Magdalena Schaffrin with line

Magdalena Schaffrin and Jana Keller are out to show Paris that ecologically responsible fashion is more than just yoga clothing and bio-cotton bags. They are the founders of GREENshowroom, a traveling showroom that promotes an understanding of sustainable materials and politically correct manufacturing standards. The project kicked off in Berlin in early July, and the Paris installation took place October 1 through 4, to coincide with Fashion Week. During a break on Friday, I stopped in to take a look.

GREENshowroom exhibition

The breathtaking salon of the Maison de l’Europe, on the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the trendy Marais, was the perfect home for the exhibition, which featured clothing and accessories from about a dozen international “eco-responsible” designers. I spent several minutes speaking with co-founder Magdalena Schaffrin, whose line, *magdalena schaffrin, features chic items like plant-dyed shift dresses and impossibly soft bio-dynamic silk tops. She explained that the process of creating that particular type of silk starts from what is fed to the silkworms. Crazy! I also loved the fantastic leather bags and accessories from Jana Keller’s line, Royal Blush, and the delicate silver jewelry from Oria.

Designs by Magdalena Schaffrin

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label showcase

Unfortunately, I had to skip out on the afternoon’s eco-fashion show to head to the Hôtel Pozzo di Borgo, for the Vivienne Westwood Gold Label show. On each seat — yes, I had a seat, and right across from Suzy Menkes! — were sign-up forms for the Prince’s Rainforests Project and flyers with brightly colored slogans for Westwood’s Planet Gaia global-warming campaign. Planet Gaia was also the theme of the collection, which featured Westwood’s trademark crazy prints, uneven hemlines, and distorted silhouettes. Some of the models wore messages from the flyer on their outfits, along with spotty white faces, misshapen red lips and hair that looked like they’d stuck their fingers in electrical sockets. It was a fantastic show, made all the more fantastic by the luxe gilded interior of the 18th-century Pozzo di Borgo. I found it to be a strange juxtaposition, campaigning for eco-issues against a backdrop of such over-the-top luxury, but hey, one step at a time.

Hotel interior — seated right across from Suzy Menkes

Planet Gaia flyers