Ten of Canada’s top fashion designers showcased garments made from eco-friendly fabrics at the second annual Fashion Takes Action Green Gala, held Saturday at the Fermenting Cellar. Created by Kelly Drennan and labeled the "Greenest Fashion Event in Canada," the event—which drew 500 attendees—aimed to raise awareness of ways to make events green and highlight the use of environmentally friendly fabrics in high-end clothing.
"From the cosmetics and hair products used on models to our printing process, food and beverages, decor elements, lighting and energy source, the Green Gala aims to inspire other event planners to lighten their footprint, while at the same time shining a spotlight on the potential that sustainable fabrics have to make evening wear and couture clothing," organizers reported on the Web site for the event, which adopted a "Midnight in the Garden" theme for this year’s runway show. White rose petals and black feathers littered the catwalk. Celebrity models including City TV's Liz West, The Hills After Party host Jessi Cruikshank, and recording artist Lily Frost modeled designs by the likes of Thien Le, Zoran Dobric, Nada Yousif, and Jason Meyers.
Drennan carried the green theme throughout the event, including the cocktails, which featured 360 Eco Luxury Vodka. (The bottles are made from 80 percent crushed glass.) Servers offered drinks with names like the green-tini, eco-tini, and global warming. Drennan also used alternative energy supplied by Bullfrog Power, offered tap water to guests rather than bottled water, and insisted stylists (from Green Beauty) refrain from using curling irons and blow-dryers.
Drennan called on CJ Graphics to provide printed materials using Forest Stewardship Council-certified recycled paper with eco-friendly inks. Green Shift provided biodegradable plates and napkins for the event, and volunteers wore T-shirts made from recycled materials courtesy of EcoGear. Presenting sponsor Samsung collected old cell phones at the event.
