NYFW: Auralis Spring 2011 Crafts An Urban Tropical Fantasy

So the word is out that Auralis Spring 2011 lit up the runway at The GreenShows like a glistening, tropical sun at the height of a graphically-enchanted beachside afternoon. Cool and fresh was the overall tone, though, for this gorgeous debut collection by Brooklyn and Puerto-Rican-based, Auralis Herrero Lugo. To think that several weeks ago Auralis was diligently fundraising via Kickstarter to even get to NYFW's premiere sustainable fashion showcase. Auralis Spring 2011 spoke to the bold vision of this creative designer as well as the future of sustainable fashion in bright new outposts and vibrant cultural communities.

Running the gamut from 'bicycle print' eco-fabrics, the handcrafted Proto Hat (which I previously featured on Hand/Eye's blog), and of course, her signature style flouncy salsa dresses in electric Ahimsa-silk gold and fiery red, Auralis has convinced us that the latest wave of eco fashion is far from bland or shapeless. With a high slit up the side to reveal a spicy urban hottie who probably bikes to work rather than sit in traffic on the freeway, it looks as if sustainable style as we know it has definitively taken a sharp turn for the sexier.

*photos by: Rafael Diaz and Monica Felix (courtesy of Auralis Studio)

Help Auralis Herrero Lugo Get to NYFW's The GreenShows

Many of you will recall designer Tara St. James of Study NY’s video fundraising appeal and subsequent democratizing of New York Fashion Week in September 2009. It seems like eons ago given all of the amazing things that Tara has been able to accomplish in just under one year. With the same grassroots spirit, Brooklyn-based fashion designer Auralís Herrero-Lugo is reaching out to the sustainable design community to pull together just over $5,000 for her S/S 2011 runway presentation at this September’s The GreenShows.

Auralís divides her time between New York CIty and Puerto Rico, working diligently on both islands to promote ethical and fair trade production and new jobs for local economies. In addition to her stunning fashion initiatives, Auralís is also an advocate for organic agriculture in numerous regions of her beloved Puerto Rico, as well as supporting urban planning initiatives for pedestrians and cyclists in her Brooklyn neighborhood.

Starre Vartan at Eco Chick did a great write up on Auralís Studio’s sexy and versatile S/S 2010 collection, and I would have to agree that the designer's implementation of soft eco-fabrics and chic black and white silhouettes for her jumpers and dresses makes her a cool favorite for Summer 2010.

Auralís is proposing the following for S/S 2011 via her Kickstarter page:

“Aside from making beautiful sustainable clothing for men and women, I aim to rescue old artisanal and eco-conscious Puerto Rican craft methods from extinction. I will employ and collaborate with local Puerto Rican artists to reinterpret and modernize some of the island’s cultural troves. I also want to showcase select sustainable and ethical fashion initiatives already happening on the island, such as Concalma - a line of sustainable and ethically manufactured bags and purses. S/S 2011 designs will include exclusive custom fabric prints from local NYC textile designers, which will be block printed with vegetable-based, non-toxic inks at my Brooklyn studio. These collaborations will be featured in the upcoming runway presentation with my S/S 2011 pieces."

If you are as inspired as I am by Auralís Herrero Lugo's latest ethical fashion initiatives, please visit Kickstarter to show your support by Thursday, September 2, 2010.

You can also read my article on Hand/Eye about the woven 'Proto hats' that Auralís intends to send down the runway as part of her new ethically-crafted accessories collection.

*top images are of the Auralís Convertible Jumper in black / photography by Raquel Perez Puig