In the classicly edgy words of Mikey Koffman, Owner of eco fashion PR firm The Gallery Los Angeles, “Go green or go home.” With models like these, I will not be going home. The Gallery pulled off it’s second eco-driven show for LA Fashion Week and proved to the international fashion world once again that sustainable fashion rocks.

Housed in the hubbub of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Culver City, The Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show was more than a mouthful of feel good words. Lady Muse by Mathilde, lilikoi by Barbara Boswell, M The Movement, Rene Geneva, Andira Rain Tees and Vintage China seamlessly blended style, sustainability, and social awareness on the runway. Each designer opened with a dance performance from a different culture, from Breaking to Ballet to Traditional Chinese Ribbon Dance…nice touch. M The Movement repped for men’s eco fashion in a big way. He dressed his opening b-boys as well as his Adonis-like male models in bamboo, soy, organic cotton, and the hot new addition to the world of sustainable fabrics: charcoal. (Apparently bamboo charcoal can be embedded in various fabrics as an odor-absorbing biodegradable blending material.)

Lady Muse kept her designs very French and very recycled, or “rescued” as she called them in her adorable accent. All of the materials used for Mathilde’s pieces were surplus fabrics, including gorgeous metallic brocade, from which she constructed her Victorian era-inspired jackets. lilikoi used hemp silk, bamboo, linen and organic cotton for her wrap dresses mixed with casual tees and sexy pencil skirts.

There is something inspiring about seeing just how creative designers can be in their materials selection. What really does it for me though are end-use products made possible by dipping into the waste stream…quite literally in some cases. Let’s talk trash…as it applies to fashion.

While they may not be totally practical for a day at the office, or even a night on the town, I’ve seen some amazing artistry come forth in dress form from some very unlikely materials. Take, for example, this little strapless number made entirely from recycled food bar wrappers collected an airplane flight. I love the banded top and the detail at the hemline from the overlapping wrappers. Do you think she’s afraid of giving the cab driver a little more tip than he bargained for should a few of those wrappers take flight?

Makes you think twice about where your Cliff bar wrapper might end up.

Well, we already know that what was “formely hippie” is “now hip”, and now, thanks to CBS News, a wider audience does as well. This morning, Plenty Magazine’s Jessica Tzerman showcased a variety of eco-friendly looks.

Check it out:

Here’s what they had to say:

The Estethica exhibition at London fashion week, which recently wrapped up its fourth season on February 13th, showcases some of the best in sustainable fashion around, with an emphasis on UK designers. The event has firmly established its reputation for raising awareness and promoting the concept of ethically-minded fashion within the industry and the public, showcasing long-established ‘green’ brands alongside emerging sustainable fashion designers. Estethica celebrates designers who choose to work with recycled materials, organic and other sustainable fibers, and those who adhere to fair trade labor standards.

This year’s exhibition was packed once again, featuring regulars like People Tree, Junky Styling, Terra Plana, Ciel and Katharine Hamnett, as well as international brands of note, like Beyond Skin, Fin, Viridis Luxe (photo at the top), Noir and Izzy Lane (one of the designers featured in the Portland Fall Fashion Week 2007 shows). Not to be forgotten, accessories lines, such as the jewelry collection of Fifi Bijoux and bag-designers Nahui Ollin, Sonya Kashmiri and Pibiones all made an positive impression. Trends spotted, courtesy of Bonnie Alter at Treehugger: “lots of greys, whites and blues (despite the fashion mag’s insistence on colours this spring), clothes are either casual or over the top and most interestingly-many designers are working with socially deprived groups to develop new skills or maintain old ones.”

Edun designer Ali Hewson interviewed for Nylon TV at this years Fall Fashion Week.

We love the eco-fabulous web tv network G Living. In this episode, hostess with the mostess Sarah Backhouse meets up with the husband and wife founders of Re:volve Apparel at their Fred Segal launch party in Hollywood. They discuss ethical fashion, children, and their new relationship with Coke. Cameos by actors Roger Cross (Mad Money) and Amy Smart (The Butterfly Effect). Enjoy Coke.