Organic Fashions on the Rise

The organic trend is hot, with organic clothing and other soft goods made with organic materials gaining popularity among an increasingly large eco-friendly population. It's becoming more fashionable, too. That's according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), which has reported that sales of organic fiber products in North America have grown 22 percent annually during the past five years.

Much of this growth is attributed to increased consumer awareness of the benefits of organic clothing and organic fiber, which is grown using methods and materials with low impact to the environment, the OTA reported. Organic agriculture replenishes and maintains soil fertility, prohibits the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers and builds biological diversity, the group stated.

New apparel designs unveiled at Wear Organic!, the Organic Fiber Fashion Show, held earlier this year in Austin, TX, provided a glimpse of some of the recent trends in organic clothing, including Ecoganik's new women's workday and casual wear lines, Nike's holiday 2003 organic collection and Nature U.S.A.'s men's and women's underwear and loungewear. Children's wear also made a splash at the show, with styles by Ecobaby, Speesees and Germany-based Sense-Organics.

The OTA, which organized the show, said there were more than 75 organic apparel designs at the event, which attracted major buyers from firms including Armani Exchange, Donna Karan and GAIAM. Organic styles featured in "Wear Organic!" were made with organic cotton, linen and denim.

formoreinformation

Organic Trade Association

www.ota.com . Sandra Marquardt

301-588-2125 smarquardt@ota.com