Eco fashion isn't just laying its laughable image to rest, it's fast on track to becoming a must-have trend. Want wide legged, high waisted jeans? The style press adore Del Forte. Gotta have a tulip dress or retro chic frock? Enamore has it. Prefer understated style? Head to Amana. From ankle boots at Terra Plana, pussy bows at Mumo and supersize slouchy bags at Ashley Watson, ethical brands are kicking a serious fashion punch. Online retailers such as fashion-conscious.com, adili.com and thenaturalstore.co.uk offer an impressive range of clothing and bling for style slaves and timeless tastes alike. Quirky girls love Emmeline 4 Re and People Tree at Top Shop and with New Look, Oasis, H & M, M & S, Tesco, Sainsburys, Levi's and Nike doing organic or 'eco' ranges, the big brands know they've got to keep up.

The signs are there that up and coming ethically-minded fashion designers, inspired by the likes of Stella McCartney and Katharine Hamnett will have the last laugh. Celebrity endorsement is piling up. Mischa Barton loves Wildlifeworks; Cate Blanchett likes the luxurious edgy elegance of Ciel; Kate Moss buys Elsom's organic jeans; Kiera Knightley and Kate Bosworth wear Scandinavian brand FIN, which launches here in Spring. From Fashion Conscience at Clothes Show Live to Estethica at London Fashion Week, eco-style is on its way to becoming a fashion movement, not a moment.

Eco elegance

After graduating in Womenswear from the Royal College of Fashion, Feng Ho set up her own fashion label in 2006. Beautifully constructed, edgy and feminine, her eveningwear is unbelievably comfortable, too.  'I design for the sophisticated, mature-minded woman who isn't into fashion fads, says Feng. 'I've always been into timeless, classic design. As a reaction to fast disposable fashion, my clothes can be worn season after season. Then they can be naturally composted.'

Feng uses sustainable, natural fabrics such as organic cotton/soy jersey, silk hemp charmeuse, hemp jersey and bamboo. Two of her suppliers are in north London, both a mere bus ride away. 'It's been a challenge finding the fabrics here and buying small. But I've found that people in ethical fashion aren't just more avant-garde and forward-thinking, they're really helpful. There isn't that secrecy.'

To achieve the muted hues from sky blues to coral pinks, Feng uses natural dyes, including tea and coffee. 'Walnut and carob create a lovely soft grey,' she enthuses. 'I've tried lots of things – spinach, berries, beetroot. I feel like a witch sometimes!' Handprinted – and solvent free – silk screen designs create panels in her cleverly structured, kite-like pieces. With their fine jersey fabrics, they drape like a dream. 'Comfort has always been really important to me,' says Feng. 'I think that's one reason why women in their fifties and sixties like my designs, too. I made a top for a size 20 woman the other day.'

www.fengho.co.uk

Sexing up recycling

When Nin Castle planned to do her degree show using recycled fabrics, her tutors at Brighton University thought she was crazy. Now she and her business partner, Phoebe Emerson, give talks at fashion schools and universities across the country on setting up an ethical label. In January 2007, Goodone won the Trefor Campbell Award for Enterprise.

'We wanted a fashion company that was good in every way, from the materials to who makes it,' says Phoebe. 'We didn't want to take advantage of anyone, all the way through to body insecurities. So we try to design clothes that flatter body shapes.'

Phoebe and Nin saw the massive, untapped potential of recycling. 'Besides, we couldn't afford to buy all organic and fairtrade or experiment with designs,' says Phoebe. 'Even if it's organic and fair-trade, there is so much energy that goes into producing new materials and growing cotton. Its affects the land, has a social impact, needs to be transported. The idea of mass-producing the one off seemed incredible and we were so surprised that nobody had thought of it already.'

Each Goodone piece is an original, made from a staple of designs each season. This summer it's bodycon dresses that aren't just genuinely comfy, they really do make any body shape look hot, while the new reversible zip-up bombers add to the unique, panelled sweats and tees that have been such a hit for guys. Phoebe and Nin handpick their fabrics from a textile-recycling factory, LMB, just down the road from their studio in Hackney, east London. 'LMB is a business so most of the stuff they export and resell in Africa,' Phoebe says. 'Quite a lot of it can't be worn again and that's the stuff we buy.'
 
Goodone are growing fast and hoping to out-source to a local factory in line with their ethical principles. Not that screaming about their ethics is their thing. 'Our aim is to change people's perceptions of what recycled clothing is,' says Phoebe. 'The best thing for us is when people pick something up and they don't even know it's recycled.'

www.goodone.co.uk

Salvaged bling

'Instead of spending again and again on little trinkets that get worn a few times, then stuck in a box, wouldn't it be better to wear something that is really special to you?' asks Lucy Wills. She set up seraglia in 2004 to create fair trade, life-lasting, handmade and unique jewellery using recycled and salvaged materials.

'Re-using and repairing is not only a very effective way of saving resources,' says Lucy, 'it saves on carbon emissions. Every time you manufacture or transport something, that has a carbon cost. All seraglia's craft work is done in the UK.'

Lucy offers a service for customers to bring in personal items, such as a picture, or a gem and incorporate it into the piece. 'I also like the idea of making something that can be changed as you go along,' she says, 'so everything is made with wired links and we can update it for them. You don't have to throw away the whole piece because part of it isn't fashionable anymore or gets damaged.'

Any gold used is salvaged and many of seraglia's sumptuously ornate pieces incorporate everyday materials such as glass and brass - even vulcanized waste. 'I'm excited about vulcanized rubber – literally off-cuts from the rubber flooring industry. When they're hardened, you can cut them into new shapes. The finished product feels like a very hardwood. I like the idea of creating something special out of common materials.'

www.seraglia.com