5 minute read
Sustainable brands to have on your radar
styleSustainable
Get clued up on the brands to shop and build a wardrobe that doesn’t cost the earth (literally)
HE fashion industry produces 20 per
Tcent of global wastewater, 10 per cent of global carbon emissions and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally – but we can help turn the tides…just by wearing our clothes.
Livia Firth, the founder of Eco Age (a company that certifies brands for their sustainability) launched the #30Wears campaign to encourage us to only buy an item if we know we’ll wear it more than 30 times to justify its environmental impact. You’d be surprised at how many times you end up saying no!
In a bid to shop more mindfully, these are the best sustainable fashion brands to know right now (and add to your wardrobe without guilt).
Reformation
In the sustainability space, Reformation are one of the biggest on the block. They champion the message that “being naked is the number one sustainable option” and “wearing reformation is number two”, with a roster of trend-led collections from sportswear through to wedding gowns and day dresses. The brand was born out of sustainability when Founder, Yael Aflalo, sold vintage Pina Top, clothing out of a small Reformation, Los Angeles storefront net-a-porter.com, in 2009. Since then, £60 Reformation has gone on to design its own lines to ‘celebrate the feminine silhouette’ and even built their own factory in LA in partnership with Dress, groups like the Fair Reformation, Labour Association net-a-porter.com, to bring healthy £276 and happy working environments to everyone who is part of the brand. Rescued deadstock fabrics (offcuts and things that aren’t sellable) form the baseline of the designs in small quantities – so you can almost guarantee no one at the party will be wearing the same dress as you. They’re also pretty open about the fact they can answer “who made it?” at every level of their supply chain, making them a huge threat to the fast fashion brands we’re currently used to seeing line shop windows – particularly as they’ve got a huge celebrity following including Kaia Gerber and Hailey Bieber as fans regularly seen in their clothes.
Mother of Pearl
There’s a common misconception that sustainable clothing is always too quirky for the average person, or at the opposite end of the scale, too boring. Mother of Pearl have taken over the runways as a trailblazer in wearable fashion that has little environmental impact, strong social messaging, and celebrates individuality – whatever that means to you.
Amy Powney, Creative Director, says: “There’s no handbook on how to make a brand sustainable, but I wanted to know from start to finish where our product was grown or derived, who was making it and the social impacts along the way.”
And Mother of Pearl allows you to do exactly that. All workers are paid a living wage and their ‘No-Frills’ core collection is made of entirely natural and organic materials.
Mother of Pearl’s pieces are contemporary with a side of attitude, and more recently, they’ve branched out into homeware with a new collection in partnership with John Lewis which is instantly recognisable as their brand. Tan jacket,
motherofpearl.co.uk,
£295, Sweatshirt,
motherofpearl.co.uk,
£195
Lark & Berry
Whilst diamonds are a girl’s best friend, unfortunately, they’re not particularly ethical or sustainable. But thanks to modern technology, brands like Lark & Berry are creating cutting-edge lab-grown diamonds that hold the same quality as their mined counterparts, without all of the messy middle.
CVD (chemical vapour disposition) is their preferred method to culture diamonds and involves putting the diamond ‘seed’ in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-rich gas, which is then heated to 14k Gold Ring, around 800 degrees. Under these conditions, larkandberry.com, £385 the gases begin to ‘stick’ to the seed, growing the diamond carbon atom by atom. In fact, these diamonds usually end up being purer than mined diamonds as scientists can control the environment in which they grow.
They’re then packed into dainty luxury jewellery pieces that make for the perfect keepsake gift to enjoy without damaging the planet.
Romper, Ninety Percent,
net-a-porter.com,
£55
Pyjama set, Ninety Percent,
net-a-porter.com,
£56
Ninety Percent
Packed with 90s-inspired sports daywear, Ninety Percent is dedicated comfortable, wardrobe staples that have spanned decades with style.
Just like its name, 90% of its profits are split between five charities, as well as the people who make their collections happen. Each item of clothing sold contains a unique code which allows its owner to vote for which charity they want their portion of proceeds to go to. Options include Wild Aid, War Child, and BRAC. “We created a concept that is all about making maximum change with our profits, where our customers know they are being a part of a revolution in the way businesses are run,” says one of the founders, Shafiq Hassan. “Why not change and find a new version of capitalism - our version? We’re trying a crazy idea and seeing if it connects with people.”
Stine Goya
Stine Goya is the Danish brand known for its playful prints and bright colours, adored by the likes of Candice Brathwaite and Elsa Hosk.
They’re one of the most open brands when it comes to shifting towards becoming more planet-friendly, and acknowledge that while they’re trying, there’s still a way to go. “We are in no way perfect and will never claim to be, but aim to be transparent and hold ourselves accountable to you, our stakeholders and customers, well beyond surpassing our goals,” their website reads. “What started with one capsule collection created with 100% sustainable and recycled materials has led to a mission to use 90% sustainable and/or recycled materials across our entire collection by 2025. We are honest in saying this goal is ambitious.”
From recycled polyester to Eco Vero Viscose and Tencel blend, this is just the start for luxury fashion brands changing how the future of our wardrobe looks, and it’s hopeful that this pressure will encourage others to follow suit.
Trousers, Stine Goya,
net-a-porter.com,
£140 Top, Stine Goya,
net-a-porter.com,
£196
