This is the first installment in Part 2 of my featurette on Canadian designers that incorporate some form of sustainability in their work .

Kdon by Kim Cathers

Kdon is made with 100% recycled and upcycled fabrics.

Kim Cathers has been involved in the fashion industry for over 15 years. She has worn many hats, including, model, designer, retail store owner, environmentalist, Project Runway finalist, and most recently textile recycling activist.

Kim has always been a creative change-maker in her environments. She began remaking her own clothes over 15 years ago; she always understood the intricacies and necessity of living a life close to the earth. At the age of 20, she started a business called “ReStyle” where she would take old clothing and make fresh new items out of them. Kim travelled around to music festivals and farmers markets selling her wears with great success. She then moved to Vancouver five years later to get an education in technical sewing and pattern making. After graduating with the “Innovative Design” award from Blanche Macdonald Centre of Design in 2005, Kim opened and operated a successful vintage shoppe in downtown Vancouver which carried her own unique items as well as other local designers’. Two years ago Cathers was a finalist on Project Runway Canada, which helped to promote awareness and popularity of her fashion line.

kdon by Kim Cathers is a fresh line of clothing that is inspired by the earth created with the joy of imagination and finished with precise hand detailing. Kim designs with an innovative style, and is giving Eco fashion a new, strong voice.

Available in Vancouver at:

Haiku Studios

#410 – 207 West Hastings Street

Planet Claire

51 Powell St

Online:

Planet Claire

Red Jade

Red Jade creates sophisticated and ultra-feminine clothing which embodies the spirit of a confident woman. Their mission is to inspire women to empower themselves, by enhancing their own individual style while being mindful of the environment. Red Jade sources eco-luxurious fabric such as hemp, organic cotton, merino wool, silk and linen.

Available in Vancouver at:

Planet Claire

51 Powell St

Online:

Red Jade eStore

Planet Claire

Flora & Fauna

flora&fauna is a Candian eco-fashion label founded in 2008 by Pauline Siu.  Spring-Summer 2009 was flora&fauna’s first collection, with seven unique pieces inspired by of west coast wildlife and lifestyle. Featured on internationally acclaimed eco-news online magazine, TreeHugger.com as one of “20 Green Fashion Designers You’ve Never Heard Of (But Oh You Will)”, our eco-fashion label quickly established a following.

flora&fauna produces clothing in a slow and sustainable manner, offering well  crafted pieces, that easily fits into a modern women’s wardrobe and lifestyle. Our commitment to the earth and all its creatures is shown through  the use of organic and sustainable fabrics, as well as rescued fabrics. All  of our pieces are ethically made in Canada.

flora&fauna is based in rural Ontario, among nature in beautiful Grey County, and is proud to be working along side local animal welfare and nature conservation groups, to make the world a cleaner, happier, and healthier place for our future generations.

Available:

British Columbia

hum clothing, vancouver
be clothing, courtenay
prudence organics, duncan

Alberta

dirt eco boutique, calgary
meese, st. albert

Saskatchewan

seed sustainable style, regina

Ontario

awear eco-boutique, collingwood
shopgirls gallery boutique, toronto
ido: independent designer outlet, toronto

Quebec

4 elements, 4326 St-Denis, montreal

Online

flora&fauna online boutique