NATURAL TALENT

Laura Siegel debuted her first collection this past May at the Chelsea Piers in New York to a crowd of eager industry pros who'd heard of the young sustainable designer. Most were shocked to learn that the gorgeous and sensual collection floating down the runway before them was made entirely by hand: hand dyed, hand woven, hand sewn, hand embroidered, etc, using all natural fibers and dyes. It was breathtaking.

Siegel went to serious lengths in order to keep every element of her design process as sustainable and natural as possible. From sourcing fibers such as bamboo and tencel during production to using a near by location (it's upstate, 2 hours on Metro North) for her shoot, every step was a conscientious one. Her apartment was converted from a livable state to one not unlike a meth-lab in which boilers, sieves, drying racks, and pots of dye covered the kitchen and living room counters and floor. She kept a log of every color produced from herbs, flowers, and other natural dyes, turning an ordinary notebook into an exploding bible of muted mauves and rich rusts. She crafted hand looms out of dining room chairs and turned her closet into a library of yarn hanging in bunches from racks and beams.

Because she sourced all her accessory supplies herself on a recent trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, her room resembled a museum with baubles of clay and molded metals on display. Different strands of colorful wooden beads hung next to experiments with dried flowers, shells, and raffia. She even took a metal crafting class in order to design rings specific to engravings she'd sketched on her trip. The result is an enormous yet delicate metal gem that sits on her right hand, a conversation starter for sure. The jewelry, bags, and shoes elevate the collection from tribal to sublime.

When asked what she sees in the future for herself and her line, she shrugs and mentions travel, the earth, and the people she encounters. A natural nomad, she is only interested in supporting the craft of the natives she meets while exercising her knowledge of modern design. Her next season will be indeed inspiring many to take off to the East.

It's invigorating for anyone interested in the future of fashion to know that sustainable design can take a departure from the stale and bland to a world where the designs are as magnificent as the natural world that inspired them. Siegel is with out a doubt at the forefront of this exciting shift.