A guest appearance by trainee Katharina Rinn:

Before my apprenticeship at hessnatur, fashion for me was either stylish or certified-organic-boring. The fact that fashion can be stylish AND natural is something which I learned, so to speak, “bodily”, during my time here, as you can see in my photos: my favorite outfits.

The outfits not only look good, they feel good. And the best part – they are ecologically and sustainably manufactured. Now that I have been acquainted with clothing production and the textile chain, I can’t really look at a piece of clothing anymore without inevitably wondering about its origin and manufacture.

What really impresses me about hessnatur is that an ecologically sound product can be made at an affordable price. Which means a clear conscience for me, because I know that the people who made my sweater were paid fairly in a socially acceptable working environment. Which says a lot, in a world where prosperity is often based on exploitation.

In 1976, the idea of producing untainted baby clothing was the start of a concept far ahead of its time. Today, it’s the foundation for a socially and environmentally sustainable company, prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century. Thank you for your vision, Heinz Hess.

In continuing our commitment to pure design – green and sustainable – hessnatur is proud to announce the launch of the Eviana Hartman Collection exclusively for hessnatur in Fall 2010.

A young New York designer, Eviana Hartman first caught our attention with her remarkable collection, Bodkin by Eviana Hartman, which won the 2009 inaugural Ecco Domani Sustainable Design Award.  Meeting her and finding her as passionate as we are in the belief that sustainability can, and must, co-exist, we invited Eviana to design a collection just for us – and for you.

Since Eviana creates clothing for women who value comfort and versatility as well as beautiful fashion, we believe you will be as excited as we are when you see her Fall 2010 collection for hessnatur.  The entire collection uses the luxurious, pure and natural fabrics of hessnatur, from cashmere to wool, silk and cotton.  It’s wearable, versatile and, of course, respectful of the environment.

While I always anticipate the arrival of a new season, winter gets old pretty quickly in the Northeast.  So any sign of spring is welcome out in the frigid country.  Seeing the new hessnatur Spring Summer collection appear before my snowdrops,  I’ve already picked out my favorites.

I never thought I’d see a jacket I’d want as much as my natural waxed jacket – I live in that jacket – but this season’s hemp parka is a must for me. I’ll wear it over leggings, jeans and a turtleneck. My kind of relaxed dressing. Naturally (the perfect word for hessnatur clothes!) I look for new pieces in their fabric collections. And not just because of their purity, but because I gravitate toward simplicity with style. The way hessnatur fabrics feel as well as how they look is highest on my dressing particulars. The cotton and linen sweaters are wardrobe essentials for me. The easy pullover in dune, a perfect neutral, check.

And since I live in tees (who doesn’t?), how can I resist the new Love Life tee? Tiny plants and animals forming the globe, isn’t that how we all want to feel? If you need a touch of spring as much as I do, you’ll love the new collection!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAk0O0W1zMU[/youtube]

Here’s a behind the scenes of fashion photographer, Pete Ruppert, photographing the hessnatur Summer Collection.  We’ll launch the Collection in April.  Take a look at the sneak preview.

Winner

Our winner is Dianne for her comment: “I need some green in my closet to keep up with my son’s green closet. He currently is the only one in the house who has a complete green wardrobe and he’s making his parents look bad! I’ve loved the quality of hessnatur’s clothing for my son and would love to try something in the adult line. As parents normally do we put him first and made sure he’s had everything organic. On one salary that’s been hard but totally worth it. Our dream is that one day the whole family will wear nothing but organic cotton.”

Thanks for joining and it’s never too early to think about next contest!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

For today’s contest, you have a chance to win the $85, 100% Organic Cotton Cardigan (pictured above) from our Spring Eco-Collection that has just arrived!

Now — want to win? Learn more about entering and walking away with a natural from hessnatur’s Spring Eco-Collection.

How To Enter
1. Just leave a comment below telling why you need some green in your closet. We’re going to judge based on orginality and creativity.

2. That’s it! If you’re the winner, hessnatur will email you and ship the product to the address provided in the commenter’s responsive email.

Good luck everybody. It’s time to start commenting about why you want the Organic Cotton Cardigan!

Contest Rules:
Must be 18 years of age to enter. Please, one entry per person! Giveaway is available to residents of the U.S. only. If we don’t hear from the commenter within twenty-four (24) hours, we’ll go ahead and pick another winner. No substitutions for cash are permitted with these giveaway. By submitting, you are agreeing to the full rules and restrictions. Comments will remain open for entries until Thursday, February 11, at 11:59 p.m. EST.