I love seeing designers I wrote about decades (yes decades!) ago thriving. The post below is from 2008. I was a new lawyer, teetering on Boston cobblestone in thrifted heels... probably on my way to Boston Juvenile Court or to The Red Hat (which I am sad to see is permanently closed):
Yesterday was one of those days I wish I could pause and go back to whenever I’m having a bad day. It started with a relaxing, self-reflecting run around Jamaica Pond, was followed up with several relaxing hours at the beach (thanks again LG!!) and finished with a conversation that lasted into the wee hours of this morning… Seriously?
What does it take to start every week off like this?! Anyway, I thought I’d write about fashion designer Leila Hafzi because her gorgeous clothes kinda capture how I feel right now. Leila was doing the whole ethical/ fair trade way back in ‘97 (before it became the thing to do). Not only are all of her collections are stunningly beautiful, Leila constructs each of her theme-inspired collections with an eye on the environment.
Her goal has been and continues to be to develop and entirely environmentally friendly production cycle. Her production company, Nepal Productions DA, is making great strides and is a member of The Ethical Trading Initiative in Norway. As I just mentioned, all of her collections represent various themes, for instance the Alpha Verte Collection, focused on the topic of environmental changes.
Her latest collection, 03 is inspired by the life-essential ozone layer and the ozone molecule, 03. Leila promulgates her message of environmental responsibility and activism through her lush interpretive designs. The result is a gorgeous series of collections that make you stop, gasp, and ultimately think about the issues they represent.