Fashion: Luxe jeans go green

It is a dilemma every responsible fashionista faces: what to wear with one's 100 per cent organic, ethically produced, fairly traded cotton T-shirt? Why, a pair of 100 per cent organic, ethically produced, fairly traded jeans, of course. And getting your hands on a handsome pair is no longer a problem, thanks to Sharkah Chakra, the first luxury denim brand to be given the Fairtrade Foundation's seal of approval.

Hand-woven by Indian artisans and coloured using only natural dyes, the brand's ethical and environmental credentials are so spotless that one could be forgiven for suspecting that style must have been left languishing at the bottom of the agenda.

Not so, says founder, and former Harvey Nichols denim buyer, Kate Simmons. "I'm passionate about jeans and wanted to create something that combines the craftsmanship associated with old-fashioned luxury with a contemporary eco-friendly manufacturing process," she says. "It's about having a unique pair of jeans that will look great today and in a year or two when you've worn them in."

With this in mind, Simmons has created two styles each for male and female denim lovers. There's a classic cigarette pant and boot cut for women, while men can pick from a vintage-inspired straight leg or relaxed fit. And whether you opt for lotus, indigo or Bengal blue, you can be assured that these are as green as jeans get.

Sharkah Chakra jeans are available from Harvey Nichols, Matches, Bamford & Sons, Liberty and online at www.sharkahchakra.com, priced from £195