Eco fashion struts its stuff in Boulder

The start was refreshingly casual. A lone model snapped the base of the catwalk into action as music, lights and fashion forward torsos glided uptempo.

By the time the models hit the enormous Green Runway’s halfway point that extended from the stage nearly to the Boulder Theater’s back bar a flock of fashionistas abandoned their seats for prime catwalk views.

Eco-friendly prêt-à-porter and green energy activism are seldom found together in the wild let alone at an exclusive fundraising benefit. But the Boulder-based civic engagement organization New Era Colorado and its partner the Telluride AIDS Benefit managed to pull it off with style.

The 2011 Green Runway event was a first dual production for the two groups. Proceeds from the benefit will support New Era’s local voter engagement and education activities.

Katy Parnello, a Telluride native and long time supporter of the Telluride AIDS Benefit, made the trek back from Brooklyn to direct the show of local favorites and out of town fair-trade wear.

Designers and stylists featured on the Green Runway included:

Voodoo Hair Lounge — Tribal-edged hair styling (Boulder, CO)
Pris — Allyson’s Desaurt’s Blade Runner inspired fashion line made from upcycled sweaters and window screens. (Boulder, CO)
Khunu — Himalyan yak wool sweaters http://www.khunu.com (Glenwood Springs, CO)
Vagabond Jewelry — Made from recycled materials by Katie Brown (Boulder, CO)
Common Threads — Consignment house (Boulder, CO)
English Retreads — Iconic recycled inner-tube accessories and vegan handbags (Boulder, CO)
Sasha Golovanenko — Casual clothing made from bamboo fabric (Telluride, CO)
Onerary — Parnello and partner Danielle DeRoberts’ own fair-trade clothing line. (Brooklyn, NY and San Francisco, CA)

The Khunu collection is proof-positive that environmentally-friendly, fair trade clothing can also be a savvy socially conscious investment. The premium knitwear is internationally distributed from Colorado’s Western Slope. Founded in 2009 by Julian Wilson and Aaron Pattillo, the brand counts Wired Magazine co-founder Ian Stewart as its mentor and now company chairman. Glossy literature and a series of mini documentaries by filmmaker/adventurer Martin Stitt explain how Khunu products benefit herders living on the Tibetan Plateau.

Well deserved hat tips also go out to the non-local environmental stewardship heavyweights and active lifestyle ambassadors:

Horny Toad — Evergreen eco-fashion and ongoing Telluride Mountain film festival sponsorship have made them one of the region’s most beloved benefactors.
Merrell — the show manufacturer that distributed a free CD compilation promoting independent musicians
Marmot — Globally sourced, green fabric champion and creator of the first Gore-Tex bivy sack prototype.
Nau and Icebreakers — Merino wool activewear donations that migrated all the way from New Zealand.

Following the finale, the catwalk morphed into an auction block and models into auctioneers. The freshly strutted swank and finery was then auctioned—along with other donated items—to raise additional funds for New Era Colorado.

Green Runway photo credits: Carolyn Treadway.