Bamboo Fashion Is About To Take Flight

Original post: http://www.thenewagenda.com/article/bamboo.html

Original article written By Stefanos Chen

The New Agenda: the lifestyle magazine for the socially conscious

Eco-Chic Has Gone From Hippie to HOT-Damn!

Before American Apparel undoubtedly corners this market, too, be the first on your block to go bamboo. The key to its sustainable applications is its astronomical growth rate. More garden weed than tree, bamboo can grow up to 18 inches a day, reaching a harvestable size within three to five years. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s up to 20 times faster than hard wood trees, which average anywhere between 50 to 100 years to cultivate. Best of all, bamboo absorbs nearly five times more greenhouse gases and produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees, according to some measurements. Did I mention it’s also naturally antibacterial?

But before you start recounting the itchy advent of Woody Harrelson-endorsed hemp, heed this mantra: A green aesthetic doesn’t have to mean ascetic. If its texture is comparable to anything on the market, it’s silk – a fact that is not lost on its wide range of purveyors. From bedsheets to bathrobes, camisoles to yoga clothes, bamboo fabric is steadily approaching mainstream acceptance. Take a closer look at some of your favorite retailers’ catalogs. This surprisingly soft fabric-alternative, which is actually a type of grass, not wood, is changing the way several companies think green. Though they may not feature these items on the front page of the catalog, many established stores are tinkering with the prospect of bamboo chic. Among these tentative giants: Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, and Adidas. Even New York mainstay Anthropologie offers a smattering of bamboo products.

Yet despite select retailers' enthusiasm, bamboo has thus far been ignored by most markets. So what’s taking so long? According to Jing, head designer at Juzd Bamboo (pronounced “Juiced Bamboo”) – a new line of urban streetwear made entirely with bamboo fabrics – it boils down to fear. After shopping his brand around to several big name retailers, the overwhelming response was yes on the clothing, no to bamboo. Most claimed that the eco-fabric was a promising yet “untested” prospect.

Jing was undeterred, and the enterprising designer decided to launch his own company, on his own terms. As a matter of personal pride, Jing regards his new label as an attempt to dislodge eco-conscious clothing from the clutches of one small, musky contingent. “It seems like all these other [eco-friendly] lines are designed for hippies, by hippies.” Through a pair of metallic D&G aviators, he shared with The New Agenda his vision for the future of bamboo clothing: “I want to be big like Diesel…but sustainable. These other companies are hollow, superficial. I want some meaning behind my brand, a real philosophy.”

Though there are certainly no hard feelings between Jing and his flower-power predecessors, he sees a future where Juzd offers a stylish alternative to the sack cloth and hemp of yesteryear; in short, a complete paradigm shift. “We have to aim our sustainable clothing to the masses. People don’t buy ugly clothing just to help the environment.” To ensure the highest quality product, Jing sought inspiration from all over the world; from Argentina to the Philippines, Australia to Canada, and he’s assembled a veritable think tank in green fashion. His collaborators range from print and fashion designers to wallpaper and comic book artists; the fruit of which yields a one-of-a-kind design every time.

Best of all, Jing guarantees the moral and fair treatment of all his workers, both locally and overseas in China – a rarely struck balance between ethics and praxis, even for the green industry. He is currently finalizing a deal with Holt Renfrew, a major Canadian retailer on par with Barneys New York, to offer a selection of exclusive Juzd designs. Until then, check out Jing’s original, limited edition T-shirts at juzdbamboo.com.

Still not convinced of bamboo’s bright future? Nothing moves the obstinate like some high-profile celebrity endorsements. According to a recent feature in Us Weekly (oh, the lengths The New Agenda goes to get the hot scoops), Angelina Jolie loves dressing daughter Shiloh in Kicky Pants’ line of baby bamboo clothing. Touting the benefits of naturally hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties, it’s no wonder bamboo clothing is raking in celebrity dollars. For even more proof of bamboo’s versatility, the evergreen and always exciting Daryl Hannah offers an eclectic array of bamboo items on her website dhlovelife.com. From her “beauteous bamboo worm-bin” to exclusive “bad-ass bamboo snowboard,” Hannah firmly supports the myriad uses of bamboo – and alliteration.

So if you’re ready to run the full gamut of bamboo couture, gear up with these pioneering brands:

Juzd Bamboo juzdbamboo.com
Juzd is bringing eco-street to the game, complete with slick designer threads. Think Ed Hardy meets Ralph Nader, but iller. Hittin’ your block in late July.
Limited Edition Shirt ≈ $100(Full catalog coming soon.)

jonäno
jonano.com
Vast selection of bamboo and organic cashmere clothing, in a wide array of colors and styles.
Women’s Top ≈ $35 Women’s Pants ≈ $60 Dress ≈ $70 Skirts ≈ $65

Soft Forest
Softforest.com
For all your (green) household needs. Check out their silky smooth bath and bedroom collections – all made from a minimum 80% bamboo.
Bath ≈ $3-$29 Bedding ≈ $36-$129 Accessories ≈ $5-$25

Kicky Pants
kickypants.com
Behold – the most adorable, nigh saccharine use of alliteration to ever be uttered: bamboo baby booties. The horror…
Baby Dress ≈ $35 Organic Onesie ≈ $16 Baby Polo ≈ $20 Maternity wear ≈ $35

Bamboo Clothing (U.K.)
bambooclothing.co.uk
Great selection of menswear (even skivvies). Don’t forget to check out their informative FAQ section.
Trim Tee ≈ $40 Polo ≈ $50 Underwear ≈ $16-$20

Bamboo Clothes
bambooclothes.com
A stateside alternative to its eponymous U.K. competitor. Update grandma’s penchant for panty-gifting with these intimates. FYI, they sell DIY spools of bamboo yarn.
Sports Bra ≈ $20 Basic Tee ≈ $23 Kids’ Onesie ≈ $13

Streetwear's Quintessential Contradiction

If the graphic tee is the central element of streetwear, the sneaker is a close second. However, unlike the graphic tee where a definite preference for smaller companies exists, the sneaker game is dominated by huge multinational corporations such as Nike and Adidas. So much so that the Air Jordan is the lone shoe that bestows instant street cred upon its wearer.

The fact that streetwear enthusiasts will wear a Nike AF1 while shunning tees from companies that are “too commercial” appears to create a huge contradiction within the streetwear ethos. There are many possibilities as to why this could be. The accessibility factor could perhaps play the biggest role for anyone and their mama can start a t-shirt line, but it takes some serious capital to begin making footwear. Moreover, these huge companies have responded well to the market by making available a seemingly infinite number of colour combinations of popular models such as the AF1 and SB Dunk. In addition, they have done their homework well by creating “limited edition” runs. By doing this the big brands have generated the air of exclusivity so sought after by streetwear enthusiasts (although the actual rareness of these shoes is debatable considering they are available in nearly every Footlocker in North America – but if they say it’s so, it must be so, right?).

Despite market dominance by the likes of Nike, a few competitors have emerged to bring the independent spirit to the sneaker game. These include Feit and JB Classics, as well as those apparel companies who have grown to create their own sneaker lines, such as Alife’s RTFT. Additionally collaborations occur between large sneaker companies and the smaller streetwear companies to drop an actual limited edition line. These events help both as the small company gets a little extra press and the large company is able maintain its brand presence in the mind of the consumer.

Outside of the limited brand options and marketing savvy of the multinationals, another reason for the acceptance of these products is that sneaker culture predates the streetwear phenomenon and, by consequence, the more recent startups. In this context the traditional sneaker brands have been engrained into the culture. This is evidenced in books such as Sneaker Freaker and Sneakers: The Complete Collectors Guide, which document the hottest sneaks of decades past, and kept alive by online magazines such as www.sneakerfreaker.com which keep their readers up to date on the latest drops in the sneaker world. Given the pre-existing desire for rare or unique kicks, sneaker culture has naturally evolved to become and integral part of streetwear and urban fashion.