Habitude is a design-oriented company with a strong belief in protecting and respecting natural resources through all of their business and personal choices. Their aim is to offer sustainability and style to the eco-conscious consumer. I would even venture that Habitude will be offering sustainability to the consumer in general, as you certainly don't have to be eco-conscious to enjoy this collection.

When designer Laura Chapuis was at FIT in 1998, she participated in a Master/Apprentice program. She was paired with Diane Von Furstenburg to fullfill the task of designing an outfit using fabrics made from recycled plastics. The outfits were then presented in a fashion show at Bryant Park. Laura states, "It was a really exciting event to be a part of, but also really got me thinking about environmentally-aware fabrics and what else I could do with them."

After ten years of studying and working in New York, Laura made her way to Texas to literally seek greener pastures. When she discovered her new home state was where most of the organic cotton grown in the US came from, it was serendipity. She felt she had arrived at the time and place to do what she had always dreamed of doing.

Her collection is full of the kind of easy, good looking separates I crave. You cannot go wrong with empire dresses and little cropped jackets. Laura's designs are a welcome voice in the growing eco-fashion choir.