Someone foolishly bought us a camera. Ever since, we’ve been stalking you on the streets so we can steal your style and celebrate you guys wrapping up warm and turning down your heating. Look out, we could be stealing your style next…

We’ve been urging you to Turn Up The Style and Turn Down The Heat this winter by throwing on a cosy jumper instead of cranking up your heating. This week we have a London Fashion Week special, with these gorgeous knits from Di Gilpin…

All Di Gilpin’s materials are locally sourced and the majority of the jumpers are also hand knitted. The wool is either from Leisceter or Scotland, with Irish linen thrown into the mix too. Di uses natural dyes too which means less harsh chemicals on your skin. We loved her wollen take on this season’s wide-leg trousers, and adored the preppy sleeveless jumper too (left model). The big, chunky cream cardy (right model) is also perfect for keeping you warm in the winter months.

Have you seen a style you’d like to steal? Or do you have a gorgeous jumper you love and would like to feature in our style spy section? Let us know in the comments box below or on Twitter @global_cool…

Pic: Emily Rycroft

By Emily Rycroft

Another season means another London Fashion Week. We had so much fun earlier this year, that we had to get involved in London Fashion Week 2011 again. Global Cool went along to the Estethica exhibition at LFW this week and we were very happy to see that (in just a few months) the space devoted to ethical fashion had expanded largely to include some fantastic new designers and a few familiar faces. The Estethica exhibition was created by the British Fashion Council and showcases garments and accessories that are  fair trade and follow ethical practices, or are made from organic or recycled fabrics.

Check out all the latest news and designs from our top five favourite Estethica designers…

What do you think of the Estethica exhibition? Let us know in the comments box below or on Twitter @global_cool…

All pics: Emily Rycroft

Our latest Get Involved post comes from Global Cool mate Lauren Cooper…

Fashion and looking good is an integral part of my life.  However, my consideration for global and ethical concerns can somewhat be disregarded, and I believe this to be true for many other people.  With global and ethical issues in mind I was introduced to Estethica, at London Fashion Week.  This is not usually an area I focus upon at LFW, but it certainly opened my eyes and mind.  Talking to the designers, I found that they not only thought hard about their designs derived from their inspirations, but also about ethics and sustainability.  Charini Suriyage expressed so much ethical consideration and care in her intricate designs, from the natural fabrics, structure and to the delicate handmade lace edging on the underwear.

My perception of ethical fashion tended to be narrow-minded. I thought of it as recyclable items that were a bit ‘out there’ and unable to be worn as an everyday outfit.  My view was soon quashed by Junky Styling, with their tailored clothing remade and altered to make one-off and unique pieces, which I would be more than thrilled to wear to the office.  The emphasis on sustainability is essential to the designer with old suits and clothing re-worked at the Wardrobe Surgery, creating one-off items, rather than simply throwing things away.

The one thing I have always been aware of in fashion is the use of material; I love natural fibres such as cotton and silk.  However, I feel recently there is a decline when using natural fibres (especially within high street stores) in favour of synthetic fibres, such as viscose and polyester.  So when I came across Emesha I was pleased to see a company that values the use of natural fibres, while managing to keep the designs delicate.

Anyone that knows me well enough, knows that I am partial to a little bit of leather and a look that has edge.  Can eco-friendly fashion still be cool and edgy?  To my surprise and delight I discovered it can!  Marc Ross uses leather from Scotland and England ensuring that his carbon footprint is kept to a minimum.  Ross even uses laser cutting, which gave his leather items personality and a very detailed and distinctive look.

Estethica at London Fashion Week has made me re-evaluate my views and assumptions on ethical fashion.  I understand the importance of buying investment pieces, rather than buying lots of low cost items that do not last.  Furthermore, I (and we all) should be looking to these designers for inspiration when it comes to recycling old clothes, and to remember to buy from these designers who chose to really consider the fabrics they use, where they are made, and how they are made.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments box below or if you’d like to contribute a story, photo, video or some tips on green living simply email getinvolved@globalcool.org…

Pic: PA Images

• Five reasons to love Marmite, via the Ecologist
• Pippa Middleton scores green job, via @ecorazzi
• Katy Perry’s rider is vegetarian, via @ecorazzi
• Sheryl Crow promotes vegan toothpaste, via @ecorazzi
• The 50 best bikes, via the Independent
• Emma Watson partners with Lancome on eco line, via @ecorazzi
• Livia Firth hosts fifth birthday celebrations for Estethica, via the Telegraph
• 10 best movie scenes where bikes steal the show, via @dothegreenthing
• Backstreet Boys go vegetarian for new tour, via @ecorazzi
• The Yike Bike could turn us all into cyclists, via @grist

Thoughts? There’s a comment box below for that sort of thing…

There’s a lot of celeb-bashing going around at the moment, but rightly so in the case of John Galliano. Instead of having a huge rant about what a tool he’s been for making pro-Hitler (yes, that’s right, do not adjust your screens) comments, we’d like to give him some great advice: how to get back into fashion the right way.

Dior have sacked him so we would like to suggest that he gets trendy again by embracing sustainable fashion. Estethica was another big success in the AW11 London Fashion Week, and maybe next year we could see Gallia-no using environmentally-friendly fashion to become Gallia-yes.

Here are some designers he could take some tips from…

Stella McCartney
She’s the designer that every single woman wants to wear and she makes eco-friendly collections. After a hugely successful women’s range, she’s now branched out into the children’s market and it looks set to wow mums and dads worldwide. We love that she has designed for boys, girls and babies, and if she can better her reputation by making the time to do catwalk alongside this organic and eco-friendly children’s range then it might be worth Galliano’s while to follow suit.

Vivienne Westwood
She’s known for speaking her mind and making a statement with every outfit she wears or designs, and as a result, Vivienne Westwood is a much-loved British fashion institution. She’s teamed up with Melissa to create some vegan shoes made from recycled plastic just to prove that you can be an eco-friendly fashionista from top to toe. These jelly shoes will remind you of summers when you were young, and she’s designed a pair of pink flats that will let you add the right amount of whimsy to any Spring Summer outfit.

Alberta Ferretti
Some designer-celebrity collaborations have failed (we’re looking at you Lindsay Lohan and Ungaro) but this one looks set to succeed. Emma Watson has already teamed up with People Tree to create some great key Spring Summer pieces, and now she’s working with Alberta Ferretti to make a collection called Pure Threads. Made entirely from environmentally-friendly fabrics and dyes, this collection filled with bohemian dresses, denim and blouses, suggests that we’re only going to see more and more sustainable fashion from the actress.

Agree with us that he should tackle sustainable fashion? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below…

By Emma Cheshire

Fed up with the rugby scrum also known as post-Christmas sales shopping? How about this for an alternative…

It’s been at our fingertips before on ASOS.com, in Topshop, Yoox.com and through ultimate sportswear designer Puma, but now Goodone’s clothes really are part of our daily shopping.

The ethical clothing label (and friend of Global Cool) have joined forces with Tesco’s main clothing range F&F to create a new line that combines both aesthetics just in time for the New Year: jersey-based comfortable, affordable, fashion-forward clothing for any woman always on the lookout for a new outfit but put off by endless railes of sales clothing. Whether you’re looking for a dress, skirt or leggings, this range will let you layer in style from now all the way to spring.

Tesco seem to be working hard to follow in the footsteps of celebrities like Ke$ha, who was photographed making waste as chic-as-can-be in a pair of Nicholas Kirkwood’s infamous shoes. As Official Sponsors of London Fashion Week, Tesco are taking an active role in their involvement by working with designers who have impressed and intrigued audiences.

If you managed to make it to Somerset House over the last couple of years  you’ll have seen Goodone’s designer fashion as part of the Estethica show. Following Tesco’s collaboration with designer brand From Somewhere, they have now decided to ‘achieve freedom of aesthetic and a strong look’ with a luxurious edge by working with a brand that is available  to everyone, according to Nin Castle, designer and one-half of Goodone.

Watch our interview with Nin Castle

Goodone at Tesco Online offers affordable clothing just in time for those New Year makeovers! If you want to break the cycle of  black and purple sequined mini dresses that have filled the high-street for the last few months, why not dodge the sales and heat up the room – not with reflective material, but with leftovers of flaming Christmas pudding and a piece of Goodone’s signature style.

What do you think of Goodone’s Tesco range?

By Lauren Moore

London Fashion Week played host to its first sustainable catwalk show on Friday.

The show was held in Friary Court in St James’ Palace. The aim was to highlight the works of both established and up and coming designers who work sustainably.

Designers included Dame Vivienne Westwood, who showcased her World’s End collection, while Stella McCartney and People Tree showcased their spring/summer 2011 collections.

Also on show were designers from the British Fashion Councils’ own sustainable initiative, Estetheica.

Another famous face taking part in the show was model Erin O’Connor, who is currently one of the faces of Marks and Spencer. Erin has said she’s “proud to walk the catwalk for designers who have crafted their talent and considered the true ethical values in the creative design process.”

Do you think more fashion events should have sustainable catwalks? Tell us what you think in the comments below…

Brought to you by Fashion Conscience

Today kicks off London Fashion Week, which while the home to the best of home-grown and international fashion talent, is also a terrific breeding ground for the best in eco fashion. Three events plus individual designers shows will be going on, here is a mini-guide to the main place to hunt out new eco fashion.

Estethica – from this friday to Tuesday, 17-21 Sept, Somerset House - designers we are looking forward to include Ada Zandition (pictured), LuFlux, Chris Raeburn’s installation of jackets made from parachutes, and new comers Partimi and Righteous Fashion. We already stock Minna, Goodone, Ivana Basilotta and EJF, all also showing again.

Nolcha/Bel Esprit at Trafalgar Hotel on Monday 20 Sept –  designers include established eco designers Fifi Bijoux, Hetty Rose and House of Tamman plus debut designers Vivienne Pash, M Brulee, Peoples Pride, Narcisse, Gunas, and Ana Guiterrez.

EcoLuxe  at One Alwdwych Hotel 18-19 Sat and Sun – designers include Elena Garcia, new eco swimwear designer Olga Olsson. We already stock natural organic line Beaumont Organic, who will also be showing their Spring Summer 2011 collection.

Brought to you by Fashion Conscience

We were really pleased to hear that Orsola de Castro of great ethical fashion label From Somewhere won an Observer Ethical Award for Fashion and Accessories.

Orsola has been running her ground-breaking label From Somewhere since 1997, upcycling rolls of fabric and initially odds and ends into new, innovative and stylish designs. More recently she utilises ends of rolls from designers in Italy with a professional finish and own designer price tag.

She is also the phenomenally energetic driving force behind the Estethica, the ethical fashion arm of London Fashion Week, where twice a year the best in new ethical designer fashion labels show their collections.

From Somewhere recently launched a collection for Tesco, alongside other ethical clothing designers Goodone, to try and bring sustainable fashion to the masses through the high-street giant, and through a friendship with Livia Firth, she helped dress the wife of actor Colin Firth (who was nominated for an Oscar), green on the red carpet.

Orsola is an amazing example of a pioneer who has kept to her principles and seen the ethical fashion market grow substantially in the last five years and pushed the markets and opportunities for all, in particular supporting new young designers and trying to encourage people to buy and dress more ethically and sustainably. She is a very worthy winner.

And what fabulous night it was! Scott Henshall, who was handing out style tips at our Swishing Party earlier in the day, arrived in typical style as droves of marvellous and eco-chic fashionistas streamed through the doors. Swishers-a-plenty arrived in their earlier swished items, all looking amazing and knowing they were helping out the environment in their recycled getup. Mat Horne, from Gavin and Stacey and music master Seb Chew revved up the turn tables and DJ’ed the night away which packed out the dance floor until 1am.

So really, this is just a quick post to say thank you to everyone who came and everyone who was involved in organising the event. Yo! Sushi kept everyone fed with some very tasty and sustainable Sushi nibbles, and Snow Leopard vodka and Asahi beer ensured we were all in the partying mood!

We’ll be posting images, video and all sorts from the entire day very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.