Fashion with a conscious

A former dresser to the stars and a current champion of the under-privileged Western Australia's Charlene O'Brien is on a one woman crusade, as Ruth Gourley discovered.

Being responsible for actress Sharon Stone's wardrobe, importing 20 foot containers of used clothing from Australia to Botswana and working as a tourist guide on safari trips in Victoria Falls is hardly the tyO'Brien, who graduated from the London College of Fashion in the mid-1980s, established her own fashion business, dubbed tierra ecologia, in 2002. Balancing the latest technology with ancient craftsmanship in clothing production, she endeavours to combine fashion and conscience by designing clothing which preserves ancient hand crafts, creates fair trade opportunities and provides employment opportunities within community villages which, she claims, "helps break the poverty cycle".
O'Brien, who settled in Perth in 1997, works hard at producing unique handcrafted, natural and eco-sensitive clothing that has minimal impact on the environment, is community focused and encompasses that "feel good" factor.
"We invent new yarns using recycled denim, organic cotton, hemp and naturally dyed wool and silk for eco textiles, eco fashion and accessories. Our production methods use ancient hand skills in knit, crochet and weaves. We design for the self-aware man and woman who value well-made hand crafted products. Our clients care about the earth and about humanity and by choosing our brand, they are able to support the environment as well as look good."
Describing her collection as "eco chic lifestyle designer wear", the 41-year-old admits her business is also her passion.
The colours she uses in her range are Australian-inspired turquoises, greens and natural dye pigments such as indigo, madder, henna and turmeric. She says one of the things she is most proud of is that the labels only use organic cotton, hemp and silk, "basically only 100 per cent natural fibres".
"For example, hemp is a beautiful textile to wear for an environmental alternative to linen. Its qualities are extraordinary. It has three times the tensile strength of cotton and is 25 times more durable, as well as being resistant to stains, mould and bacteria, and moths and silverfish. It's even fire and heat resistant. What's more, it's perfect for Australia's hot climate where we need trans-seasonal clothing."
O'Brien believes the Tierra ecologia offering is unparalleled because the cloth is individually hand-dyed, as well as being handcrafted. Meaning each piece is truly individual.
Her denim label, eco denim, uses an innovative new yarn from recycled denim, which is hand knitted and crocheted by a Vietnamese co-operative. O'Brien, who lived in Vietnam for six months during which time she put her young son into a Vietnamese school, says denim is one of the world's most produced textiles, despite the fact cotton is prone to high chemical and pesticide usage.
"Denim waste from jeans manufacturers becomes a landfill problem because it doesn't biodegrade when it hits the dump. By collecting denim off-cuts from factories we prevent more chemical usage and landfill by creating products from the waste. The off-cuts are shredded back into a fibre and then re-spun into a yarn. The yarn is then transported to Australia where it is spun and used to create clothing and accessories.
But it's not only the environment she is helping to protect.
"One of my major goals is to support fair trade practices. This provides self-empowerment to small global communities with appropriate hand skills. Our community workers are paid fairly and this encourages the emergence of micro businesses where women take responsibility for themselves and therefore the knock on effect is that poverty within these communities is diminished, if not eradicated."
Balancing motherhood with business, O'Brien travelled to London with her nine-year-old son earlier this year to take part in the Australian Style event, coordinated by Austrade, at Australia House. The trip also provided her with the opportunity to seek European interest in her 2006 summer collection. The UK visit proved highly successful for O'Brien, with her eco logika label selected to promote eco designer wear within the trendy European market, in addition to attracting media attention in international fashion mags Drapers and International Textiles. As a result, Charlene remains in discussion with a European agent who is interested in distributing her range throughout the UK.
"What really came across during the UK trip was that, as a company, we are different in so many ways. We are focused on customer needs, we conserve the environment by using recycled and organic materials, we help global communities sustain themselves, we eradicate poverty and prostitution by creating jobs at grass root levels, we use no chemicals or pesticides in production, we create a demand through sales to keep ancient hand skills alive, we empower communities by taking responsibility and we save on water, the world's most valuable resource."
And so what of the future for this determined woman and her label?
"I have many goals but I am determined to gain accreditation with the International Fair Trade Association in the short to medium term, so that all of my products are endorsed," O'Brien says.
"I am also dedicated to creating the ecologically sound and personally rewarding fashion that is the mantra of eco logika Australia. We will continue to enhance the environment through our responsible production methods and we will carry on supporting skilled artisans and our community by providing a range of fashionable products made with integrity."

Pull quote: "Denim waste from jeans manufacturers becomes a landfill problem because it doesn't biodegrade when it hits the dump. By collecting denim off-cuts from factories we prevent more chemical usage and landfill by creating products from the waste."