THE FABULOUS FASHION FOLK
Clothing production is the third biggest manufacturing industry and is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.
The production of polyester – now the most commonly used fibre in our clothing, uses nearly 70 million barrels of crude oil each year and takes more than 200 years to decompose.
Three out of five fast fashion items end up in a landfill.
WE NEED TO MAKE IT LAST
We all know that crude oil is incredibly damaging to the environment, and it goes into a huge amount of garments produced for fast fashion. This introduces the increasingly worrying issue of microfibres …
Fashion accounts for 20 to 35 percent of microplastic in the ocean as well as solvents and dyes which account for one-fifth of industrial water pollution.
Slow fashion has brought a new mindset for consumers, this is the idea that clothes aren’t meant to last forever like they used to – they’re worn when they’re trendy and in fashion and then people move on.
“One in three young women, the biggest segment of consumers, consider garments worn once or twice to be old” (The Guardian, 2019)
CHEAPER IS NOT BETTER
Given this, consumers are always looking for cheaper prices. Hence, the main goal of fast fashion giants is all about lowering production costs. This is precisely why they neglect the sustainability aspect of production as well as violate worker rights of fast fashion employees.
These statistics are shocking but here are some brands we love that are doing good to combat the tragedy that is fast fashion.
BEEN LONDON
Been London is passionate about taking what normally gets discarded and making it into desirable things that people will want to wear every day. Been London makes their stylish bags from numerous recycled materials: instead of using virgin leather, which can be extremely harmful to the environment, they use recycled leather – made from offcuts and trimmings, which is milled and re-formed into usable leather.
The polyester zippers are made from recycled plastic bottles, nylon from fishing nets, leather from apple skin and fabric from pineapple leaves, and recycled cotton!
RAPANUI
Based on the Isle of wight, Rapanui are on a mission to make clothing sustainable. They make clothes from organic cotton using sun and wind energy to power all of their factories.
Everything they make is designed to be sent back when it’s worn out and then they make new products from the materials they recover. They call this a circular supply chain. They make products straight after they are ordered so there is no waste.
All of their products are printed and shipped from the UK and come in plastic-free packaging which is designed to be coloured in!
NU-IN
Nu-In believes that clothes should be designed with longevity and recyclability in mind as only 1% of all textile production is made from recycled materials.
They care about reducing CO2 emissions, saving water and being completely transparent with their customers.
They make trendy clothes from upcycled fabric and 100% organic cotton (which biodegrades in the same amount of time as an apple core).
A lot of their garments are seamless, meaning there are no weak spots, making them more durable and longer-lasting.
TALA
TALA is on a mission to slow down fast fashion with their sustainable activewear that doesn’t break the bank nor compromise high-performance pieces and flattering fits.
The brand recognises that the average item of clothing in the UK is only worn 7 times, and thrown out after 2.2 years. TALA prioritises creating clothes that you’ll want to wear forever. They use numerous recycled materials and materials made from natural resources like bamboo!
TALA is proud to have factories and materials sourced from, all around the world to create the best products for their customers. “We know you can’t be sustainable without being ethical too and care deeply about the ethics of our supply chain.”
LUCY AND YAK
Known for their dungarees, Lucy and Yak are building their small brand the right way! They are based in the UK and work very closely with their team in India whom they pay a living wage – no matter how big or small their role is.
98% of their fabrics are organic or recycled such as, organic cotton, recycled polyester and ‘Seacell’ which is made from seaweed and wood pulp and is 100% biodegradable. The entire brand features bold colours and prints which are all dyed responsibly. Their informative and immersive website allows them to be very transparent about their workers, supply chain, and story.
We absolutely love how these brands are trying to slow down fashion and do it better.
MISSING ALERT
Are you a business doing good and you've not been featured here – Don’t panic! Simply drop Nikki a line on nikki@ethicly.co.uk or call 01202 946 964 to get listed.
