Now that fall’s approaching, we’re getting ready to say goodbye to designer Sarah Ivancic, who leaves us to finish her degree in Fiber from the Maryland Institute College of Art. You’ve probably noticed Sarah around the store these past few months—a girl with her amount of je ne sais quoi is hard to miss. Sarah not only contributed her artistry and expertise to our summer Design Lab collection, Black Study, but she also made a real statement with her series of crocheted black jewelry, “Oil Spill”, which we are so proud to feature in our store.

I hope Sarah won’t mind if I mark her departure with a few words about her beautiful series.

Here at Substance, our goal is to highlight and perpetuate sustainable fashion—we recognize that the link between our products and our world is undeniable.

That said, the Gulf Disaster has opened the doors to debate about sustainability all over the world, and fashion has not been left out. Recently, Vogue Italia shocked readers with a photo spread picturing models dressed to the nines in head-to-toe black, lying on rocks, covered in what can only be described as goo. One popular fashion blog criticized the spread as “glamorizing” ecological disaster for the sake of merchandizing. But what was more interesting to me than the shocked and angry responses of bloggers and columnists were the comments left on those blogs by those who attempted to reconcile the photos with this notion of fashion=art=awareness. Not everyone agrees in this particular case, but what I think we can all agree on is that good art and good design should, at times, shock its viewers into awareness, and that fashion should be just that: an art.

Now, I don’t know if the clothing featured in the Vogue Italia spread was sustainable design (wouldn’t it be loverly if it had been), and perhaps that’s the crux around which criticism has stirred. But what I do know is that we have been so lucky at Substance this summer to work with an artist who understands that fashion is art, and that both fashion and art, at their very best, help us to become more environmentally and socially aware. While there’s obvious tension between Vogue glamour and natural disaster, and it’s understandable that so many people are on the fence when faced with something like this, what sets Sarah’s work apart from that kind of controversy is the obvious gestures towards sustainability that accompany her attention-grabbing work.

“Oil Spill” is a perfect representation of the relationship between fashion and ecological awareness. Crafted entirely from salvaged materials from the store, this jewelry series is a delicate, dramatic example of the beauty that comes out of re-use and repurposing. The loops of weaved black knit, leather and tulle may be a thousand times more lovely than tar balls on a beach (good thing, right?), yet they’re named appropriately, and not without a nuanced irony. “Oil Spill” uses sustainability to call attention to our need for exactly that, making these one-of-a-kind creations true “statement” pieces. And best of all, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sarah Ivancic’s “Oil Spill” series goes to support the National Audubon Society, to aid in its animal relief efforts in the Gulf. These necklaces are what happens when awareness meets beautiful, unique design and an uncompromising point of view.

Sarah, we have been lucky to see your artistry at work, and we wish you all the best of luck. We’ll miss you!