Meet Sustainable Fashion Collective Eko-Lab: Mika Machida, Meiling Chen and Melissa Kirgan
Forget Bob Marley, it’s fashion that brings the world together. (Actually, don’t forget Bob and this video totally makes us cry.)
Case in point: the sustainable design collaborative Eko-Lab. This crafty group of six environmentally minded clothing artists banded together to launch the cutting-edge organic fashion boutique Ekovaruhuset in New York. With their passion for art, the environment and the creative process, just manning the till wasn’t enough for them. Hence, the birth of Eko-Lab, an eco-conscious collection of intricate, handmade, slow fashion and accessories.
While some pieces may be more at home in an art gallery than your closet, that’s somewhat this avant-garde gang’s point. Showing that sustainable fashion isn’t restricted to basics, they go way beyond the bamboo-jersey eco-staple.
Mika Machida’s nature-inspired hemp and organic cotton shirts and dresses are made for forward-thinking fashion animals: Her horse dress (pictured below) features a fringe “mane” that stretches over the shoulder, and her butterfly tee showcases a cutout arm held up by elastic-band “antennae.”
For date-worthy attire, check out Meiling Chen’s inspired spring collection of floaty dresses and tops (currently featured on our home page). They’re geometrically constructed, but crafted in super soft eco-fabrics that flow and drape beautifully—we especially love the styles that feature sexy, cutout backs.
And don’t forget crafty, whimsical, quirky accessories: We thirst for Melissa Kirgan’s beautiful, Marni-inspired necklace made out of “sliced” beer-bottle sections and crocheted hemp, and her ethereal, off-white column gown features an embellished neckline that eliminates that last-minute rush to find the perfect piece of jewelry.
With designers supporting each other and sourcing from local suppliers to create unique pieces of fair-made, wearable art, we think Eko-Lab is on to something.
