Fall 2013: An Ethical Fashion Runway Report

What will ethical fashion look like this autumn? Fabulous as ever, judging by the runway shows and lookbooks presented by some of our favorite designers. We're not big believers in trend-driven product cycles, but we are about looking forward to future seasons of beautiful, sustainable designs. Here, a look at what's on the horizon for fall.

1. IN THE NAVY
From solid sheaths at Costello Tagliapietra to monochromatic separates at M. Patmos and Zero + Maria Cornejo, deep blues ruled the runways this season. Rich indigo shades looked particularly elegant at Suno and Libertine, where jacquard fabrics and jeweled embellishments made the aesthetic feel majestic.

2. MAD ABOUT PLAID 
Print masters Suno and Osklen favored in-your-face contrasts this season, pairing plaid jackets with graphic skirts. Suzanne Rae and Libertine's Johnson Hartig, on the other hand, went for full-length looks, proposing head-to-toe checks and tartan respectively. At Zero + Maria Cornejo, the eponymous designer was feeling squares in more ways than one: the shape was the basis for much of Cornejo's streamlined construction, in addition to her prints.

3. GREAT LENGTHS 
It's time to shrink your shirts and lengthen your skirts. New proportions are in play for fall, and these took the form of crop tops and midi hemlines at Organic by John Patrick and Suno. Dresses and skirts also hit below the knee at Libertine, M. Patmos and Costello Tagliapietra, where curve-hugging silhouettes balanced the conservative cuts.

4. TURTLENECKS & DICKEYS 
If this group of designers has its way, you won't need a scarf this fall. Sky-high collars lent glamour and attitude to the pants-and-blazer ensembles at Costello Tagliapietra, Stella McCartney and Zero + Maria Cornejo. Creative Director Marcia Patmos took a more feminine turn at M. Patmos, layering dickeys and jackets over pencil-cut sheaths. But it was Suno that brought the sex appeal. Designers Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty crafted a body-skimming dress with showstopping shoulder cutouts—an unexpected flash of skin that more than tempers the severity of the neckline. 

5. SCARLET FEVER
Brooklyn designer Samantha Pleet rendered her signature Tabernacle dress in a fantastical ruby red this season–a firm contrast to the earthy, burnt-coral hue on display at Costello Tagliapietra. Stella McCartney wowed with her luxe case for tonal stripes, and Libertine charmed with bold tangerine-tinted prints. But it was Zero + Maria Cornejo's architectural burgundy ensemble–down to the glorious pair of thigh-high boots!–that unequivocally made us want to bring on the rouge.


To see (lots!) more of these very trends, check out our Ethical Fashion | Fall 2013 board on Pinterest.