Eco-couture at Elena Garcia

Brand new London label Elena Garcia is the place to look for couture with a conscience.

Producing high-end, beautifully hand-crafted pieces with concern for the environment, Elena Garcia offers guilt-free shopping with a list of eco-credentials as long as your arm – the fabrics are pesticide-free, the maufacturing is fair trade and local and the business is sustainable.

But it doesn’t end there – the silk is also specially woven by silk worms on organic mulberry trees and the wool fibre is from organically reared British Blue Faced Leicester sheep. In a bid to work with the local community, they use Heba Women’s Project in East London for the embellishment, and a local textile artist for the specialised dyeing and felting techniques.

And the results are stunning – their autumn/winter 08 collection includes loose jackets, flattering wide-leg trousers, felted camisoles, slip dresses and satin-bustle skirts, featuring intricate cutwork on silk-chiffon, stitch felting on silk and partial dyeing. And, as each piece is made bespoke, no two garments are ever the same. Dresses from around £190.

Stockists include:
Rococo, 16 Avenue Mews N10
www.thenaturalstore.co.uk
www.lovelifestories.com