Eileen Fisher and the Sustainable Fashion Movement

In mid-July this past summer, I came across a copy of Conscious Company Magazine with Eileen Fisher on the cover.  For those unfamiliar with Eileen Fisher, she is the namesake of a women's luxury brand.  Eileen Fisher has recently been making waves in the eco-fashion/slow-fashion sector by introducing many initiatives, including their Vision2020 plan.
 
Their Vision2020 plan states that there are "no excuses" for making a responsible supply chain.  I was lucky enough to snag a tour of the Eileen Fisher headquarters in Irvington, NY back in August.

Posing with my mom outside of the beautiful EF Headquarters on the Hudson River

Their headquarters had spacious open work areas and was so relaxing to be in.  I loved touring and learning about their production methods and color stories and everything in between!  The people who worked there were so nice as well!

What really made Eileen Fisher such an amazing company to tour though was their open commitment to bettering the fashion and apparel industry.  One such way they are encouraging slow fashion is through their "Green Eileen" program.  Customers are encouraged to bring back their lightly worn Eileen Fisher apparel to be cleaned, refashioned, and sold again.  You can find Green Eileen racks in some of their stores and also in some other boutiques around the country (like in Sew Green in Ithaca, NY!).  It is a fabulous way to get luxury quality items at a much lower price point, plus, you're reusing instead of buying new, which is definitely a more sustainable model!

Signs with this saying and a couple of others were dispersed throughout the headquarters. Don't you just love it?

I had an absolutely amazing time learning about a brand that I had never really known (due to their generally older and wealthier target market) prior to reading the article in Conscious Company.  Since I want to go into corporate social responsibility for a fashion company, Eileen Fisher is embodying what I dream of working towards with other companies.  It was a real honor to get to be a part of it for a day.

To read more about clothing companies trying to do their part to be responsible, check out this article by The Good Trade.

My mom surprised me with an Eileen Fisher sweatshirt I had had my eye on since touring…it's boxy, has a little cowl neck, and a hood (right side in pic)…AKA so comfortable! Thanks for sending me this surprise at school, Mom, I LOVE it!