EcoChic At The UN Headquarters In Geneva

Last night, 52 prominent fashion designers from around 40 countries united on the catwalk at the Palais des Nations, headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, for the first time ever. The groundbreaking event was held in order to promote the positive impact that fashion could have on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Over 450 influential figures from government, private sector and non-governmental organizations were inspired to learn of the opportunities that fashion has on protecting biodiversity.

On the catwalk were one-off couture creations by prolific designers such as Diane von Furstenberg, John Rocha, Manish Arora, Bora Aksu and Thakoon. Sustainable labels such as Noir, EDUN and Ciel also featured at the exciting spectacle.

In attendance at the event were international fashion designers Peter Ingwersen (Denmark), Anggy Haif (Cameroon), Sarah Ratty(UK), Evgeni Petkov (Bulgaria) and Magdalana Schaffrim (Germany). Celebrity models on the runway were Kate Dillon, renowned US plus-sized model and MPA in international development and Summer Rayne Oakes, TV presenter and sustainability strategist.

“It was a great success,” said Eduardo Escobedo, Economic Affairs Officer of UNCTAD. “Several governments welcomed this creative display of a longer-term initiative in this important year for biodiversity. The event was a breath of fresh air for the United Nations and served as a tangible way to engage people in the need to protect biodiversity.”

Christina Dean, founder of Green2greener, said “We hope that this event will push the point that sustainable fashion can be both high-end and mainstream, showing to consumers that they can look gorgeous whilst also helping the environment. Our collaboration with the United Nations proves just how important these issues are.”

Sustainable ready-to-wear and couture garments were made from a variety of biodiversity-protecting fabrics such as hemp, bamboo, alpaca, soya, organic cotton and organic silks. Accessories used included necklaces made from the off-cuts of African blackwood clarinets, to recycled industrial waste and sustainably harvested seeds from South America.

The fashion show was presented by Hong Kong charity Green2greener and hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in celebration of the United Nations 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

Green2greener’s next 2010 stops include EcoChic Mumbai and EcoChic New York.