Eileen
In adding sustainability to a long interest in natural fibers, Eileen Fisher’s design team also considers the impact of clothing after it is purchased by customers. More than 90 percent of the Spring 12 line is washable–in cold water. Customers are invited to recycle gently-worn garments at three New York City locations. These items are cleaned and resold at Green Eileen, a new store in Yonkers, NY, which funds causes for women and girls.
KEY ELEMENTS OF SPRING 2012 ECO
Organic Cotton
Abundant in every aspect of the Spring line, organic cotton appears in basics such as Organic Cotton Baby Rib slim camis, as well as new colored jeans in Garment-Dyed Organic Cotton Stretch Twill (think Strawberry, Sapphire and Bluegrey). These earn extra eco points because they’re dyed at a state-of-the-art facility that uses two-thirds less water. For an ultra-sensuous feel, we mix Organic Cotton & Cashmere and add edgy colors like Citrus.
Fair Trade Knits
The first think you’ll notice is the style. The second is the cashmere-soft feel. Our Peru Project, begun in 2005, turns locally-raised organic cotton into locally-produced fair trade knits. In addition to higher wages, fair trade supports social investments in communities, such as education and community projects. The dyeing and finishing of these knits meets Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)–eco all the way.
Bluesign Certified Silks
By collaborating with bluesign technologies and our dye house in China, we’ve transformed the dyeing and finishing of our core silks to achieve 30 to 50 percent savings of energy, water and chemicals. This is an eco leap that affects approximately 10 percent of our product, bringing our total figure for eco product up to roughly 27 percent. Our bluesign certified silks range from sheer georgette to lustrous crepe de chine, from stretch silk jersey to matte silk georgette crepe and fine silk habutai.
The look and feel of these silks is exactly the same as it has been for years. What’s new are tiered maxis, sheer layer-ups, cropped cargo pants. On-trend bold colors include Sapphire and African Violet, as well as the soft, cosmetic hues of Amaryllis, Aztec and Toffee Cream.
Recycled Fibers
An important trend in fashion, recycled fibers are typically spun with off-spec yarn and cutting room scraps; they reprocess waste and use far less energy than fiber that requires raw materials.
Our Mélanged Linen Slub with Recycled Cotton has the slubby texture of linen and the comfort of cotton, a sophisticated knit that we use for a drapey kimono cardigan and a poncho with an edgy cropped length. Twenty-five percent of this knit comes from cotton that is reclaimed from factory waste.
Organic Linen
An uncommon fiber to find in fashion, Organic Linen skips the herbicides and chemicals, preserving clean water and wildlife. New shapes include slouchy drawstring pants, perfect for the city or seaside.
Sustainable fibers
Hemp, a fast-growing and sustainable fiber, appears this season in Organic Cotton Hemp Twist, a subtly textured jersey that crosses the causal and the sophisticated. In Sheer Hemp, a weightless, textural knit, it turns the boxy overpinning into a sheer black top that conceals and reveals.
Tencel, made with sustainably harvested eucalyptus wood, is processed in Austria using a closed loop system, which means that water and chemicals are almost entirely recycled. Soft and refined, Tencel drapes and travels beautifully, crosses time zones and lifestyles. Two pants compete for our affection, a slouchy trouser for the work week and a cropped cargo for the weekend, are the perfect alternatives to denim. Both are garment dyed at a state-of-the-art facility that uses two-thirds less water.
Made in the U.S.A.
Depending on the season, 10 to 22 percent of our product is made in the USA. We count on our factories in the Garment District and Long Island City to cut and sew some of our core fabrics: Washable Stretch Crepe, Organic Cotton Stretch Jersey and Viscose Jersey, as well as a portion of our jeans and new introductions such as Stretch Mesh Lace, a sheer elegant knit that appears in our ads.