London designer Gary Harvey opened The Green Shows at New York Fashion Week tonight with a runway presentation that was something of a landfil rescue mission. Constructing dresses wholly out of reused materials such as Financial Times newspapers, checkered laundry bags, skin cream packages, nylon baseball jackets, and army surplus, Harvey creates whimsical, dramatic and tactile pieces that may not be eminently wearable but do create a stir.

Called Recycled Icons with the tagline "Fashion With A Conscience", various symbolic pieces whose value has withstood the test of time were represented: denim jeans, checked shirts,  military jackets, trench coats, white t-shirts, and nylon baseball jackets are reincarnated here as they are season after season by countless designers in a less literal way.

Pioneering eco-designer Katharine Hamnett provided the 20 organic t-shirts bearing slogans like "Choose Life" and "Save the World" that came together in the White T-shirt Dress. Contrasting with the drama and boldness of the garments was the practical and utilitarian ethos behind them. Besides the newspaper dress, all looks were constructed using materials known to last and that often end up in landfill when they are seen to have outlived their "usefulness" even though they have decades of wear left in them.

Harvey was Creative Director at Levi Strauss for almost ten years. Of the Denim Dress constructed from 42 pairs of 501s, Harvey notes: "Jeans are often discarded for the next latest silhouette before the end of their 'useful' life. Of the Military Dress made from 28 army jackets: "Military clothing is designed to withstand heavy-duty combat and last for many years."

Up until the 1940s, American designers were being ignored in favour of the European houses, even by members of their own press. The frame of reference for American fashion had always been European: American designers would travel to Paris, view the twice-yearly collections, and return to emulate them, hence influencing American style in a very non-American way. Although New York was known as a garment manufacturing centre, its designers remained unknown. If an American celebrity wanted a dress for the red carpet, for instance, she would fly to Paris to get it.

In 1940, The Dress Institute hired pioneering fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert to help promote American fashion. The Institute had already set up a fund in which a fraction of the cost of each union-made dress would go toward an advertising campaign bringing attention to New York designers. In 1943, Lambert shrewdly decided to capitalize on Paris’s wartime misfortunes and organize an event in which New York designers would present their collections to members of the fashion press, thus bringing attention to New York and away from Paris. The event was called Press Week—today we call it Fashion Week—and it marked the beginning of major magazines like Vogue featuring American designs on its pages, looks which tended to be more innovative and wearable than their European counterparts.

Fashion Weeks have since popped up in cities all over the world, and New York continues to open each season, followed by London, Milan, and Paris (the Big Four). Although most fashion insiders agree Paris still rules haute couture, New York leads when it comes to ready to wear…and that’s where the money is. Very American, wouldn’t you say?

Image of first NYC Press Week

Image of Eleanor Lambert

Mumbai's Vibgyor, named for all the colours of the rainbow, presented its first North American showcase in Toronto at LG Fashion Week. Designers Simone Khambatta and Roma Narsinghani met in London, England, where they both studied fashion design. Their Spring 2010 collection, called Juxtapose, was a study in contrasts: sharply tailored netural-shaded shorts matched with flowy, drapy, tops in a soft pallette, and an unexpected multi-coloured ruffle adornment appeared on a basic harem pant. Colour, as the label suggests, was used to optimum effect while round metallic sequins and embroidered embellishments gave a nod to the East.