*Event* – EcoChic Fashion Show, Geneva

Fashionistas to the fore in UN battle to preserve biodiversity

The United Nations is mobilizing the fashion and cosmetics industries in an “eco-fashion” battle to curb the unprecedented loss of the world’s biodiversity, from the over-harvesting of wild species for their skins or natural fibres to the pollution caused by manufacturing processes.

At the initiative of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), more than 500 prominent figures from government, international organizations and the above industries will meet in Geneva on 20 and 21 January to call for ethical action by producers and consumers against the rapid loss of the world’s species as part of the International Year of Biodiversity.

The General Assembly proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity in a bid to halt the unprecedented extinction of species due to human activity – at a pace some experts estimate to be 1,000 times more rapid than the natural rate typical of the Earth’s long-term history – and multiple events are scheduled throughout the 12 months to produce blueprints for action.

“Eco-fashion does not involve the unsustainable harvesting of species such as the Tibetan antelope, which has declined in number from over 1 million in 1900 to 75,000 today because poachers sell the skins for the production of luxury shawls,” UNCTAD said today in a news release, stressing the role that governments, businesses, and consumers can play in promoting biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

“Changing the way consumers and markets value biodiversity offers an opportunity to maximize the positive and minimize the negative impact on communities, economies and the environment. By further redefining sustainable development to include greater business engagement in policy and strategy debates, prospects for tackling the global challenges presented by poverty and environmental degradation are strengthened.”

The Geneva gathering will begin with a high-profile business seminar and conclude with an “EcoChic” fashion show and exhibition launch celebrating sustainable fashion and accessories, of which over 50 have been donated by designers from around the world, including the renowned figures Diane Von Furstenberg, Manish Arora, Bora Aksu, and Thakoon.

In addition, established “sustainable” fashion labels such as Edun, Noir, Ciel, and Kumvana Gomani will contribute garments and accessories from their latest collections…**

**This article can be read in its entirety at www.un.org

And we’ll be there!