Susan Woo's Eco-Friendly RTW

Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowWhen I see the words eco-friendly or sustainable in reference to a new fashion collection, I tend to zone out. I just can't shake the association between recycled clothing—or clothing made from recycled materials—and memories from my undergrad days when the happy hemp crowd would distribute "study brownies" and literature promoting, among other things, the earth-friendly decision to adopt a barefoot lifestyle.
More From ELLEStella McCartney's collections are obviously an impressive face for what green fashion can look like when money is no object (this coat? I die.), but when it comes to the more modest price-points, only a handful of lines spring to mind, and within each, only a handful of pieces even come close to passing the critical I-would-never-have-guessed-it's-green test.
But then along came Susan Woo, and for lack of a better reaction, like whoa.
A designer whose work experience belies her young age (at only 26, she's already tenured at Louis Vuitton, Derek Lam and Chanel), Ms. Woo debuted her first environmentally conscious RTW collection this past February, and as you can see in this one dress alone, the results are chic as hell. Modern, inventive, artful—Woo's clothing is the sort you're just as likely to see on tailored socialite Olivia Palermo (unsurprisingly, she's already a fan) as you would on a risk taker like Rihanna or Rachel Bilson.
Pieces in Woo's eponymous line run the gamut from office casual to date night, with prices between $345-$1,250 (the wool-gabardine strapless dress with peekaboo navel window shown retails for $1,058). Select looks from her label will be soon be available at Kaight in NYC and H. Lorenzo in LA.



For more on Ms. Woo's works of environmentally conscious art, check out her website.
Photos: courtesy of Geordie Wood