fashion

Australian organic designer, Melissa Yeong Sahara Bloom shirt, $120

Organic fashion was big at the 2009 Earth Pledge FutureFashion show. (L-R) Eco-friendly designs from Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Versace.

STYLE
Clockwise from left: models backstage at FEMINISTASTICs Fall/Winter 2009 show; Abi Thorton and Juli Kay wearing Mcnamees designs at his flagship-store opening in Sydney, FEMINIST-ASTICSs Fall/Winter 2009 advertisement feature Gemma Ward, FEMINIST-ASTIC Deathly Diamond Skull ring $430.

Organic Fashion
Words: Jian Xu
Last month at the annual Earth Pledge FutureFashion show, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace made it official: green is the new black. Now that organic is meeting fashion, much in the same way that Louis Vuitton has met Stephen Sprouse, fashionistas everywhere are clamouring to get their hands on eco-friendly clothing. Australian organic-designer, Melissa Yeong, is the current pick of the fashion-savvy. Her label, Sahara Bloom is a resident favourite in 21 high-end boutiques all over the country. Yeong is the first Australian designer to work on a large-scale production of organic fabric made from bamboo. You really cant go wrong with bamboo, says Melissa,it has natural anti-bacterial properties so it doesnt require any pesticides or fertilisers to grow and it is unbelievably silky and soft to touch. Furthermore, according to buyer for frockshop. com, Marnie Goss, organic fashion is here to stay: its definitely not just a passing fad; organic fashion is the fashion of the future. Miijo organic bracelets, $340

Cutting-edge fashion that doesnt cost the earth!

Feminist designer, Julian McNamee before his Fall/Winter 2009 Show.

Marc Jacobs no-to-plastic! bag, $230

Fourth-wave feminists have chosen to wield fashion as their weapon of choice.

Words: Jian Xu
The conventional feminist can be found in Germaine Greers classic feminist work, The Female Eunuch. But times have changed since the 1970s, and the female eunuch has chosen to ditch her outdated and dowdy attire in favour of this seasons hottest range of fashion couture. Enter fourth-wave feminism: the new movement that is shattering all the previous notions and stereotypes. By effectively combining feminism and fashion, this movement has allowed feminists the opportunity to look as good on the outside, as they are on the inside. Last month, in response to Vogues online Question of the Month, an overwhelming 100% of Vogue readers identified themselves as feminists who also honour fashion and beauty. It seems that femin-ashion (feminism+fashion) has unequivocally replaced the annual Chanel catalogue as the number-one guiding force for Australian women. According to Griffith Universitys senior lecturer on popular culture and feminism, Dr Annita Boyd, virtually all modern-day women are fourth-wave feminists. Now that the glass ceiling has well and truly been shattered, women are starting to really become comfortable with their power and success. prised: surely, you dont think Im the first designer to be doing this? McNamee is adamant that the only difference between me and countless other fashion designers is that Ive explicitly called my designs for what they are. I think all designers are dedicated to the self-same cause; we all aim to empower women and there is nothing wrong in creating something that makes them feel confident and in control, no? So what does that mean for us Vogueettes? Dr Boyd believes that, once women are aware of the fact that fashion and feminism are not mutually exclusive, they will finally be truly liberated and thus capable of reaching new heights of power. So rejoice fellow Vogue-ettes, for now that you are properly informed, there are no limits to your success. Wield your Chanel bag like the feminist trophy that it is and go forth as a proud member of the newest wave of feminism. You are woman! We hear you roar! (Or at least we hear your absolutely spectacular, tiger-print, Gucci heels roar.)

Clarity eco-friendly cuffs, $220

Organic Apparel Y-back tank,$110

Versace eco-friendly skirt, $890

...there is nothing wrong in creating something that makes [women] feel confident and in control, no?
The fact that nowadays, the majority of modern, educated women are turning to fashion to further their feminist cause is not lost on the fashion industry. Australian fashion designer, Julian McNamee, has become a resident favourite for the newer generations of women. His label is aptly named FEMINIST-ASTIC! and is famous for its ingenuous juxtaposition between raw and daring fashion with classic and austere feminism. When asked about his inspiration for the concept of feminist fashion, Julian is sur-

Sahara Bloom Change bamboo shirt, $99

AAA organic frills dress, $1020

JM envirofriendly necklace,$130

Kaliva bamboo skirt, $490

BuddhaBead organic bracelet, $46

The completely green and environmentally-friendly Louis Vuitton Store, Denmark

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