GGIS Exclusive: Eco-couture designer Morgan Boszilkov

As awareness and concern about environmental and social issues increase, a bride’s desire to be greener on her wedding day has also grown.  Women are looking to extend their eco-friendly lifestyle into their wedding, because the event reflects the personality and is a great opportunity to share green values with friends and family. 

Brides are looking for dresses that are not only green, but are elegant, beautiful and flattering.  The eco-friendly dress is not just for the hippy bride, but is becoming more mainstream, and therefore, there is an increasing demand for designs with more mainstream appeal.

By wearing an eco-friendly gown, a bride is able to not only look stunning on her wedding day, but make a difference.  Her dress is a statement in support of environmentally friendly and socially responsible causes.  In addition, natural fabrics are so gorgeous and have such a luxurious feel to them.  After working with the eco-friendly fabrics, polyester dresses just don’t have the same appeal to me anymore. 

Some of my dresses may be made with detachable bottom skirts, so they may be worn again or in their shorter form at the reception. This enhances the “greenness” of the dress. 

I have always been environmentally conscious and try to be eco-friendly in both my personal and business life.  When I decided to start my business, I looked around to see what eco-friendly dresses were available.  I was surprised to find so few options available and knew that I would make beautiful gowns that are better for the environment. 

My collection, Natural Bridals, is designed to be everything that a bride dreams of in a wedding dress: elegant, beautiful, well-made, luxurious. And it also happens to be eco-friendly!  I believe sustainable fabrics are not limiting, but have endless potential for creating fabulous designs. 

When choosing an eco-chic wedding dress, a bride should find out what makes the dress eco-friendly.  She should find out if the designer uses sustainable fabrics and if the dress was made in a socially responsible manner.  Another thing that some designers do is to donate or give back to the environment or to communities in need.   

I recommend that a bride finds a style that flatters her figure and one in which she will feel beautiful just like with regular gowns.  A bride can be beautiful and still make an eco-chic statement! 

Morgan Boszilkov, Designer, Natural Bridals 

 

 

About the author: Morgan Boszilkov is a premier international eco couture wedding gown designer based in Atlanta’s leading sustainable neighborhood Glenwood Park.  The Natural Bridals line has been sold globally and Ms. Boszcilkov has been featured on TLC’s “Who are you wearing”. Ms. Boszilkov is designing the attire for the wedding party of GoGreenInStyle’s editor Mandy Schmitt.

Bridesmaid Dress Brew-ha-ha

Last night was definitely an experience.  (I have a feeling that I am going to describe a lot of this wedding preparation as “an experience”).  I arrived at Mandy’s house to find a 3-person film crew, a dress designer, the mother of the bride, and 6 bridesmaids, along with several other “groupies”.  I was immediately pointed in the direction of the wine, so I guess someone tipped off the film crew in terms of my lack of desire to be filmed while trying on dresses.  As things got started, it was evident that there was no way for this not to be a night to remember.  All of the girls went upstairs to try on dresses while the film crew set up downstairs.  We then descended the stairs while the cameraman zoomed in on our midsections (a girl’s most flattering angle, I am sure) and our legs (mind you, we are all barefoot and in cocktail dresses that don’t necessarily fit…again, very flattering).  There were about 4 “rounds” of dresses when you take into account all of the different dresses and then some girls trying on the same dress another girl had already tried.  While we stood in a line, side by side (sort of like awaiting a firing squad), the others in the room would look us up and down and critique the dress, the fit, etc.  I just concentrated on the fact that, somehow, the humiliation was making our world a better place.

Eventually, we all agreed on certain dress features and colors that we liked and the designer took tons of notes.  Mandy was interviewed on camera for the TV show (while I made sure I had to be in the bathroom each time the “record” light came on).  Overall, the night was fun and definitely helped us understand the details that have to be taken into account when visualizing and designing the perfect eco-dress.  I am excited to see what the designer comes up with!  Oh, and I learned that not only does the camera add 10 pounds, but it also removes all hint of tan from my skin, always catches my worst angle, and makes me as nervous as a prison escapee.

Picture courtesy of Andrew Turner

The Evolving Fashion Industry: Eco-couture

Today we’re proud to bring you thoughts from one of our favorite eco-retailers, Joyce Justicz of Evolve Boutique.  That fabulous dress Mandy was wearing on the night Sean proposed?  It was selected by Sean with Joyce’s recommendation from her boutique!

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First it was a beautiful recycled cashmere jacket that caught my eye.  Then a leather handbag reconstructed from a vintage motorcycle jacket.  Pretty soon I was on the hunt for even more one-of-a-kind wearable works of art.  A few years ago, finding such pieces was a real challenge, yet lately I was noticing the start of a trend.   Moreover, not only were these items becoming my personal favorites, other people wanted to know where to find similar things for themselves.  A retail spot opened up near my house, and before I knew it, I signed on as a boutique owner, one with zero retail experience. 

But I had been somewhat obsessive in my internet research and had educated myself on what was available, I already knew about several sources for re-purposed items.  However, because these represented such a small percentage of eco design, I expanded the merchandise to include new items made from earth friendly fabrics, as well as eco bags, jewelry and accessories.  And though my passion and focus is on eco merchandise, I have included some mainstream design to attract more people and hopefully turn them on to the beauty of the earth friendly items. 

I am continually struck with the ingenuity and resourcefulness demonstrated by eco clothing and jewelry designers in their beautiful creations.  For example, clothing designers employ several approaches in addressing the eco issue.  Some choose to make their designs with organic and sustainable fabrics, such as organic cotton, bamboo, and modal.  Others use “rescued” fabrics, ie fabric overruns from larger design houses that would be destined for disposal in landfills.  Then, of course, some designers upcycle several vintage or thrift store finds into a new and improved version.  One of the wonderful benefits to this last approach is that the customer gets a truly unique item, and generally with no added expenditure. 

Jewelry designers have a similar repertoire of ways to be earth friendly.  One of the most obvious ways to address the issue is to make jewelry out of melted down and recycled glass and metals.  Sometimes designers choose to incorporate materials sourced from discarded items, such as tins, broken bits of older jewelry, or vintage buttons.  Also there are those who make jewelry using found materials right from nature’s bounty:  rocks, shells, vine, even skeletons!  There is no more direct way of promoting a respect for the environment than by wearing a recycled piece of nature. 

So, really, eco-fashion is a combination of factors and encompasses a variety of ideas.  Though I have concentrated on the aspect of sustainable and recycled materials, it does include manufacturing the clothing in an eco-conscious way, such as factories that recycle waste water and use wind-power….or supporting companies that donate a percentage of their profits to eco-related causes.  It includes practices such as locally sourcing, which means supporting independent local designers, thus saving on fuel and shipping.   This has the added benefit of keeping a store’s selection a unique mix by including these neighborhood artisans. 

To sum up, I really think that eco-fashion is a form of conscious living, an informed decision to buy clothing that is made in an environmentally conscientious way, without sacrificing one bit of style or aesthetics.  And it is one trend that is here to stay. 

For your own eco-couture, visit Evolve Boutique. www.evolve-boutique.com