Is still noteworthy when a Portland designer makes the Style Section?

Well, Nau does so in today’s edition, where a large photo of their (really cute) Dualist Jacket appears with the article “A World Consumed By Guilt: Eco-shopping to save the land, but is it all truly green?” Regardless of local interest (CEO Chris Van Dyke is also quoted in the piece), it’s an interesting article in that it weighs the pros and cons of different modes of “green” apparel design and production—Nau, for instance, is criticized for hauling the raw materials, fabric, and eventual final product of the jacket through three countries before it’s ready to purchase—and notes the complications involved in deeming something truly green. The conclusion, as you might guess, is that nothing’s perfect, and consumers may need to learn to accept compromises. On the other hand, manufacturers need to be transparent—possibly by legal compliance—in their green claims.