When you think "organic" in the context of clothing or home accessories, does a particular image come to mind? What does that object look like, and feel like? How colorful is it? How embellished?

I find it very interesting to observe that as awareness of organic materials grows, and we find more organics on the consumer market, a certain sense of "organicness" in design is developing in parallel.

Design-wise, "organic" appears to mean:

• muted colors (inspired by natural dye colors, even though plant dyes are not always used on organic materials). Cream rather than white; little use of black; earth-tones rather than jewel tones.
  • West Elm organic bedding
  • Crate & Barrel organic towels

• modern, understated motifs (stylized bamboo leaves are a big hit, as are hand-drawn flowers, blades of grass, and any sort of open linework)
  • Bed, Bath & Beyond crib bedding

• in prints, palettes are often restricted to just a few colors

• Japanese-inspired elements (which I suppose is part of the style favoring "Zen" simplicity) 
  • Gingko leaf sheets from the Company Store

Certainly some of this is obvious, and understandable: many organic textiles use natural basecloths, hence the cream color; plant-based dyes are emulated, if not actually used; and nature-oriented motifs are a good match to a product that aims to raise awareness about organic materials. (Not to mention it's still hard to find organic fabrics that aren't beige!)

However, don't we limit ourselves if we follow this aesthetic too closely? If consumers only see earth-toned clothing or bamboo-themed sheets, aren't we making "organic" into a style as well as a material? If we stay too close to this "eco-aesthetic", couldn't it prevent organics from making the jump into mainstream culture?

Perhaps there's a twinge of insecurity in this: in order to sell something as "organic", we have to make it look organic too -- otherwise it won't differentiate on the shelf from the conventional items on either side of it, and won't justify the higher price.

Understandable, but limiting.

So let's go out there and make hot-pink, sequin-strewn T-shirts that just happen to be made of hemp or organic cotton. Because the fiber is good for us, and good for the planet, and the design is whatever it needs to be... working with the materials, but not determined by them.

Here are a few of my favorite designers who do interesting things with organics:

• Rajboori - bright, geometric quilts made from peace silk!
• Conscious Clothing - hemp/silk wedding attire
• Mountains of the Moon
• Amenity Home
• 2modern.com
• Fawn and Forest