London Fashion Week's Estethica also showcased the best eco fashion accessories and ethical footwear to hit the fashion world. The GIN Lady takes you on a stylish tour of what's to arrive in next year's collections for eco friendly shoes, jewellery, and the ultimate handbag accessory.

The eco stylish footwear exhibitors Beyond Skin, Terra Plana, Veja and Nina Dolcetti couldn't put a foot wrong with their impressive 2009 collections. The French ethical and socially responsible shoe manufacturer Veja tells a particularly compelling story.

The manufacture of trainers is notoriously eco-unfriendly. Veja's story is unique: The fairtrade Veja trainers are both eco-friendly and socially responsible. The Amazon is the only place on earth where rubber trees grow in the wild. Veja's use of latex from the Amazon allow the seringueiros (rubber tappers) to earn a decent wage, while deterring them from the financial temptations offered by land-clearing. And the result? An Amazonian natural rubber sole that doesn't rip the soul out of the Amazon or its indigenous peoples. But the story doesn't stop here. Their eco trainers feature either organic cotton canvas or ecological leather too. To get the organic cotton canvas, Veja works with a cooperative of small producers in the Nordeste, a semi-arid area in the North of Brazil. The cotton is grown without pesticides or fertilizers according to strict agro-ecological principles. The sneaker's ecological leather on the other hand is vegetable tanned, rather than the typical heavy metal chrome tanning process. Veja clearly takes a holistic take on their sneakers' manufacture and their trainer collection don't just boast eco credentials. They're also comfortably street cool. Veja belong in the mainstream footwear market as the must-have casual chic sneaker retailer.

If you're in want of a sassier eco shoe then Beyond Skin will not disappoint. We're loving Beyond Skin's 09 collections. Beyond Skin trades in a non exploitative manner towards humans, animals and wherever possible the wider environment. Their eco footwear is animal-product and cruelty free. The luxury Sui Generis line is handmade in England and the Beyond Skin range produced in Spain, both promoting ethically-sound and less energy intensive working practices. Beyond Skin's use of materials is innovative too: Textiles include organic hemp and denim, as well as a new eco fabric that is spun from recycled bottle tops - how cool!

Beyond Skin's 14 new styles and Sui Generis' 9 new looks for Spring/Summer 09 are just as gorgeous as ever. Textured fabrics in neutral and bold colours, all featured on a diversity of feminine heels (wedges and slingbacks), pumps, T-bars and courts. We can't wait for Spring to arrive!

Terra Plana also fully support the handmade movement, utilising a 21st century artisan shoe maker approach. Better still, their use of natural, undyed and eco materials make for a highly sustainable collection. Reparability, lightness, anatomic design and durability are all staples of Terra Plana's sustainable shoe making. A variety of eco-friendly materials are used: Chrome free, vegetable tanned leathers, recycled materials, pure latex soling materials, recycled rubber soles and recycled foam foot beds. Terra Plana also features E-leather, an eco revolutionary leather by-product. It's a unique blend of leather and textile fibres intimately 're-woven' and finished so it is practically indistinguishable from good quality leather. This means closed loop water usage and best practice pollution prevention methods. And the result is a fantastic collection of eye-catching footwear. The GIN Lady's pleased to see the return of their signature quilt styles, with the introduction of a capsule collection Terra Plana Fresh, made from organic hemp and ecological leather.

First time Estethica exhibitor Nina Dolcetti also strutted her stuff to great effect. Nina's designs are made from pre-consumer waste, as well as cork and wood from sustainable sources. Nina Dolcetti’s eco luxury shoes are handmade in a small family-run factory in London.

You may recognise my favourite shoe from this year's collection. The "Bibsa" shoe was a limited edition for SS08, Nina's debut collection exclusively for From Somewhere and only one pair in each size were made. They originally retailed for £390 but Nina has a couple left so the sale price of £170 may tempt you to wear this highly collectible shoe.

 

Nina's debut collection for Spring Summer 2009 is entitled Greta – St Tropez girl goes Hippy…ish! Nina tells me "It’s a hazy lazy summer and the perfectly groomed St Tropez set have relaxed their rules in favour of a (slightly) lower maintenance, free loving, but always stylish lifestyle" Imagine it, their highlights have grown out, tans are natural, the champagne cocktail has been replaced with a joint and the sun-seeker sits in the marina while days are spent in a rural mountain villa (with pool of course!). But Nina may be limiting her idea of her customer base, as I'm not part of the 'set' but my feet would certainly love a pair. We think they're worth the investment!

The Greta collection uses raw edged leather in neutral tones, combined with brightly coloured silk sash ties to create a relaxed day-to-evening glamour that is effortlessly polished. Heels and platform wedges are architectural and boundary pushing, but always naturally bare in sandy cork and wood. We love!

The only ethical jeweler to exhibit at Estethica this year was the luxury, socially conscious, environmentally friendly company Fifi Bijoux.

Vivien Johnston's collection showcased several new additions of ethical jewellery. And her designs do much to raise awareness of the havoc mining can entail on our precious ecosystems and local mining communities. A generous ten per cent of profits go to the Entebbe Women's Association in Uganda, which helps send HIV orphans to school... A much needed cause for anyone like me who's witnessed the HIV plague in East Africa.

Fifi Bijoux's collection is highly collectible and it's a joy to see beautiful jewellery that comes from responsible mines that forego the use of cyanide, mercury or child labour. Vivien Johnston should be congratulated; She has done much to bring these issues to the forefront among her industry peers.

A wide variety of eco designs were on offer for handbag lovers. I particularly loved viewing Ignes' handbag collection. This cosmopolitan handbag label was the selected winner of the Most Socially Responsible brand at the Handbag Designer Awards in New York last year and Ignes continue to delight. Using high quality craftsmenship, Ignes' signature pieces are highly covetable. All of the leathers come from animals bred in free-range farms or South American estancias and are genuine by-products of the meat industry. Best of all, the Uruguay brother and sister team produce stunning handbag designs that any fashionista - eco or not - would be proud to carry.
 

Last but not least was the only undergarment exhibitor, G=9.8, the French label designed by Sophie Young. The GIN Lady wrote about its eco textiles in our article In search of sexy sustainable lingerie, and is definitely worth another mention. Afterall, can your ethical outfit be complete without eco underwear?! G=9.8 is all about 'seductive ecology'; its sensual velvety fabric is made from pine fibre and naturally dyed and packaged responsibly. G=9.8 are soon to be stocked by By Nature here in the UK (pre-orders are being taken), and offer a complete range of eco undergarments, from thigh high stockings, bras, teddies, loungewear, leggings and boxer shorts. Who'd have thought white pine trees could produce such gorgeous eco friendly lingerie?!

G=9.8 sum up Estethica's overall performance as an exhibit of eco fashion. Accessories and clothes alike display that ethics and gorgeous fashions can go hand in hand. The ability to innovate and produce sustainable fabrics into highly wearable and eye-catching designs is more than possible. The Estethica exhibitors really showed off what can be done. Let's hope the mainstream design houses take note.

To discover more eco friendly and ethical accessories, clothes and designs, check out our Eco Style and Organic Beauty Bazaar for more inspiration.