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Slow Fashion and Food Make Stops in St. Louis

kate fletcher
Dr. Kate Fletcher

With a bustling social scene and calendar full of fun things to do, Saint Louis is known as a hub for entertainment in the Midwest. But this week the city ‘slows’ its’ approach to fashion and food and embraces the pace of sustainability.

The events kick off with Dr. Kate Fletcher of Great Britain, one of the founders of the ‘slow fashion’ movement, presenting a lecture on Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change on Wednesday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Washington University’s Steinberg Auditorium. The talk is part of the Fashion Lab’s YARN series and Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts’ Public Lecture series.

As a pioneer in the field of eco-fashion with over 20 years of experience leading many directional sustainability projects, such as Local Wisdom, Kate is responsible for starting a global shift in thinking about how clothing is designed, manufactured and consumed. She acts as Reader in Sustainable Fashion at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (London College of Fashion) and began slowfashion.org in an effort to work directly with companies, educational establishments and non-governmental organizations to initiate change in the fashion and textile industries.

Saint Louis Designers to Debut Sustainable Collections in Fashion Show

green fashion by genny cortinovis
One of Genny Cortinovis’ designs

Craft Alliance’s (CA) Fashion Lab, a subset of the non-profit art institution, will follow Dr. Fletcher’s talk with Eco-Centric: A Green Fashion Show on Thursday, September 20 at 7 p.m. at Laumeier Sculpture Park. There will be a reception at 6 p.m. and a trunk show after the show.

This eco-chic event will feature collections from three of Saint Louis’ most talented sustainable fashion designers: Katie Kantley, Genny Cortinovis, and Michael Drummond. Kantley’s silk creations are hand-dyed using an ancient Shibori process and repurposed items, like PVC pipe and wine bottles, just to name a few. Cortinovis blends her contemporary design aesthetic and cultural traditions from around the world to create hand-painted, hand-printed and hand-woven designs. With an eccentric take on fashion combined with sustainable practices of repurposing and reusing materials, Drummond ensures that every piece in his collection will not be “common”, instead his looks will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Don’t miss out on this exciting, ‘slow fashion’-inspired runway show. You can get your tickets. Learn more about how the CA is helping to spread the message of the eco-fashion movement on Facebook and Twitter.

Dinner Made ‘Slowly’ For You

Slow Food Saint Louis, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting food traditions, will host Art of Food 2012 at Koken Art Factory on Saturday, September 22 from 6 to 10 p.m. This delectable event will showcase Saint Louis’ top ‘slow food’ chefs and restaurants serving hors d’oeuvres made from local and fresh ingredients. Attendees also will have the opportunity to purchase ‘slow’-themed artwork and gift baskets filled with treats from local boutiques, wineries and restaurants while enjoying live music. You can get your tickets here to this tasty event!

Whether you are a fan, fashionista or foodie, Saint Louis has a sustainable event just for you! If your city also is embracing the ‘slow’ fashion and/or food movements, let me know and I’ll be sure to check it out. Look for my interview with Eco-Centric designers, Katie Kantley and Genny Cortinovis, coming soon.

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