Melancholia and Sustainabilty

In Lars von Trier‘s film Melancholia (2011) two planets literally collide. The two-act foreplay that preludes this event demands the viewer to meditate on the ultimate question of our human condition. They are forced to examine the question of what happens before the end of the world as we know it? And leave the theater pondering what is left after the earth is destroyed.

While Melancholia does not explicitly focus on sustainable fashion, it uses dress to categorize emotions of the characters and evoke issues of environmental sustainability within their relationship to nature. One of the questions Melancholia explores is how depression can inspire a sense of calmness. This quandary is set against an exquisite backdrop (Louise Drake) with painstaking attention to detail ( Simone Grau) and costume direction that interacts with the natural in almost every shot (Manon Rasmussen.) Melancholia offers fresh look at the role of humans in nature that all of us in the field of sustainability wrestle with at some point.

The Economic Crisis and Sustainable Fashion

What this old thing? Via Flickr.com

Remember when it used to be a social no-no to say that you were out of work? In 2011, the trend towards joblessness is so high that it’s a rarity to meet someone who  hasn’t been affected by this  global financial crisis. HVC asks its readers, how has the inability to count on a stable income affected your closet?

LOHAS Forum 2010

Via Lohas

We’re  excited to  join some of the best and brightest at the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) Forum held in Boulder, Colorado this week. For those of you who are unable to attend, we’re looking forward to providing you with coverage from the event, which will feature such topics as:

Learning from the Past to Shape the Future, New Paradigms in Health and Sustainability: What’s Working and What’s Not and Where are the Green Jobs? There are many Eco Fashion participants, and the 3-day event promises to bring much inspiration to the HVC team.

Check our Twitter feed for real-time updates and we’ll be sure to spotlight some of the fantastic local businesses and EcoFashionistas we meet on the streets of Boulder, which we have LOVED so far.

And of course, let us know if you’re attending, we can’t wait to hear from you!!

xoxox HVC

Beginnings

This is an online exploration into the intersections between environmentalism and fashion. Recently,  there have been a wide range of beacons of sustainability in the media, on American and European street corners, even on the backs of the cars we drive. However, this blog seeks to explore what it means to be a consumer of clothing, a wearer of dress, and a participant in fashion in a time of  accessibility to “green”/ “eco” materials.  I hope to share what I am learning in this field and develop a network of people who are exploring this area of study.