(I just realized looking around for a couple of images to illustrate this post that Deborah had recently been interviewed on this blog by Jenn Breckenridge. She’s such a popular girl! I hope I can put a new spin on the line of questioning… RemyC.)

(10500 Magnolia Boulevard, NoHo)

Deborah, you can fairly be described as one of the doyennes of sustainable fashion, having been one of the first designers to do it at this level. Yet, you based yourself in LA when at the time the epicenter of fashion was still New York. Was it the rock & roll lifestyle vs. the wear nothing but black crowd which made you settle in the City of Angels?

I agree about you view of New York. That is why I decided to attend Parsons School of Design and then start my business in Manhattan after having worked almost 10 years, and I love the city so much and consider it such an important part of not only my education but a part of who I am today. It was a different city in many ways when I lived there in the 80’s as we all know. I relocated to Los Angeles because of many reasons. Part of which is that I’m a farmer’s daughter from Minnesota and I really wanted a more personal space, gardens, flowers and trees, and the ocean. And a dog who could have a yard.
 
LA and Hollywood being one and the same, has there been as much concern for green costume design in films and music videos as there is with the community of actors and performers now urging the world to go green?  

I think there probably is a concern for that idea. I have personally met and worked with some actresses who are very visible in the green lifestyle, such as Daryl Hannah and Wendie Mallick. Some of the actresses who wear my clothing I don’t meet personally but I would like to meet them personally of course. It’s easier to get a sense about someone when seeing them in person. Many times their stylists request clothing for them.

I find that people like my clothing on a personal level but the added benefit is that I’m eco.

We met at the New York Designers & Agents show. Again thank you for turning me on to the green edition of ELLE Quebec. Editor Sylvie Poirier is quite green savvy. ELLE’s been good to you, maybe it’s not wise to be seen with me. (big grin!) Why do you think it’s taken so long for the mainstream fashion press to pick up on the eco-fashion industry? You’d think they’d want to lead the way, set the trend.

I love ELLE. They have been so supportive of me in so many ways, and in many countries: Sweden, France, Canada, USA. I think ELLE magazine was the first to focus on green, isn’t that correct?

I think it’s that many new green ideas are coming from small companies.

The magazines need to show clothing from well-known designers in the industry who we all know, and who can afford to advertise in their magazines. Many of those designers are and have been eco concscious in their own lives but the fashion business if very complex. Some designers feel its important to focus on earth-friendly fabric and manufacturing, some not. But it’s business, and businesses need to make money to survive. For me personally, I had to make a choice that I felt good with and stick to it, even if I may have fewer fabric and manufacturing choices. At the end of the day I need to be proud of my own work on a personal level.

As a designer, when you introduce something new into the marketplace, you can be met with some resistance by the very fact that it’s a new idea. I’ve been through this my whole career. I can handle that as a small company, and just believe in myself and hang in there, and eventually buyers and of course customers think it’s cool. I’m grateful that what I do is now such a great idea. In the beginning some people though it was not normal. It’s a very good time for me in many ways now and I’m greatful to be part of saving the planet. Sound corny but it’s a motto in my workspace. “GREEN GIRLS SAVE THE PLANET” (Guess I need to add guys to it too)
 
There’s a wonderful new crop of fashion magazines surfacing, both online and in print, which have embraced the green scene. I find it exciting that as always, street fashion is gravitating into the big houses. Youth culture ornates its body now in ways that have rarely been seen other than in Polynesia. Why do you think that is, and has tattoo art affected the way you design clothes?

I just opened a retail store in front of my studio in Los Angeles in May. Funny you should mention tattoos because I just had 2. (I won’t tell you where.) My neighbor at my store is an amazing tatoo artist and I just asked her the other if you can have soy tattoos because I heard Tommy Lee talking about soy tattoos on a teaser for Battleground Earth, the Planet Green show with him and Ludicras. She works with organic vegetable dye. So you can actually have eco tattoos. I love it. I love the art of tattoo and am inspired by them. I especially love non-permanent henna tattoos, You can see them on the model in my spring line.
 
I read recently that nudist colonies were dying out. And yet, nudity has never been so prevalent in art and fashion. New microfibers wrap the body like a second skin. We’re developing sustainable fabrics beyond the limitation of organic cotton and hemp fibers. The contact of fabric on skin is extremely important, comfort and sensuality, the modernity of new textiles… How do you narrow it down to something that works for you?

I lived in Topanga Canyon for 15 years where there was a nudist colony until just a few years ago… I like the idea of nudity on the beach because it makes sense not having tan lines. But then again we shouldn’t be in the sun anyway, because of the cancer risk. I however don’t understand tennis in the nude, call me silly.

I think I want fabrics that feel good on our skin. It’s a matter of comfort and sensuality. And I want the fabrics to be natural. I’m not the hugest fan of the new synthetics but I’m trying to keep an open mind.
 
It’s sometimes difficult for designers, large and small, to obtain enough sample fabric to experiment and play with. Are there fabric outlets now in LA where sustainability is a priority?

Not that I know of. Only manufacturers. 
 
Do you see a designer like yourself, already well established, attracting younger designers and students of fashion, inquiring about green resources? Where do you send them?

They contact me all day from many countries. As students, most of them want to work for me. But as far as resources, I think we all have to do our own research. I see more interesting fabrics available to me today than even a year ago.
 
You just opened a store in LA. I’ve been watching “Alter Eco” on Planet Green, with Angela Lindvall and her pals showing us green LA one store front at a time. Is there a particular neighborhood where the green scene is exploding, or is it pretty much spread evenly?

I don’t really know the answer to that. She should come and visit. My store is really pretty and I even have recycled mannequins. My neighborhood in the NoHo Arts District is looking very good these days. 
 
(100% recycled cashmere)

Green is a state of mind, with so many different trades and professions joining forces, following the same business principles. Eco-fashion is finding its way into green car ads, green home renovations, organic food promotions… huge trade shows like Green Festivals and Go Green Expo have taken up where EcoExpo left off. It’s a green world afterall. Deborah Linquist, the brand, associated with other brands, spells green street cred. How do we keep the newbies honest?

We really can’t control how people pitch themselves. We can check them out and see if they are for real and it’s usually evident whether or not we should work together. 
 
The environmental movement dates two generations, it’s not a trend, despite what some people think. It’s been here to stay for quite a long time. It’s had its ups and downs, no doubt. So how do you weather the storm? Do you think this time around, this new generation will look to cradle to cradle as a new seal of approval?

I’ve been doing green for a long time, I have to believe in myself whether or not my ideas are popular. After all, it is my design sensibility and my ideas up for scrutiny, not me on a personal level so that’s good. I feel that the environmental movement is more than a trend, it’s a lifestyle and children have to be brought up with an awareness of nature. I was fortunate to live on a farm where we fed ourselves and our relatives with what we grew. And we all had a part of taking care of thing that nurtured and fed us and I am so grateful for that.

Living and participating in nature gives a person a much more tender perspective of life. I don’t think it’s more important to have a windowbox on your fire escape on the 10th floor of an apartment in a big city versus a garden in a rural area. It’s about awareness. We all have that capability, and we can also travel to see it, touch it, and appreciate it if it’s not in front of us on a daily basis. We are as responsible for our own planet as if it were our own garden. I feel like we need to all just make an effort in whatever way we see fit.
 
In previous Greenloop interviews, I touched on other fashion professionals, models, photographers, make-up artists. Fashion designers were first to adapt to green design directions set by architects. There’s always been a deep connection between architecture and fashion. Will we see LA, and other cities, wrap themselves in a cloak of Earth friendly?

I sure hope so. I see less Humvees and more Prius here now. I think that’s a step in the right direction. We have too many cars and air pollution. I have to live somewhere but I don’t like the air quality these days.
 
(Deborah’s Frisbee catching dog Greta)

Naysayers will tell us, no matter what we do, ecological systems are on the verge of collapse. Green clothing transforms women into green heroines. Wouldn’t be swell if a label on the back of dress brought the world to its senses?

Lets try to be positive. If we think the world is collapsing we may have less desire to help. I don’t see the purpose in focusing on collapse. After all, all thought is creative. I find people are at their best when they feel the need to participate in a positive way and be helpful.

I do however have the moto “Save Your Planet” on all my care labels, so I realize I’m making a suggestion for people to be helpful in their own way.

I personally get woken up by my very cute and athletic dog who wants to play frisbee before 6:00 AM no matter what day it is. We do that, then I walk, do yoga, or go to the gym, and then I work on everything else in my world. It’s actually very nice and now my dog is an amazing frisbee girl. Maybe she’s my superhoro since she teaches me to enjoy my morning with her. It’s important to have a little fun with your life and laugh a bit. Especially when it looks like there is way too much work, like it does to me on most days. Even if we’re all superheroes, we can still do things only one day at a time.