Hot off the Runway! - Fashion Thursday

Fashion Week wouldn't be complete without the Eva & Paul team attending a show or two - catching a couple of boutique events across the city to scope out up and coming trends. 

Julia Kastner, CEO & Founder of Eva & Paul

Julia Kastner, Founder of Eva & Paul, attended New York City's 'Fair Fashion Runway' last week at WIX Lounge to get up-close and personal with emerging eco-friendly and fair trade brands.  

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns voiced from eco-friendly shoppers is finding apparel, shoes and accessories that are also fashion-forward and trendsetting. After attending this event, Julia is proud to report that this doesn't have to be the case.

Julia was excited to see the line LEOTA by Sarah Carson Cloud, which boasts a complete line of tailored dresses. Like Eva & Paul's jeans, their dresses are sewn in NYC.

 "This dress felt classic with a fun and flirty print. I love the design details across the top, which flatters and enhances your curves," says Julia. She liked the character of 50's glam from the dresses to the cheeky poses of Leota's models.

Model above features Leota's upcoming collection. 

Julia also watched how eco-friendly brands are tapping into Avante-garde styles and versatile silhouettes. ReciclaGEM, another featured local brand, showcased innovative designs. "This particular design of a cape with tailored collar was by far my favorite. It was very structured and clean but playful with vibrant prints. 

Overall, it was a great night for meeting like-minded entrepreneurs and experiencing memorable fair design.

Model above features a piece from Recicla GEM's upcoming collection.

Eco-Friendly Style - Fashion Thursday

Shopping for eco-friendly products can be daunting, especially when a lot of new brands are promising quality or comfort. Learning about eco-brands has been Julia's passion for quite some time, so she'd love to share with you some of her favorites and why they're worth checking out. She hopes to inspire your style ideas for Fall.

THE CATRINKA PROJECT

Photo sourced from thecatrkinaproject.com

Before their first photoshoot, Julia met the founder of The Catrinka Project, Megan Reilly Cayten, through mutual friends.  Julia immediately felt that the sleek and subtle design of their bags combined with their social mission supporting artisans fit perfectly with Eva & Paul jeans. She knew this was the start of a great partnership for future styling sessions. “The reason I like their brand so much” says Julia, “is that they share our passion for supporting local artisans using fair trade practices.” A portion of their proceeds support educating young girls in the countries where their bags are made. The Aziza bag would be a great accent for Fall to pair with our dark indigo denim.

HOLSTEE

Photo sourced from http://shop.holstee.com/collections/print

Julia met the founders of Holstee at a company lunch, invited by her friend Dierdre who is their chief of staff.  She also attended their Kickstarter event at their amazing new studio in Gawanus Brooklyn. Holstee takes pride in design and production. They create interesting and unique products and they have a positive universal message which has built the core of their brand, truly inspiring and motivating friends and fans. We particularly love their Up-Cycled wallet made using recycled newpapers from New Delhi as a city chic accessory for Fall.

HIDDEN BABY

Photo sourced from https://www.facebook.com/hiddenbabylove

What an interesting name for a socially conscious brand. Julia met the lovely founders/sisters of Hidden Baby, Kelsey and Courtney Montague at a social innovation conference in New York City called ‘The Feast’. Julia looked them up online and learned that they founded the brand after traveling to Kenya to shoot a documentary film, which opened their eyes about the living conditions of babies who don’t often have what they need. They decided to join and promote this mission by designing bags with a hidden baby looped in their design. A portion of their proceeds are donated to organizations dedicated to serving babies-in-need globally. Julia loves this brand because it was built out of their personal life experiences and a need to contribute to a meaningful social cause. We particularly like their canvas floral design as a classy look for Fall.

It’s great to see so many new eco-friendly companies combining an eye for design with supporting great initiatives - impact without sacrificing style.