A saint once said

There's a couplet by the revered Indian poet-saint Kabir (incidentally, connected to the clothing trade in a way -- he was a weaver) that teaches us that it is not a person that conquers a situation, it is time. Same person, different time and the results can be unexpectedly altered ('purush bali nahin hot hai, samay hote balwaan; bheelan maari gopika, vahi Arjun vahi baarnd').

And so it is with ethical fashion. Casting my mind back to 2007-8 I can recall the quizzical looks I got at dinner parties when the subject was mentioned (by me only, of course). I was once even asked by a fellow school mother how my business in 'ethnical' fashion was going. Business minded types looked askance almost immediately when they heard I was starting an online business selling ethical or eco fashion.....many simply looked past my ear, scanning the room for a less ditzy conversation partner.

And here we are now -- same subject, different time -- and the response has changed noticeably. Eco fashion is a well recognised topic, feted far and wide. Vogue sponsors a Green Style Blog and Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge begets nods of recognition rather than head shakes of puzzlement. Ethical fashion makes its presence known at (no less than) the dinner in honour of Barack and Michelle Obama's London visit and, the launch party for (the inimitable) Lucy Siegles' new book 'To Die For' has a glitterati guest list to be reckoned with, including Sheherazade Goldsmith, Alice Temperley and Laura Bailey. Esthetica, London Fashion Week's collection of ethical fashion labels superbly curated by Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, has always been a fantastic microcosm of the 'space' but rather than shouting to be heard, it is now honoured by Global Cool, as it celebrates its 5th birthday (the most picturesque note about which you can read here, courtesy ecouterre.). As if all that is not enough, at last count I rated about 40+ blogs, centrally connected to ethical fashion, as worthy.

Now thats what I call being known and being heard, loud and clear. Fashion's intellectually superior, cool-because-I-got-the-brains-AND-the-looks sister, has arrived to stay. Over the next little while, this blog will sat-nav its readers across the changed landscape of the relationship between these siblings.....

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

GET A FIN HABIT LIKE KEIRA KNIGHTLEY AND KATE BOSWORTH

No good thing can be a secret for long -- VOGUE has marked FIN's 'Eco-Lux' ethical denims as the newest hottie on the block.

"...FIN denims are created from both Fairtrade and organic cotton exclusively and produced in India and Peru, where the industry supports workers facing the challenges of poor working conditions and wages. As if that weren't enough encouragement to indulge, the jeans are simply gorgeous to boot - spring/summer 2008 is all about subtle feminine touches inspired by "Fin heroine" Ameila Earhart." Read the full article here.

As I've said before we're huge FIN fans at DeviDoll and delighted to welcome the Spring Summer 2008 collection online now.

TRULY IN VOGUE

Am thrilled to see that the recently launched Vogue India is concerned with sustainable style. Not to suggest that the Vogue family doesn't pay due attention to eco-fashion -- who can forget Dec 07's Penelope Cruz -on-the-cover Green xmas shopping guide issue?No, its that 'eco-lux' has a context for, say, American or British Vogue because luxury-living is here maturing beyond bling and designer logos. Stella McCartney, ($1000+ vegan 'must-have' boots to new, 100% organic cosmetics line CARE), uber-posh Lady Bamford (founder of Daylesford Organic), Cameron Diaz's Prius habit....eco, fashionable and lux fit well together here and the respective Vogues can capitalize on that.

Vogue India, however, has a more complex mandate: the economic boom has created a large (and growing) population of rich (and fashion-conscious) Indians who equate chic with top designer labels and are willing to spend on it like never before. Status flows from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Maybachs. Don't forget this is the country whose Maharajas alone gave Cartier and Rolls-Royce enough business to stay afloat.That's the legendary Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala who commissioned Cartier to create his necklace. The famed 'Patiala Necklace' stuff of legends and Cartier's most reknowned piece, is among the most exquisite (and expensive) jewels ever (with 2930 diamonds including De Beers 7th largest, this isn't really a surprise).

But, back to Vogue: the issues of sustainability and responsibility in fashion need attention now - not, like in the West, when enough has been spent on conspicuous consumption so that those who need to, start thinking twice. In this context it is heartening to see that Vogue India is willing to ask the question: latest Miu Miu arm candy or (a more sustainable ) chic fabric bag?

By no means am I suggesting that Vogue India can (yet) give Sublime or NU competition...I am just highlighting that a young magazine with big boots to fill, in a status/money/fashion/luxury drenched environment like that of India's Vogue readers, has asked a very good question which shows that it cares about fashion, but in an intelligent way.

Well done and keep it up. After all, everyone knows that to be in vogue is more than about just looking good.