The Battalion at Los Angeles Fashion Week was truly worth the hour and a half of rush hour traffic it took to get down to Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for a 5pm show. Linda and Chrys Wong, the sisters behind The Battalion, presented an impressive collection for Spring 2010, L’Atelier De Danse.

Tulle-clad models from Ford and Q did their egret-like walks down the runway in the most gorgeous eco collection yet. Not only that, in classic Linda Wong style, “they are clothes you could run away in,” meaning you could eat, sleep, party, or get chased in…or perhaps all of the above.

Linda’s attention to detail was what made The Battalion’s Spring 2010 such a stand out. It seemed she took the extra mile on each garment in the collection. The “Pete” faux denim vest of grey bamboo seemed simple until you got a good look at the tuxedo lapel and the classic jean jacket V applique on the back shoulders. The comfy white tee got asymmetrical sleeves. Oh, and the fringe! Linda created an uber glamorous effect with super fine razor fringe draping provocatively down the front of an otherwise casual top or slinking down just one side of a black evening dress. (One of my favorite examples of this was the Luxe vest which looked a bit like angel wings.)

L’Atelier De Danse remained true to a Kirov Ballet rehearsal palette: black, white, amaranth pink, heather grey, and some renegade navy. Unusually subtle for spring, but refreshing in its unpredictability.

The Wong sisters describe their season with impeccable self-awareness. “Spring 2010 is about fluidity, transparency, and movement. We imagine dancers in a naturally lit atelier, dressed up in various costumes that are made of tulle, fringe, and paper thin jersey. If women are going back to basics in the coming seasons, we want their clothes to be simple but sincere. We want their wardrobe staples to be wearable, but dreamy. We want them to dance, dream, and fall in love like the dancers who have inspired this collection.”

Well, this dancer simply can’t wait to dance, dream, and fall in love…in her new Battalion threads.

Since Spring has sprung, it’s time to dig out those fresh whites and put together a super clean look befitting the season. This eco fashion editor is jockeying for some key pieces to complete her looks for April 09 from some of her absolute favorite designers. (I must have Spring fever or something ’cause I’m talkin’ in the third person. Scary.) Okay moving on…

Sublet has once again produced one of the sweetest tops on the face of the Earth. (No spaghetti-eating is gonna happen in this lily white piece!) The “Becca” top is one favorite you’ll want to keep it crisp and fresh all season long. The Allison dress is another romanticly chic piece by Sublet that will make you feel like a million dollars every time you’re in it.

Canopy Verde is becoming famous for their posh baggery, like this quilted Chicory Hobo made of organic cotton and bamboo with eco dyes and chrome-free leather. An absolute must for polo matches, lunching with the ladies, or shopping on Rodeo…or stopping for Pinkberry on the way to H & M. Different strokes for different folks, people.

Nixxi out of Vancouver, Canada is a great line for the ultimate basics. Classic styles with especially well-executed cuts make their simple soy/cotton blend tops the perfect layer for the most stylish eco fashionistas, like this Boatneck Lounge Top with flared sleeves.

Autonomie Project is one of the most ethical shoe brands that exists. (FSC-certified rubber soles, organic cotton canvas, AZO-free dyes, 100% vegan, and fair wages are paid to all AP’s workers.) Not only that, but they make classic white canvas hightops called Ethletics that you can rock just as they are or DIY your way to some fly custom sneaks!

Nahui Ollin is a handbag line that weaves misprinted candy wrappers and soda bottle labels into sophisticated clutches and totes for city folks. The Moonlite Letters bag is a perfect conversation piece for a first date or Spring cocktail party.

With the hullaballoo and drama of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (or for some folks all three), New Year’s Eve is a holiday that can easily sneak up on you. You can find yourself scrambling last minute for fabulous plans, the dress of your dreams, and the cash to make it all come true. Here’s some down-to-earth NYE options that won’t put the planet or your bank account in jeopardy.

Affordable Eco Couture

René Geneva Design creates the ultimate in glamazon party dresses. Her extensive background in eco corset design lends to super sexy well-constructed knockouts in shiny and colorful hemp silks, organic cotton, and non-GMO soy jersey. René Geneva designs are romantic, sexy showstoppers, so be prepared to turn heads. The most exciting part of all-affordable eco couture. You may have never seen these three words together before, but René Geneva is unique in more ways than one. Pieces range from $150-$285 and believe me, these are heirloom worthy garments. If you need to alleviate consumer-related guilt, check out René’s work installing solar panels in a Nicaraguan sewing cooperative, organizing the Scraps For Schools program in Austin, and guaranteeing that each and every piece she creates is carbon neutral. Even her website is wind-powered. René Geneva is a true green goddess of the design world.

Vintage Vixen

If you’ve watched any classic film from the 1940′s or 50′s, you can attest-those women knew something about glamor. Scour the fab local vintage stores in almost any city large or small to find a stunning New Year’s gown or party dress in your price range. If you don’t have a quality vintage boutique in your area, check out online vintage meccas like Vintageous and Blue Velvet Vintage.

So you’re back on campus and in need of some essential school supplies-new shoes, a bag, a hot party ensemble? You’re sure that once you obtain these key study tools, your semester will go swimmingly. Well, Greenloop definitely has the ideal pieces to make you a better student (or at least just look like one.)

The Abalone Top by EcoSkin is perfect for a stud-filled study group, an afterschool cocktail hour, or blowing off academic traumas at the local nightclub. Made of eco fibers bamboo and tencel, the Abalone Top is sleek, sexy and sustainable. This hot little number from EcoSkin deserves to be matched with some very affordable organic cotton jeans from Good Society. Good Society denim is designed in Japan and made in India, which is one of the biggest hubs in the world for organic cotton. The two pieces together are sheer genius.

If clothes make the man, then shoes make the woman (happy). Rushing through the quad each day will call for kicks that are both cute and comfortable. These adorable strappy Toepaz flats by green design gurus Simple Shoes are made of hemp, recycled tires, and bamboo. Dress ‘em up, dress ‘em down, these vegan zapatos are gonna make your studymates green with envy. Oh darn.

Clearly your new mountain of scholarly tomes is going to require a bag strong enough to handle the weight and cool enough to erase the overloaded-with-books dork factor. What could be more perfect than the Vy & Elle “Bookman”? This utilitarian messenger bag gets points for both convenience and cool. It features pockets-within-pockets to help organize all your school supplies, and each Bookman sports one-of-a-kind graphics. Vy & Elle produces their entire line from recycled PVC billboards, upcycling material headed for the landfill and transforming it into wearable art. Pretty smart. In the case of sustainable design, fashion may indeed inspire academic greatness…Or it could just make you feel more enthusiastic about actually attending class.

In a recent interview on Stylehive, CEO of Zooey, Alice Heller stated the sentiment of so many transitioning fashion brands, “Eco-friendly fashion is not about a trend, it is about changes that need to be made and the beginning of a new age in business. Companies must adapt to new ways of doing business and developing product, it’s the beginning of the future.” Alice plans to convert Zooey’s entire line to sustainable fabrics over the course of the next year.

In the meantime, Zooey and Love & Eight have joined together to create luxurious organic cotton and bamboo t-shirts. Their bold graphics are a perfect match for the woman who wants everyone to contemplate the state of our warming planet. Five percent of the sale of each Zooey Organic t-shirt goes to Healthy Child, Healthy World, which educates parents on how to keep their children safe from the harmful chemicals ubiquitous in today’s world.