''If you can make those choices appealing to people and still make it with the environment in mind, then I think more people who have been wanting to make those choices will drive to buy those products,'' Keller said. Her line includes quilted, paisley patterned jackets, billowy gaucho pants and sensibly tailored button-down blouses, most in earth tones of rust, sage and lemon. All the fabrics, made of natural cotton, are handmade and hand stamped, and then sewn by foot-cranked sewing machines in India by villagers who are paid fairly and are treated humanely, she said.

One of the leading designers in the industry is Stewart+Brown, which sells its organic cotton fashion to high-end boutiques around the country. Sales have doubled every year since launching the company in 2002 in Ventura, Calif., said one of the founders, Howard Brown. He expects business to grow even more now that Bono is involved.

"That guy can reach a massive audience," Brown said. "That was really the adrenaline that this whole movement needed. We are very, very thankful." Others are getting into it, too. H&M stores are testing the market by ordering 5 percent organic cotton T-shirts from Turkey and is looking to expand to India with T-shirts made from organic and conventional cottons. Nike has been steadily increasing its reliance on organic cotton since first using it in products in 1998. Cutter & Buck has knit shirts made of organic cotton. And Nordstrom's Product Group is working toward making 5 percent of its cotton products out of organic cotton by the end of 2007. Stores also carry some organic cotton products, including T-shirts and tank tops by Eileen Fisher.

Other designers are making hip-hugging jeans out of organic cottons. They're using vegetable dyes to color T-shirt designs. And they're using hemp to make fitted jackets with bones for buttons.

Another stereotype designers are battling is cost. Most people assume because something is organic, it's more expensive. But designers argue that organic cotton farmers don't have to spend money on pesticides to care for their crops and can sell their cotton at lower prices. And since most designers have small, growing companies, there aren't the typical expenses that most design houses have, including big salaries to pay executives. If the social and environmental issues don't sway customers, designers hope the fabrics themselves will. Organic and natural cottons typically feel softer than conventional cottons. And most are easier to clean and care for. "It just washes beautifully," said Margaret Hartley, a frequent Mehera Shaw customer.

She said she's drawn to the clothes not so much because of the social and environmental care that Keller has put into the business. She just loves the clothes."The colors are fantastic," she said.What I love is that the clothes have sophistication." "From everything I've read and everything I've heard and my personal experience, it's softer and it feels nicer," Keller said."I want to make them into styles that are really appealing. Appealing to taste is the bottom line."