The economy may be in the red, but our appetite for all things "green" is booming. The most recent Ethical Consumerism Report - which monitors expenditure on all products deemed to be Fairtrade, organic, sustainable and energy-efficient - shows that eco spending jumped from £29 million in 2008 to £52 million in 2010.
And fashion buyers making considered purchases are playing a large part. The desire to make even a small contribution towards the environment is a trend which has been embraced by everyone, from the small specialist stores to big high-street chains. Debenhams, Monsoon and Marks & Spencer, for instance, all now stock Fairtrade cotton items.
Another example is Jane Shepherdson, the retail guru who catapulted Topshop to star status. She is now chief executive of the Whistles chain, but is also non-executive director of People Tree ( peopletree.co.uk ) - one of the first eco-chic brands - and is transforming Oxfam's dowdy shops into fashion destinations. Shepherdson is bringing the message to Whistles, too. The first collections under her watch, which arrive in the shops this month, are made in smaller factories where conditions are monitored. She is also promoting Fairtrade by selling jewellery by Made, which is handcrafted by small collectives in Nairobi.
Shepherdson forecasts an even bigger growth in "green" clothing - as long as it continues to shake off its Earth Mother image. "People need to be tempted," she says. "It's not enough any more simply to be eco; there has to be a design element, a shape that is relevant to the season. We're not selling hair shirts."
Her thoughts are borne out by the huge diversity of talents involved globally - from architect Zaha Hadid to actresses such as Angelina Jolie, who has been buying eco-chic babywear for her new twins.
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