This post is authored by guest contributor Peter Puckett.

Sustainable and organic. These are some of the hottest terms in the fashion world today. Many of the top designers are embracing eco-fashion and green technologies in their new styles. They are heavily integrating that concept into many of their fashion lines. Top designers like Oscar de la Renta, Edun (Bono from U2 and his wife, Ali Hewson pictured above), and Diane von Furstenberg are jumping to the new tune with organic fashion lines.

A major presentation of organic or eco-fashion clothing was featured during New York Fashion Week this year. Green styles include fabrics, recycled metal jewelry (pictured at right) and organic materials for clothes, handbags and shoes. Components include organic raw materials that are grown without pesticides or re-used materials like plastic from old soda bottles. Eco-friendly clothing must have natural or organic ingredients, be pesticide-free, durable and recyclable. Some of these fabrics include: hemp, organic cotton, soybean, bamboo, sasawashi (a Japanese leaf), organic silk, rice, wool, jute, recycled polyester, nettle, corn and organic linen.

Why is High Fashion Going Green?

This answer actually should be obvious. The world is demanding more eco-friendly ways to survive and produce commodities that are used every day. Consumers want to buy goods that don’t hurt the environment. It is no longer fashionable to be disposable. The word is sustainability so today’s fashions must be able to be worn for a long time. After you are done wearing an outfit, you can recycle it at your local used clothing shop or Salvation Army. That way someone else benefits by wearing the garment.

When It Began

The eco-chic movement officially had a debutante party in New York City during Fashion Week in 2005 with the nonprofit group EarthPledge teamed up with retailer Barney’s for an event called FutureFashion. The coming out party moved on to the West Coast in San Francisco that year with Catwalk on the Wild Side sponsored by nonprofit Wildlife Works. It featured designs from Loomstate, Fabuloid and EcoGanik. Another high fashion designer to go after the sustainable, eco-fashion market was Linda Loudermilk in San Francisco. In 2008, she decided to make a statement at an Appel and Frank eco-event in San Francisco with a specialty blouse made of silk, rice and wool. Many others have followed suit with product introductions that are affordable for the average family budget. Some of these include TopShop from Britain with vintage and recycled clothing, Eco Mall, Soul-Flower.com and Rogan Gregory’s Go collection.

Eco-Fashion is The New Wave

Getting on the sustainable bandwagon is a wise decision for aspiring designers. The industry is hungry for new ways to utilize organic and recycled materials to make the hottest, most comfortable fashions and accessories. Making a play for this market is a wise decision if you dream of a career in design. Fashion schools are hip to this newest trend and want students who are willing to play in this arena.

Peter Puckett is freelance journalist hailing from the mid-western United States. When he is not writing, he is advocating for online schooling and traveling the world.