GREEN MAGIC
MAGIC CONVENTION’S ECOLLECTION
By Deanna Clarin
The Men’s Apparel Guild in California or MAGIC Convention comes to town twice each year to showcase new clothing collections from hundreds of exhibitors. But what we do not know is how MAGIC really lives up to its name—and that is by playing host to a variety of eco-friendly exhibitors committed in making a difference.
This year’s MAGIC Convention featured sellers who are not only knowledgeable about fashion, but also in building a more sustainable future. From flip-flops made from recycled car tires to purses made from old plastic juice packs, MAGIC’s ECollection had them all. And as a Greener Vegas Convention partner, we went in to speak with the sellers at the ECollection and learn about how their products are helping to preserve and protect our environment.
Peace-Together and Z-Ply Corporation are just some of the many clothing companies that promote the use of 100 percent organic cotton for garment production. A representative for Peace-Together, Heidi Able said their company also uses water-soluble inks for their products, and contrary to what most people would think, their products are also relatively inexpensive.
Elizabeth Searle from Z-Ply Corporation said the planting of sunflowers near their cotton farms also helped divert the insects that would have otherwise be feeding on their cotton trees. This helped them stay true to their mission of creating products that are free from harmful chemicals coming from pesticides.
Bamboo was also a popular choice for those looking for an alternative fabric material. It is naturally anti-microbial and up to three to four times more absorbent than cotton. These trees are also naturally regenerative and its fibers are 100 percent biodegradable. Bamboo Hugs creator Claudia Night said bamboo trees also possess “bamboo kun” which is a natural agent that prevents bacteria from cultivating in it. Aside from this, she says bamboo trees also grow without the use of pesticides.
Ethos Paris also promotes the use of organic cotton as well as Alpaca fiber in their clothing products. General Director Ann Leroux said Alpaca fiber is a great alternative to traditional clothing materials. Aside from the fact that it is hypoallergenic, it is also stain-resistant. It is also known that Alpacas leave a very minimal ecological imprint.
MAGIC’s ECollection also featured a handful of extremely creative exhibitors. Naturescast’s collection from household items to footwear and jewelry is so innovative that one would have to look twice before realizing that the company actually uses fallen twigs, dead shrubs and dry tree barks to make their items.
These forest debris collected from the Philippines are then grinded and shredded and then hand-bonded together with a water-based glue to before being formed by their designers. Company representative Peter Delantar also said that their production company continuously provides livelihood opportunities as well as housing projects for all their workers.
Gary Ward, the President and Founder of Ocean Minded not only thought about making sustainable products but also continuously organized events to help protect our environment. Upon arrival to the city of Las Vegas, Ward, along with some volunteers and friends actually went to hold a clean-up activity at Lake Mead.
His line of footwear sold in surf stores nationwide is also extremely sustainable. Their company uses recycled car tires, as well as re-used Ethylene vinyl acetate or EVA’s as their main raw materials in making their footwear. The products are also bamboo-lined and only utilize vegetable dyes and water-based glues.
Naturescast and Ocean Minded are not the only ones using materials that could have already been easily thrown away. Re-bagz by Half the Sky Designs also featured an innovative way to turn trash into treasure. President and CEO of the company Marty Stevens-Heebner says she got the idea upon a trip to the Philippines. She decided to use discarded rice sacks and plastic juice packs as the main materials for her line of handbags.
While they are made of nylon, they are completely sturdy and even waterproof, meaning they can be used for a long time. Stevens-Heebner also proudly said her company only employs a certified fair-trade women’s cooperative in the Philippines so buyers can be assured that they are sweatshop-free.
Manufacturers and exhibitors can also take advantage of what California Label Products has to offer. They manufacture eco-friendly labels and tags for different companies. California Label Products also uses organic cotton, hemp and bamboo for the labels and print them with soy or water-based inks. They also manufacture recycled paper tags and seed papers that can actually be planted and grown.
MAGIC’s ECollection was just proof that it is possible to improve our environmental conditions if anyone would be willing to take a part in the mission to create a more sustainable future. Most, if not all the exhibitors I spoke with at the ECollection are also very optimistic that our society will soon assume the responsibility of caring for our environment.
The MAGIC Convention’s ECollection offered us a variety of new ways to better our everyday processes and make the best of what our environment can offer us-- and that is truly the magic of it all.
Editors Note: Our Featured Guest Writer and photographer for this article,
Deanna Clarin, is a Senior Journalism Student at UNLV
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