How is everyone coping with lockdown? I hope these tips helped a little. Today, I’m sharing a brief update about lockdown, why I think sustainable fashion is so important and my top 5 sustainable fashion brands.

One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about during lockdown is the environment. I feel like Mother Nature has sent us to our room to reflect on our behaviour! And if we don’t change our ways then we may be ‘grounded’ for a lot longer next time!

With ‘Earth Day’ last week, it seemed like the perfect time to think about how we can help the environment by making more considered choices in our clothes shopping.

What is sustainable fashion

Is it the type of material? Vegan? Fair-trade? Ethically produced? Environmentally friendly? Is it anything that isn’t fast-fashion? Well, sustainable fashion covers the sourcing, production and distribution of the garment. To help clarify what exactly it is, I asked Minan Wong, the designer and founder of MinanWong.com, and here is her answer. (You can see my full interview with Minan here).

“Sustainable fashion has many meanings and angles to different brands and consumers.  I want to be transparent that while I want a fully sustainable collection, it is not always possible.  Sustainability needs to be a holistic process from the grower to fabric spinners to dyers to cutters, and then to the garment sewers.  If you use organic cotton, then you also need to look at the dyestuff used as well as water consumption regardless of whether the material is organic.  While recycled fabrics are great to avoid stripping the earth’s natural resources, the recycling process is sometimes harsh.  You also need to look at where the material is purchased and whether it will require air or boat shipping which will emit CO2 into the environment.  For my brand, sustainability is a design for longevity & purpose with fabrics that will hold up for over 13 wears and which are manufactured locally. ” 

So, when considering our wardrobe choices, we need to look at the lifespan of a piece of clothing from start to finish.

The Choice of Material: Organic material is better than “regular” material, as it doesn’t use pesticides or harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment and for our skin. Also we need to be aware that some manmade fabrics are damaging to the environment, as they’re often non-biodegradable.

The Production Process: What chemicals and dyes are used in the recycling/production process, and are they harmful to the environment and/or toxic to the workers? Also, what about the company’s ethical practices? Are the workers paid fairly and do they have good working conditions?

The Distribution Process: How is the garment distributed to the consumer? What kind of carbon footprint is the brand creating?

Why does it matter?

The main reason, of course, is that the textile industry is notorious for being one of the most polluting industries in the environment (second only to the oil industry). That being said, many high-street brands are waking up to this, and are launching ‘sustainable”/ ‘eco-conscious” initiatives.

For example, H&M have launched their ‘Conscious Collection’ label , Zara have recently launched a sustainable collection titled #JoinLife, Boohoo launched their ‘For The Future’ range , Mango have their ‘Committed Collection’,  ASOS unveiled their ‘Responsible Edit’ and Net-a-Porter launched its ‘Net Sustain’ initiative, a section on the site showcasing more sustainable brands, last month.

5 Sustainable Fashion Brands that should be on your radar

Reformation

One of the first major sustainable fashion brands to hit the mainstream was Reformation. Their slogan is “Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. Reformation is #2.“

Reformation’s design mission is to make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure, and they source the most beautiful and sustainable fabrics possible to bring those designs to life quickly.

They put sustainability at the core of their practices and they are dedicated to reducing waste, water and energy footprints. During the current pandemic, they’ve partnered with the City of Los Angeles (where the brand is based) to make masks for essential workers.

Minan Wong

Minan launched her brand four years ago when she identified a gap in the market.  While all the brands were chasing the millennial customers, Gen X was left behind by the marketeers, and it was Gen X that inspired the ‘Minan Wong Collection’.

Each piece is created to support women in their everyday challenges by highlighting their strength and confidence, and she builds the collection around practically.

Minan wants women to feel supported and confident in her designs that show off the women herself, and not the clothing.   Her collection is made up of elegant dresses, and separates that effortlessly transitions from day to night.

sustainable fashion brands
sustainable fashion brands
sustainable fashion brands

Boden

The British brand, Boden, was founded more than 25 years ago and is renowned for its sustainable clothing collection. The quote below is taken from their site.

“We take climate change extremely seriously and are constantly taking steps to reduce our environmental impact. We’re looking at everything we do to see if we can be using more sustainable materials, reducing waste and working more efficiently. This might mean anything from sending our tea bags to the compost heap and banning the use of disposable cutlery and coffee cups in our café to using regenerated fibres in our swimwear and sustainably sourced paper for our catalogues.”

During the Covid pandemic, they have partnered with Helpforce, a charity, which coordinate initiatives to help make the lives of NHS staff and patients better, and they’re donating clothes to those that need them, from nightwear for NHS workers who can’t return home at the end of their shift, to clothes for recovered patients to wear when they leave hospital. 

Their stores are currently closed to protect their staff, but they are offering free delivery and returns from 27.04.20 to 02.05.20, with the code: 6T2C. Click here to find out more.

Maggie Marilyn

New Zealand label ‘Maggie Marilyn’ came to the forefront when Meghan Markle wore a customised version of the “Leap of Faith” blazer dress during her New Zealand tour in October 2018, and the brand has since gone from strength to strength.

Maggie Marilyn is committed to manufacturing locally, so the the majority of her products are produced near her studio in New Zealand.

“Making a difference means building a brand that champions transparency, empowers all people in the supply chain and ensures the health of our beautiful planet is at the forefront of every decision we make. In addition to this, I aim to re-educate people on the value of their clothing. Our clothes should make our heart sing. They should live with us through a lifetime of experiences and if they should find themselves no longer needed, they should find their way back into a circular industry that re-homes or repurposes. ” 

Sézane

You already know that Sézane is one of my favourite brands (see “5 French brands you should know about“), and this French brand uses environmentally-friendly materials, such as organic cotton, linen, lyocell as well as certified materials.

Sézane opened its first bricks and mortar store, “L’Appartement” in Paris, open from Tuesday to Saturday, in 2015 and has subsequently opened stores in Notting Hill, London, New York and Aix-en Provence, and of course, you can still purchase online! (only online at the moment!)

“The journey towards sustainability is an ongoing one, but a goal to which Sézane is deeply committed. We have sought to scrutinize everything we do: working with environmental experts to obtain the most stringent certifications in every sector”

In 2017, “Demain” was born, a charity program to support equal opportunities for children all around the world, and the brand also has a charity shop in Paris (opened in 2018), where they resell pieces left over from shoots and test fittings

sustainable fashion brands
dress by Sezane
sustainable fashion brands
Cardigan by Sezane

I hope you enjoyed this feature about 5 sustainable fashion brands and you can have a look here for more style inspiration.