options in the form of Coclico's collection. Nicely done!
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