The Ethereal Bride: {Inspiration and Style for Your Trip Down the Aisle}: Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I've decided to write a few entries involving lines that use sustainable materials, while still maintaining a level of creativity and style. As a designer, I feel that the biggest mistake companies often make is when they sacrifice their creative vision in the process of going green. Just because a product is earth-friendly doesn't mean it has to look like it. Olivia Luca manages to combine chic designs and gorgeous (many eco-friendly) fabrics in her dresses. The line allows the customer a degree of control when choosing a dress. You can design wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, flower girl dresses, and cocktail dresses, choosing the neckline, skirt shape, sashes, and other details. This allows you to create styles that individually flatter everyone's unique body-type, while still maintaining a streamline look. Some of her lovely, sustainable fabrics include Organic Cotton Sateen (produced with fiber reactive low-impact inks and dyes in accordance with the Organic Trade Association's Fiber Processing Standards), Fair Trade Handwoven Silk Organza layered over Organic Cotton Sateen, Hemp/Silk Charmeuse (100% Sustainable Biodegradable Product, 60% Hemp, 40% Silk), Hempcel (100% Sustainable Biodegradable Product, 55% Hemp, 45% Tencel), Organic Linen, and Organic Printed Cotton. They are also in the process of adding Bamboo/ Organic Cotton Knit and also Soy Knit, which really piqued my interest. I don't know if you've felt bamboo, but it is so soft! They also offer a great array of Fair Trade fabrics, while not necessarily eco-friendly, they still provide a level of global accountability and ethical awareness. I've included a few photos from their website, and I also created some earth day- appropriate looks to share with you.