Tired of scratchy clothes that make your skin itch? Sick of garments that use chemicals that damage the environment and your skin? Then it is time for a change in your wardrobe! Eco-fashion means not only preserving the environment with what you wear, but also buying fewer pieces. Eco-products last longer. They feel good on your skin and on your conscience!
My last column described how the ‘big names’ of Italian fashion are designing and producing eco styles. Now let’s take a closer look at the Tuscan and Florentine brands that believe in the ethical necessity for and commercial potential of ‘green’ fashion.
We start our tour of local ‘hot spots’ for eco-fashion at via San Gallo 84r. Alta Rosa is for the woman who wants to be kind to the environment and look sophisticated and stylish at the same time. The garments in this shop are made with certified natural fabrics such as organic cotton, linen and silk, hemp fiber and other innovative materials. Production is mainly local, with attention to quality craftsmanship in each piece. Alta Rosa is a workshop as well as a store; designer Gloria Modesti works alongside Valeria Doga and Gabriella Ganugi to create the collection. Their main market is women, but they also offer custom-made items, such as men’s shirts during spring, and knitwear during in winter, and they even create children’s clothing and wedding dresses upon request. Alta Rose also carries jewelry collections by young and emerging artists.
Next, we head towards the Pitti Palace, to Stile Biologico (Piazza Pitti 6r), owned and operated by Giuditta Blandini. Originally from Catanzaro, Calabria, Blandini came to Florence to study agricultural science and stayed to open her shop. Also a brand born 15 years ago, Stile Biologico was one of the first green fashion names in Italy, and its mission is to create high-quality Italian fashions using natural fabrics and organic materials. The clothes are made solely with certified biological materials and production is exclusively Made in Italy. Blandini personally designs the Stile Biologico knitwear collection, and with her staff, she selects the best Italian eco-lines for the store’s collection, which includes garments for women, men and children as well as underwear lines and accessories-even shoes. The style is basic and chic with an interesting collection of sporty, organic cotton yoga pieces. Check out the the lower floor, where there is always a selection of half-price pieces.
A third shop on the tour is White, at via dei Benci 32r. Although the shop does not exclusively sell or make eco-fashions, the sleek, eye-catching collection of youthful and unique clothing, jewelry, bags and bathing suits includes…flowers! The beautiful, exotic and unusual fresh flowers by ArtemisiA undoubtedly give this intriguing store a real green touch.
A strong international presence in eco-fashion is located in nearby Pontassieve, just outside Florence. The native Florentine firm Braccialini makes the AmazonLife label there. Through the purchase and use of vegetable rubber, AmazonLife ensures employment for numerous families of rubber tappers in the Amazon, known in the local language as the seringueiros, from the name of the rubber tree, the seringuera. A very strong presence in the worldwide market, AmazonLife creates stylish and eco-friendly bags, operating in such a way as to ‘defend the traditions and culture of these autochthonous civilizations, promoting a sustainable lifestyle that strikes a balance with environmental protection.’ The company recently signed a three-year licensing agreement with the Amazon Rainforest Foundation of Japan, a member of Rainforest Foundation International and founded in 1989 by superstar Sting, for the exclusive use of drawings, symbols and images created by the Kamala, a native Indio population of the Amazon rainforest. AmazonLife is not only ‘approved by mother nature,’ as its campaign slogan states, but also by TF’s Style and the City column! AmazonLife bags sell out fast, but can usually be found at the Braccialini store at via della Vigna Nuova, 30r.
Green is not just a color: it is a lifestyle that all of us can embrace, right here in Florence!
Coming up next: new, edgy names in Florentine fashion
