Edun Fall 2012

What is it that they say about good things in unexpected packaging? Not judging books by their covers, etc..? Well, consider me surprised. Edun, a brand started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and her husband, Bono (maybe you've heard of him?) as a for-profit venture to encourage sustainable and fair trade in Africa, sounds dubious. A celebrity line? Focused on ethical fashion (a wonderful, if not always....fashionable...notion)? Don't get me wrong, I love Bono. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby were monumental albums in my life. But that doesn't mean the clothing is going to have the same impact as the music. 

But Ms. Hewson and Bono, as one should suspect, are smart. When LVMH purchased 49% of the brand in 2009, they tapped Sharon Wauchob as Creative Director. Since then, the brand has quietly grown with attractive, though not remarkable, garments.

Until this week. When Ms. Wauchob sent the Fall 2012 collection through a darkly lit warehouse at the Chelsea Piers, cool girls everywhere took note (Helena Christensen and Liya Kebede were on the front row)! Graphic knits, funky prints, sculptural construction, and baggy-yet-somehow-fitted leather pants filled the runway, seemingly defying description until I noticed the inspiration for the collection was "safari punk". Forget the packaging, these are clothes that I want to wear.