From light bulbs to coffee beans, the range of eco and fair trade products has steadily expanded, and after decades of whispers amongst the fashion pack, the industry has finally stepped up its game. Eco-chic has been thrust into the spotlight, with the first UK branch of online ethical shopping hub Ascension opening in St Christopher’s Place in November, and London Fashion Week’s autumn/winter Estethica shows drawing more designers and crowds than ever in 2009.

Having previously been considered the realm of hemp-wearing hippies, eco-fashion hit the catwalks of New York back in 2005, and a growing number of couture labels have since introduced recycled fabrics and materials such as bamboo cloth into their collections. The inclusion of a ten-page ethical fashion spread by Vogue in 2006 confirmed that amongst the fashion elite, it is now cool to have a conscience.

In the UK we've had quite a bit of snow recently (by our standards, anyway). This afternoon I made my way to the local park and took a few photos of the snow, sledges and stunning skies. Here are some of my favourites (NB. no effects have been added and no tweaking has taken place):