The fashion industry isn’t always so nice to the environment with all the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on our cotton, the formaldehyde used to finish off our jeans, and the millions of pounds of water used the in manufacturing process.

Luckily for us, a greater amount of designers than ever before have opted to become more environmentally conscious in recent years and Rain Tees is always interested in learning about them and working together to support a healthier earth.

This year Aveda announced that for their sixth fashion week in a row they would be promoting their own eco fashion based initiative – CatWalks for Water – and partnered with Christian Siriano’s runway show among others for the Spring/Summer 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Aveda, The Art and Science of Pure Flower and Plant Essences, has had one mission ever since its founding in 1978 — to provide industry professionals with products that would be of great service to their clients, and friendly to the earth. They’ve done just that through their hair care, skin care, makeup, and lifestyle products, putting them at the forefront of environmental sustainability. This made it no surprise that a company so focused on staying green would partner with fashion’s greatest week of events.

In an effort to stay as green as possible, Aveda collaborated with designers to reduce the environmental impact of their runway shows, and with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to supply free tap water at various New York City locations. Among the designers who chose to work with Aveda were Jason Wu, and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano.

The four steps Aveda established to advocate for a greener fashion week include:

1. Providing limited edition EarthLust water bottles backstage at shows, each designed with the signature of the participating designers. This in turn replaced the use of plastic water bottles, and increased the usage of NYC tap water.

2. Abolish the use of fur in designs.

3. Provided organic and/or locally-sourced food to fashion show staffs.

4. Printed show invitations and programs using paper that is at least 20% post-consumer recycled.

Aveda especially capitalized on their water efforts, working closely with the DEP on providing free tap water at stations throughout Manhattan.

Guests were able to refill their EarthLust water bottles, or own reusable water bottles, with NYC tap water at a total of six “Tap Water on the Go” locations.

Their goal was to reduce the amount of waste that comes from the use of plastic water bottles. For those of you shocked at their decision to use tap water, the Environmental Protection Commissioner, Cas Holloway, expressed that New York City actually has some of the best drinking water in the world! Holloway was ecstatic to work with Aveda on increasing awareness of this fact, and on the clean water system used by the DEP.

Here’s a little fun fact about Aveda’s efforts — ever since they began their CatWalks for Water program some seasons ago, they’ve helped prevent about 7,300 plastic water bottles from being thrown away in practically-filled landfills.

To go along with their pro-environment fashion week activities, Aveda also had a presence at the runway show of designer Christian Siriano. Among the guests at the show was Rain Tees’ very own founder, Beth Doane.

Aveda Global Creative Director Antoinette Beenders with Allen Ruiz and N.A. Creative Director Ricardo Dinis

Aveda’s leading hair stylist, Antoinette Beenders (pictured above), used Aveda products to create fun looks on the models. This season, Siriano’s collection was all about creating “a smart, flirtatious girl with captivating charm.” To accompany his vision, Beenders created long, wavy hairstyles for the runway.

“The hair for Christian Siriano this season is playful and looks effortless. We’ve updated the loose, beachy waves of the ‘90s with a more groomed look that’s smart, young and approachable,” she stated.

So whether you were looking to quench your thirst, or searching for products that can give you runway to everyday-ready hair, Aveda was the company of choice this fashion week, showing fashionistas that staying green is always in style.

To catch all of Aveda’s fashion week activities, visit the company’s Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo, and Facebook pages, where they posted actively during the week.

By
Maria Garcia
NYC Fashion District Fashion Examiner and Rain Tees Contributor