Fall Fashion Week - earth creations(R)

Most of the time, we wash clothing to get rid of dirt.

But Martin Ledvina and Joy Maples, the founders of earth creations (R), discovered that dirt - particularly red clay - could actually be added to clothing to create beautiful designs.

Martin and Joy have built a business out of creating comfy and eco-friendly clothes for men, women and children using natural clay dyes.

We don't want to pigeonhole earth creations, but we think the style could be described as modern hippy chic. In other words, you'll find lots of earth tones (not surprising, really, since the colors come from the earth) and plenty of loose-fitting clothing that drapes and hangs to flattering effect.

The clothes are built from earth-friendly, sustainable fibers such as industrial hemp, organic cotton and bamboo. Most garments are sewn inside earth creations' own factory in Alabama, where the company says employees are paid a fair wage and enjoy a clean, safe working environment.

According to this history of dyeing, modern synthetic dyes date only to 1856. Before that, humanity made art and fashion using dyes and paints made from natural materials - clays, berries, pounded mollusk shells, indigo plants, charcoal and so forth.

By returning to the artistic traditions at the roots of mankind, earth creations has given us beautiful clothing that is both natural and biodegradable, meaning that the clothes will not have any harmful impact on the world we leave for human generations to come.

Where to buy:

You can buy earth creations clothing through the company's own online store (where you can sometimes find sales like the hemp and organic cotton Criss Cross Top marked down from $49 to $15) or at other Internet retailers.

Want to see which shade of clay looks best against your skin before you buy? Use the Store Finder to find a local retailer near you.