Green and Still Chic; Forget Birkenstocks. The new generation of ecofashion even works with Blahniks.(environmentally friendly clothes)

Byline: Sarah Childress and Ginanne Brownell

Here's a peek into your closet of the future. That sleek bodysuit? Woven from bamboo threads. The orange sheath? Corn fiber. The sequins on that red bolero jacket? Recycled Coke cans. All of these one-of-a-kind creations made their debut during the recent New York Fashion Week, where designers like Oscar de la Renta and Diane Von Furstenberg demonstrated their newly green cred in a show of environmentally friendly fashion. Expect more styles like them at a store near you very soon. Last week Bono and his wife, longtime anti-nuke activist Ali Hewson, launched their own ecofashion line, Edun (nude spelled backward), which is produced in family-run factories in Africa and South America, not sweatshops. They'll join designers like Katharine Hamnett in Britain and Los Angeles-based Linda Loudermilk, who have helped pioneer the concept of "conscious commerce," encouraging consumers to make decisions based on their convictions as well as esthetics. "You can make a healthy profit," says Hewson, "and at the end of the day, people know that the clothes they are wearing have a good story behind them."

It's not enough to just look good anymore. These designers believe you have to do good as well by using only earth-friendly fabrics manufactured under humane working conditions. When ecofashion was born in the early '90s, most of the clothes seemed inspired by "granola and brown rice," says Florida designer Marci Zaroff, who has been championing organic fabrics for nearly two decades. "I certainly was not interested in wearing a paper bag." Most consumers agreed, refusing to sacrifice style in order to save the planet. But in the past few years, new technology has led to softer, more versatile fabrics that inspired designers: gossamer silk blended with hemp, lush taffeta made from corn. What could be more perfect for hopping in your new hybrid car to pick up veggies at the local organic market? According ...