On April 21, the eve of Earth day, I was thrilled to have attended "Eco Chic: Night of Stars and Rising Stars," an event produced by the Fashion Group International of Greater Washington D.C., in collaboration with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art and Design which has been officially registered as an Earth Day recognition event. For me, it was a proud moment, to finally see a new type of event kick off on such a big scale but also to lay honour to all the home grown designers and talent that are doing great things for the environment.
The ceremony featured video clips of the latest eco-chic designs and products from "Stars" and "Rising Stars" in the categories of architecture, art, fashion, beauty and interior design.
In the fashion category, jewelry designer Monique Pean, a winner of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund award, will be recognized as the "Fashion Star." The Washington-born designer, now based in New York, is known for her sustainable fine jewelry inspired by indigenous cultures and crafted from fossilized ivory, conflict-free diamonds and 100 percent recycled gold. Among Pean's collections is "Charity:Water," a grouping of recycled gold and conflict-free diamond jewelry that helps raise awareness and funds for the nonprofit Charity:Water, which helps provide clean drinking water to people in developing nations.
Also in the fashion category, two jewelry brands have been nominated as "Fashion Rising Stars": Alberto Parada and a previous Fashion4Development featured designer, Calamarie, as well as apparel brand TranquiliT.
