Organic Style

A couple of summers back I was on a freelance kick and was researching green apparel. Only to find that apart from Linda Loudermilk, Edun jeans and a handful of other hard-to-find niche labels, there really were not too many stylish choices readily available to eco-conscious buyers – and even fewer without similarly niche prices.

Two years later, some mass retailers have picked up on the idea of sustainable fashion, but all in all the movement has remained at the gimmicky-one-off collection level. Take oft-cited Target who brought on Rogan Gregory for its early summer GO International Collection. Although company press releases laud Gregory’s “expertise at fusing organic material with skillful design,” and their goal of making “eco-friendly fashion available to women everywhere,” a permanent eco-option has yet to appear in their stores.

Fortunately news in WWD today could prove that the tide is finally starting to turn and clothing retailers are beginning to look at what large grocery stores have been switched onto for a few years: the feasibility of providing a broad range of organic choices at lower prices than specialty stores.

One of the biggest new mass offerings set to make it easier for eco-buyers? Bernardo Green, a Montreal label now based in New York that made a name for itself in recent years creating machine-washable and dry-able suede jackets of the sort you’d see in the frumpy sections of Nordstrom. Today’s word from WWD is that the company will be turning its attention to eco-sensitive practices, launching of a range of greener jackets that would look at home on the fashion editorial pages of a magazine.

Using hides from organically certified tanneries in Slovenia, the pieces price-pointed at a wallet-sensitive $71 to $79 will apparently go on sale at 18 exclusive Nordstrom locations stateside and 30 Marks and Spencer stores in the UK. So, if the Bernardo Green offering below is a little Leona Lewis Bleeding Love video for your liking you can check out other designs as of August. Next step, fair trade fashion? We can only hope.


Forget hemp, silver suede the latest word in green fashion.

Bonjour Bizarre: Road Safety Made Sexy

We all know neon has been in and out of fashion for the past few years, but does this mean we’ll be seeing more? Well not unless you have Monsieur Lagerfeld’s suggested accessory du jour: your very own broken-down vehicle.


Listen to Kaiser Karl
“It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t go with anything, but it could save your life.”

Unfortunately even though the location of my last vehicle breakdown (Siena) was pretty glam, I did not handle the event with such style as Mr Lagerfeld...

Modern Greek

Summer is well and truly here. 90-degree weather notwithstanding, yesterday I saw my first TV commercial for the Olympics. I guess a season of sporting fever is finally upon us. Not that we haven’t already been bombarded with news stories surrounding the games. From the lackluster reception the Olympic torch has received on its journey to China, to debate as to whether world leaders will be boycotting opening ceremonies, you’d be hard pressed to escape Olympics news coverage.

Hardly surprising then that fashion in sport has also grabbed a few headlines in recent months. Starting with several new picks to outfit Olympic national teams. Stateside, it was announced that Polo had ousted Canadian brand Roots to outfit the US team. And just last Thursday Britain’s Beijing hopefuls appeared in new Vivienne Westwood-designed outfits.

Now, it would be easy to talk about the socio-political significance of America’s retro, gentile Gatsby-esque choice, or Britain’s favorite go-to: trad. yet rebellious cool Britannia. But on a purely sartorial level, all this buttoned-up tailoring, especially on the part of Polo, seems strongly at odds with the high-tech, functional mood pervading sportswear of late. Think: Speedo’s controversial LZR swimsuit that has been credited with as many as 35 record-breaking times this year.

Fortunately you need only look as far as the 2008 spring and summer collections to discover a rich melding of classic, retro and modern. Because this season, Greek chic swept the runways and designers looked to the ancient world for inspiration. Thankfully not in an entirely literal here’s-your-toga-ma’am way.

At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz ripped a page from original classicist Madame Grès’ sketchbook, meditating on drape and playing with fluid lines by adding ostrich feathers and sequins. And really who better to reference than Grès when thinking of modernity? After all, her revolutionary use of classically inspired draping and free-flowing gowns cut on the bias epitomized modernity for stylish, liberated women in the 1930’s.

Harnessing a Grès-like sense of purity, for 2008 Elbaz proved that the goddess gown could be translated for the everyday working woman and not just the red carpet diva. Simple deconstructed draped dresses were made bold and contemporary with a bright injection of canary yellow and moss green. And with a short midnight blue dress that was softly pleated across the front and modernized with a long zipper, he gave the floaty dress the tough edge modern-day goddesses deserve.

Elsewhere, Panichgul Thakoon adopted the daytime goddess dress, instead choosing asymmetry with soft pleating to create a shimmering confection. At Preen, Thornton and Bregazzi produced a body-con-meets-sleek-greek dress in muted dove gray, while Jonathan Saunders went monochrome, showing a white abbreviated dress draped from the neckline and belted at the waist.

But really it was Nicolas Ghesquiere’s revolutionary collection with its structural tailoring, strong shoulders and space age feel that stole the shows with its forward-thinking take. Punctuating each floral look was a classic Greek sandal, transformed into a towering biker-chick-come-gladiator statement shoe that combined the ancient world and modernity with a high glamour quotient. Surely if Nike the goddess of victory wore shoes they would be from Balenciaga.

Off the runways the modern Grecian dress has also filtered down to the mass market. And considering Greece was the founder of democracy, it’s apt that Target, the US home of democratized fashion, has been one to pick up the look in a contemporary hue that's perfect for achieving the look without being mistaken for a movie extra.

Looks like we can all enjoy a little ancient history as cutting edge fashion then. And you don't have to be watching the Olympics to appreciate that.

Bonjour Beauty: Totally Lashed!

Recently bonjourchic got the haircut blues. Not just I-need-a-haircut blues, but I-need-totally-new-hair blues. So, in a bid to change things up I chopped my hair down to a neat crop à la Agyness Dean. The result? I love it.

From the way it takes next to no time to wash and style, to how my new do frames my features in a kind of gamine Mia-Farrow-meets-Twiggy-but-sorta-circa-1986 fashion, I totally love it. But, here comes the but. Said feature-framing is also posing a few new make-up woes. And by woes, lets not exaggerate, I mean “cool, lets try some new products”woes.


You see, what Twiggy and Farrow both share are long, dark and totally feminine lashes. It’s what keeps the whole look on the gamine and girly side of androgynous. For me that’s meant out with old faithful Maybelline, and in with a new Cargo mascara that’s been checking all the boxes on my luscious lash quest. Eyes speak volumes and my lashes have been needing some super volumizing.





The Name:
Cargo Blu-Ray Mascara

What it is:
The blueprint for picture-perfect, big screen-ready eyes. Specially designed as a remedy for unforgiving HDTV close-ups, this mascara caters to my inner leading lady, working to lengthen, boost volume and make lashes look amazing in any light.

How it works:
To ensure an award-winning performance, each wand features a two-sided brush complete with a flat portion for even coverage and a super-fine comb for perfect distribution. No clumps here.

Why you want it:
Not satisified with good looks alone, thanks to an infusion of replenishing panthenol and keratin, Blu-Ray delivers chic, healthy and strong lady-like lashes that dazzle under the spotlight.

So, the only question is: Who shall I cast to play my leading man?

Bonjour Beauty: The Eyes Have It!

The promise of San Diego's infamous May Gray is making Bonjourchic reach for Spring and Summer's vivid eye colors. Think bold, think beautiful, think hot colors that beg the question: Where's the party?

Chic Pick: Laura Geller Baked Marble Eye Shadow


What it is:
A colorful, ever-fashionable eye shadow confection baked into irresistible marble swirls.

How it works:
Thanks to a duo of subtle shimmer and elegant color, blended together by Italian artisans, you get to choose between all-over iridescence and several one-of-a-kind hues.

Why you want it:
One small shadow, infinite color possibilities. You can have your cake and eat it too.


Chic Pick: New Urban Decay Loose Pigments


What it is:
The ultimate in vivid color delivered in individual, no-spill bottles.

How it works:
Loaded with bold pigments, each shade can be either swept on for a radiant luster, or piled on to achieve a hot, daring tone.

Why you want it:
Straight-up colorful style without the messy clean-ups.

Color therapy meets retail therapy, what could be better? Hurry, get your beauty clicks on at chic HQ, www.sephora.com

Bonjour Beauty: Eco Chic Lips

Do good and look good, call it a winning combination. So too is the mix of style and celebrity behind this new Cargo Plant Love lipstick. Designed by a-list mom Denise Richards, and named after her daughters, choose from Lola for lashings of sheer sparkling praline, or Sam for a berry redcurrant hue. And because beauty is as beauty does, these sheer pout-perfectors boast an earth-friendly corn-based compostable tube and biodegradable packaging sewn with wild flower seeds. Now that's what I call flower power.

Cliquez vite chez www.cargocosmetics.com to get yours.

Fast is fashionable

Fashions come and fashions go, sometimes as fleetingly as the passage of time itself. It is, after all, the story of style. Trend is transitory. Well up to a point that is. Because if one thing has remained the same throughout the history of modern fashion it is the strict fashion calendar. What streams from the catwalks one month will most certainly take many more to make it into women's closets in the real world. Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer: fashion follows a tried and true style cycle.

Yet, with cheap chic retail on the rise and aspirational customers demanding trends as up-to-the-minute as those they see in magazines, change is afoot. As rapidly reinterpreted high-style looks are filtering to the mainstream within the blink of a short fashion minute, instant fashion gratification is in vogue. Today, no fashionista need wait for the real designer deal when the inspired-by-version can be snagged for just a fraction of the cost.

Hardly surprising then that just this past week, just as Old Navy announced a push towards a speedy trend-driven sales model, several big names retaliated. We're not talking lawsuits here, although the past year has seen Diane Von Furstenberg sue both Target and Forever 21 for copyright infringement. This time two big-time luxury names entered the arena to battle for design dominance. On the offense? The soon to be resuscitated Halston and online retailer Net-a-porter.com --both armed with a maneuver stolen from the mainstream itself.

Rendering the trade in quick knock-offs less attractive by stealing the giant retailers' thunder, the pair have now publicized a plan to sell two Halston pieces within just 24 hours of Halston's debut Fall 2008 show. It's certainly a move that would drastically change production cycles were it to be adopted by many other houses, but it definitely lends added cachet and exclusivity to the garments tagged for early sale. And moreover, by creating a new red letter day on the shopping calendar, buying the latest garment becomes a happening --hardly a tactic dissimilar from the first-day events Topshop and H&M create to build hype around their limited edition big name designer collections.

To many, this swing towards mainstream retail practice may just seem like a minor detail in the march towards fashion democratization and the dominance of ready-to-wear over haute couture. However, other than simply opening up the opportunities for aspirational shoppers to trade up to designer rather than down to mass market, this new luxury penchant for fast fashion also reflects is a larger change on the shopping landscape and in the global climate.

Simply put, given the sheer must-have desirability of fast fashion and the reality of climate change, the practice of sticking to several strict seasons seems pretty passé. Why not wear a different season's look when it's not necessarily snowing in January, or in the case of much of Europe last year, not warm and sunny in July? As layering and all-season dressing gains relevance for the average fashion lover, so too does the need for faster access to new looks. Collections including Resort and Pre-Fall that may have traditionally been off the strict fashion calendar are now registering clearly on many a fashion junkies' shopping radar.

It follows then that over the past few years, the off-calendar collections that were once just a European fad have gained huge popularity. Not just as a way to give buyers and journalists a taste of the Fall looks to follow, but also to create buzz around collections and meet the needs of stylish mid-season dressers. For 2008 Proenza Schouler presented its first Pre-Fall collection during Paris Haute Couture week, and, on the same note, Peter Som for Bill Blass showed a debut offering in New York.

Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2008

Bill Blass Pre-Fall 2008

So does this mean we'll be in for more attention-span-shortening collections, all sold in fits and starts throughout the year? A plethora of many new mid-season and pre-season collections many not be inevitable, but one thing is for certain, from mainstream to luxury, fashion is becoming a fast and fierce competition. For any hope in getting hold of the latest looks, it's time to upgrade your internet connection and get your elbows out. Forget fast fashion, retail is a race. On your mark, get set…shop.