Greener, more sustainable, locally sourced and eco-friendly – fashion has finally gone green. Forget mass production, sweatshops, under paid staff and exploitation. These are modern times we’re living in. Here are 5 amazing companies that are creating beautiful fashion without ruining the planet or exploiting our people. Let’s move on.....

Lost Property of London

Who?
Lost Property was quietly launched back in 2009 by a graduate of Saint Martin’s design university, Katy Bell. A talented designer who impressed many with her initial prototype bag which she made from fair trade coffee sacks.

What?
Lost Property design and manufacture beautiful bags, made only with reworked and recycled fabrics. In short, these guys are true innovators of modern upcycling.

Why?
The designs are beautiful and elegant these are items you’ll love for many years to come. They offer the perfect balance between style and sustainability.

Where?
Available from stores such as Liberty and Urban Outfitters, you can also buy direct from their site www.lostpropertyoflondon.com. Prices range from £100 - £350.

Noir

Who?
Noir is a cutting edge, high-fashion range of clothing produced with eco-friendly techniques and materials. The brand has achieved great notoriety from the fashion industry and is frequently worn by high-profile models, such as Elle Macpherson. Widely regarded as the world’s most respected eco-brands, Noir will be leading the way in the realm of eco-fashion.

What?
Beautiful, catwalk worthy, high-end eco-fashion.

Why?
The clothes are as beautiful as they are sustainable and there is no compromise on style. Noir’s range will satisfy even the most discerning fashion lover.

Where?
Available from most eco-fashion stores, you can also buy online from www.ecofashionworld.com. Prices range from £100 - £400.

Olga Olsson

Who?
Created by the eco-creative, Ruth Ferguson, and produced in Rion de janeiro by artisans from the deprived Complexo Maré area.

What?
Beautiful beach bikinis with a unique Brazilian flavour, made only with sustainable materials that are locally sourced.

Why?
Seriously cool designs that have been snapped up by uber-cool stars, including Kate Moss - these are no ordinary bikinis. Your money will go towards the regeneration of a deprived, Brazilian community. What’s not to love about that?

Where?
Go direct and buy from www.olgaolsson.com. Prices range from £65 - £200

L‘Herbe Rouge

Who?
Self proclaimed masters of “urban and poetic” fashion with contemporary design and aesthetics. Their ethically sourced materials and eco-friendly approach makes them one of the greenest fashion companies ever to have come out of France.

What?

Simple but elegant clothing, ideal for everyday wear, L‘Herbe Rouge have something for everyone’s taste; Pencil skirts, cardigans, pullovers, sweaters, trousers – the list goes on.

Why?

Their mission is to use their creative talents to make eco-fashion affordable for everyone. Their prices are competitive and you’ll be happy with the amount you can get for you money.

Where?

You can buy from most eco-fashion stores, or buy online at Miinto.co.uk or Miinto.ie. Prices range from £30 - £200.

-Image Credit: Flickr.com commons

Once in a while something comes along that is so revolutionary it changes daily life. When you think about the phone, the microwave or computer, can you imagine life without them? The answer is no. We have found the next home appliance for the modern age, EcoloBlue water machines. Henri-James Tieleman, created the prototype in 2007 and its being internationally distributed now.

What is it?  Its a 3 foot high device that looks like a water cooler or a little fridge, and it makes water out of air. It is a water generator. It makes water from the humidity in the air. To understand the importance of this, you have to understand what is going on with the water supply of the world.  We've talked about water before on Planet Fashion. What's up with your water?

Over 70% of our Earth's surface is covered by water, we should really call our planet "Ocean" instead of "Earth". Although water is seemingly abundant, the real issue is the amount of fresh water available. There's often discussion in the news of the dwindling water supply in the world, but this isn't entirely accurate. The amount of water isn't diminishing, but the demand for it is steadily increasing. Some scientists believe that the world's population, currently at 7 billion, will double by 2050. At the same time uncontaminated drinking water is becoming harder, and harder to come by. Even now billions of people lack basic water services, and millions die each year from water-related diseases. Freshwater isn't evenly distributed throughout the world. More than half of the world's water supply is contained in just nine countries: the United States, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, India, China and Indonesia.

EcoloBlue has developed a unique concept. There is more water in the air than in our Oceans. So why not tap into this vast resource?

The water is the most purified water you can get, the machine has a powerful internal purifier. You can also adjust the alkalinity, to make your water more PH balanced. Ecoloblue is ecologically responsible because it avoids all the plastic and waste from the water bottle industry. According to Ecoloblue "Millions of plastic water bottles, cups and containers are transported around the Globe by steamships, trains, and trucks, spewing carbon emissions into our atmosphere. Only to be discarded, thrown into landfills, onto our streets, and into our Ecosystems. These bottles don’t degrade. And the few that are recycled only increase the overall carbon footprint."

http://www.ecoloblue.com/