In the sustainable fashion conversation, eveningwear is almost never mentioned. It boils down to the fact that most sustainable fabrics are inherently casual—organic cotton, Tencel, hemp, linen—and the brands that are using them have real life and accessibility on their minds. T-shirts and knits have mass appeal; four-figure party dresses? Not so much. In a few years, we won’t have to argue that sustainability is luxury, but until then, there are a few evening designers who are making the case.
Out in Los Angeles, Mary Alice Haney is one of them. As a first-person witness to last month’s wildfires, she admits the health of the planet is her biggest concern these days. She introduced Haney’s Green Label a few seasons back, which consists of lower-priced dresses made from leftover fabrics. (Reducing waste will be a top priority for other woke brands in 2019.) Most of those fabrics are sourced from eco-friendly and low-impact couture mills in Italy and France. The silky eco-material of a split-sleeve red minidress, for instance, felt truly luxe—and the woman who buys it will notice. Haney’s clients aren’t looking for polyester gowns, anyway, so she’s free to experiment with those thoughtful, couture-grade (and possibly more expensive) materials.
Good intentions aside, women really shop with Haney because her dresses are fun, flattering, and unapologetically sexy. This season, the designer drew inspiration from Marilyn Minter, whose paintings are displayed throughout Haney’s home. Haney described her favorite piece as “voluptuous.” You could say the same about the new hothouse floral slip dresses for Pre-Fall, ditto the iridescent sequined minis. For her younger shoppers, she pointed out a rainbow-striped sequined slip—it will retail for around $500—and a group of sparkly coral tweed pieces. She explained that the tweed crop top and shorts were a riff on classic Chanel, modified for Gen Z. Those girls are likely familiar with Mademoiselle’s signature bouclé, but they prefer to be a little barer when they go out at night.
