Saving World and, Showing Fashion Sense at EcoCouture

Interchangeable dress in bamboo rayon knit with tear-shaped cutout gathers at waist and can be worn from front to back and back to front. Like many looks in the Fall 2012 collection, it is available in several colors, including plum and black. Photos by Steve Ledell.

In case you haven’t heard, it’s fall. Autumn! What a wonderful time of year, no? For weeks now, those in the rag trade have been rolling out their new stock for shoppers who may be in the market for a few more threads and layers or to get shoppers in said mood. To help trade and to help VEVLYN’S PEN readers and followers (potential shoppers), Yours Truly will be bringing to your attention over the next few weeks or so various fall collections. What shall I call these snapshots, for I won’t bore you with a treatise? Yes! I've got it: “Glimpses of Fall.” I reckon just about every Thursday through Thanksgiving or November (whichever comes first; I haven’t checked the calendar:o), I’ll provide a peek at a collection/line/brand that I deem captivating and worthy of your notice. Happy shopping! (potentially).

“… OUR goal is not to offer ‘green’ clothing without sacrificing fashion but rather to advance fashion without sacrificing our world.”

This is the core value of Los Angeles-based EcoCouture, a new women’s contemporary brand. It believes that fashion-forwardness and social responsibility can and should co-exist.

The leather pants are made from recycled leather.

Take polyester, for instance. It can be created from recycled plastic bottles or even recycled polyester fabric. It doesn’t have to be made from environmentally unfriendly petroleum. Just one pearl of wisdom that EcoCouture drops for all who have ears (and presumably consciousness about the fashion they buy and wear).

Plunging v-back or v-neck dress in bamboo rayon knit can be worn front to back or back to front. The belt is not included.

Judging by the Skinny-leg Black Leather Pants made out of recycled leather, EcoCouture, founded just last year by Karundi Serumaga, has produced some mean, green threads. Likewise for the Interchangeable Plunging V-neck Dress.

Bamboo jersey dress with one kimono sleeve and asymmetrical neckline.

While the Fitted Dress in bamboo jersey does not announce this loudly, nor is it detectable by the naked eye, that bamboo-jersey combo was sourced from a company with a proven commitment to fair trade and justly treating its labor force.

Organic jersey blend top with scoop neck and one kimono sleeve.

With this kind of pedigree, wearer has to take pleasure from owning an EcoCouture. If that doesn’t produce goosebumps, then the knowledge that a portion of sales from this Made in the USA brand will go to social welfare organizations committed to preserving the planet has to seal the deal, no?

“We aim to create timeless staples reflecting a sophisticated lifestyle in an ecologically sensible manner,” EcoCouture asserts on its Web site.

So far, so good.

Visit http://www.ecocoutureclothing.com and http://www.ecocoshop.com to learn more about EcoCouture.