This is a topic we are seeing a lot of in the UK and globally at the moment which I think we can all agree is really important. From my work in the industry it is interesting to see how clued up we are in the UK on where our clothes come from, obviously this might not be something that interests everyone but there are now sustainability issues of titles such as ELLE and Vogue, newspaper supplements have 'Best Green Buys of the Week' columns weekly and we now have a wide range of inspiring sustainable focused platforms like
Pebbles at the touch of our fingertips.
With this in mind I wanted to highlight some really interesting fashion and accessory brands that are at the forefront of the sustainable conversations this year.
House of Sunny are a fun brand who only produce small runs of its collections in a bid to act against fast fashion. Using sustainable fabrics and ethical manufacturing methods the brand do not use fur, leather, skins or silk. Any left over material is also used to create accessories, care labels and swing tags to reduce waste.
This season the brand have used a new e-flow technology on its denim which used 800 LT per 100 garments of water, whereas traditional methods use 8,00 LT per 100 garments.
Onto another fashion label called BITE (By Independent Thinkers for Environmental Progress), this luxury labels mission is to create uncompromisingly sustainable yet thoughtfully designed clothes. Founded in 2016 by a collective of creative minds based between Stockholm and London. Each piece is hand crafted in the finest quality natural organic fibres, recycled and low-impact fabrics complete with environmental and social certifications.
I also went to a talk at the V&A on 14th Feb with author and fashion journalist Dana Thomas in regards to her book Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and Future of Clothes, and she was wearing a lovely dress from this brand.
Another good site is People Tree, a pioneer in sustainable Fair Trade fashion. Started in 1991, every product is made to the highest ethical and environmental standards from start to finish. Contemporary, versatile designs and playful, exclusive prints inspired by the V&A archives are also a part of the collection.
Here are a couple of my favourite new in pieces, there is also a cute Moomin collab available at the moment if you are interested in that too.
Another brand doing some interesting work this year is denim label Lee Jeans. Now while some stories are yet to be revealed there are a couple of interesting sustainable stories I can currently talk about and which are also available to buy at the moment.
The first is recycled Jelt Denim, the below items are all made of 2x1 cotton jelt which in itself if crafted with at least 21% recycled cotton, blended with socially responsible virgin-cotton. The sustainable denim is then dyed using the indigo flow technique, which uses far less water and fewer chemicals. This durable denim is both affordable and practical and will last the wearer a long time.
Second is an ongoing collaboration between the brand and Candiani, Italy's most eco-friendly denim mill. The collection is growing each season and features Lee Jeans most popular denim fits, each made using 30% less energy, 70% fewer chemicals and 50% less water. Here are a few of my favourites:
Onto a girls best friends, jewellery. I have found a couple of interesting brands I hope you like below.
The first is a brand called Monarc, founded in 2016 by Ella Drake, following a lucrative career in modelling. Over 90 per cent of the precious metals used to create the brands jewellery are produced using recycled waste, their packaging is also used from recycled wood.
Emma Aitchison is a London based brands founded in 2016. Interestingly the brand donates one per cent of its profits to environmental charity
1% For The Planet. The brand only use antique or vintage stones (which are already in circulation) in its pieces.
When talking about sustainable brands you can't help but notice Veja picks up a lot of press and they should with their ethically driven and ecologically grounded company ethos. Founded in 2004 by a pair of best friends, the brand creates sneakers made from organic cotton and recycled materials. Personally I am not a white trainer kind of girl but the new collection with its brighter range of accent colours is cool. Here are a couple of my top pairs below:
Another footwear brands worth noting are Palladium Boots whose Organic range has been steadily growing over the last couple of seasons which uses 100% organic cotton, cork sockliner, rubber with 15% recycled rubber powder and biodegradable lacetips. The brand have also just brought out a style made from 100% recycled polyester which is also waterproof which is remarkable. You can see some of these styles below and click the links to find out more.
Worth adding while sustainable brands and collections are growing it is of course hard for some people to buy in to this idea, literally, as some of the items are so expensive that it could be the cost of your food for a week or even in some cases your rent. Of course there is space for this to grow but the conversation of course is an interesting one, where some people can afford to have only sustainable wardrobes this is not really a reality for most people due to the cost. Anyway a thought to leave you on.
If you can recommend or know of any other sustainable brands worth looking into please let me know, keen to discover more.
The Girl with the Yellow Bag
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**All links featured above are things I have found online that either I like or I think are relevant for my readers. I have not been gifted by any of the above and I am not getting any money through affiliate links **
