LABELS THAT WON’T COST THE EARTH
London-based brand Thought uses bamboo, cotton, wool and hemp, grown without using pesticides and chemicals. It also makes clothes from sustainable fabrics, such as Tencel and Modal, in its men’s and women’s collections. Its mantra is: “Wear Me, Love Me, Mend Me, Pass Me On”.
More at: wearethought.com
Ethical nightwear and loungewear for all the family, made in the UK from 100 per cent Global Organic Textile Standard organic cotton. Donates a percentage of profits from every sale to the World Land Trust, which protects threatened habitats and creates nature reserves. More at: noctu.co.uk
An outdoor and activewear brand that sets ethical and environmental standards for everything in the supply chain, from raw fibres to textile production, dyeing and finishing, to distribution. The firm also donates a percentage of sales to environmental groups and even repairs, buys back and re-sells its own garments. More at: eu.patagonia.com
Biarritz, global leaders will be joined by representatives of fashion behemoths including Kering (owner of Gucci,Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga), Inditex (Zara, Massimo Dutti and more) and H&M (which also owns Cos, & Other Stories, Arket, Monki and Weekday) to negotiate an international pact to lessen the clothing industry’s huge impact on the health of the planet.
Leading the charge at the luxury end of the market is Stella McCartney, who launched her label in 2001 with the premise that it is possible to produce sustainable, ethical designer collections that do not compromise on style.
Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has created a collection with the fair-trade People Tree label.
This year, the brand also debuted an Our Blue Planet collection – a collaboration with BBC Earth to highlight ocean conservation and the plight of endangered marine life.
Fashion designer Ksenia Schnaider, a favourite with pop princess Dua Lipa, uses denim bought in flea markets in Ukrainian capital Kiev to make upcycled garments, creating 3,000 ‘new’ pieces last year alone.
Recycled plastic bottles make up one fifth of the raw materials used in the production of Levi’s WasteLess collection, while Allbirds trainers, fashioned from sustainable merino wool, are the footwear of choice for environmentally conscious consumers. However, if we really want to take action, rather than buying new perhaps we should take our cue from our grandparents and parents, whose motto was “make do and mend”.
We could also be inspired by the 14 million or so Generation Z shoppers who are trading second-hand clothes and accessories on peer-to-peer fashion re-sale app DePop – a shopping site that combines the ease and reach of eBay with the appeal of online social network Instagram.
After all, one person’s wardrobe reject is another’s style treasure.