Of late I have been reading in many books and magazines the phrase "GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK". It is used so much these days especially in the context of environment that I was too curious to know what does this phrase mean. I would like to share with you it's meaning and significance.

Black used to be the color that fitted with everything. Men or women –black used to be their favourite. Like color of clothes and vehicles. So this statement basically is saying that the color green, meaning environmentally friendly, is what is "in" and just comparing it to black....

From celebrity brands to local designers launching eco-wear, sustainable fashion is the new trend these days. Sustainable Fashion has reached UAE as well.

Dubai is no longer only meant for luxury brands and designer wear . Dubai is moving forward with sustainable clothing, adding green factor to it's style quotient .  Ethical fashion has finally reached UAE's shores and from green abayas and upcycled vintage boutiques to bamboo-fibre garments and sustainable brands, Dubai is finally active in Eco-wear.

Undoubtedly the hottest trend, eco-fashion is about making garments and accessories that take into account both the environment and the working conditions of the people producing the items. Eco-friendly clothes are made from organic materials such as silk made by worms that feed on organic trees and cotton grown without pesticides. Bleaches and other harmful chemicals used to colour fabrics are also shunned.

Infact in  the 2012 Academy Awards , Hollywood's finest ones turned the red carpet green — from Best Actress winner, Meryl Streep who wore a custom-made eco-gown by Lanvin to Firth's gown that was handmade by Valentino designers using recycled PET fabric and Valentino's house silk. At last year's Winter Whites Centrepoint Gala at Kensington Palace, London, Firth wore a white 1950s-inspired princess gown made using upcycled duchess silk sourced from a local shop in London. And of course there is the queen of green, Stella McCartney who recently teamed up with German sportswear brand Adidas to create a line using the company's special DryDye technique. Unlike conventional dyeing methods that use an average of 100 to 150 litres of water to process a kilogram of fibre, DryDye uses a pressurised form of carbon dioxide that takes on the characteristics of both a liquid and a gas, allowing it to penetrate fibres and disperse preloaded dyes without other chemical agents.

In Dubai, there is a refreshing green wave sweeping across the city. Last year, the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region inspired an audience with its Berlin-Dubai Festival Fashion show that showcased green abayas(Abayas is a national dress worn by UAE nationals-Muslim ladies)  made of eco-friendly material, designed by Emirati and German designers.

Other interesting green concepts include Dubai-based Bambootique, which was founded by Asma Al Tajir and Reim El Houni, who wanted to introduce consumers to natural, environmentally friendly fashionable wear at affordable prices.

And adding that extra edge to fashion is Maha Abdul Rasheed who set up the upscale and chic Bambah Boutique that is pioneering vintage wear in Dubai.  The awareness of sustainable fashion in the UAE region is growing. People are interested in how they can go green in various aspects of their lives. Fashion is just one avenue of getting on the green bandwagon.

Infact Eco Fashion Show(1st-5th April 2014) is going to be a part of UAE Green Festival(March 16th to April 16 , 2014) at UAE 's capital city Abu Dhabi. In this Eco Fashion Show , Leading Fashion Designers will introduce eco-conscious fashion items that are produced using various Green processes and socially responsible methods of fabric production.

So dear Tunza Eco gen friends , let's all  be aware of what we wear, where it comes from and how it was made. Let's create a positive change through fashion by changing the status quo and wearing green , sustainable , ethical garments .