शादी हर लड़की की जिंदगी में वो एहसास है, जिसके लिए न जाने वो कब से इंतजार करती है। लेकिन जब यह लम्हा करीब आता है तो दिल में अजीब सी बैचेनी घर किए होती है। एक तरफ जहां होने वाली दुल्हन को नए घर के तौर-तरीके सीखने होते हैं तो वहीं दूसरी तरफ उसको यह चिंता सताए रहती है कि अपनी शादी में वो ऐसा क्या पहने हर किसी की नजरें सिर्फ और सिर्फ उसी पर हों। शायद इस बात को यह पाकिस्तानी दुल्हन बहुत अच्छे से समझती थी, तभी तो इस नई-नवेली दुल्हन ने भारी-भरकम लहंगे को छोड़ अपने निकाह के लिए एक सादगी भरा लिबास चुना। यूं तो लॉकडाउन हमें ऐसी कई शादियां देखने को मिलीं, जिन्होंने अपनी शादी में दादी-नानी के गहने और साड़ी पहन हर किसी का ध्यान खूब आकर्षित किया लेकिन पड़ोसी देश पाकिस्तान की एक दुल्हन की बात ही कुछ और थी। पाकिस्तानी दुल्हनें जहां हेवी मेकअप से लेकर खूब सारी जूलरी और कशीदाकारी लहंगा पहनने के लिए जानी जाती हैं तो इस दुल्हन ने एलिगेंट फैशन को ही अपना स्टाइल बनाया। अपनी खूबसूरती और शानदार शादी के पहनावे से उसने हर किसी को मंत्रमुग्ध कर दिया। दरअसल, नाम के इंस्टाग्राम पेज ने एक पाकिस्तानी ब्राइड की कुछ खूबसूरत तस्वीरें शेयर की हैं, जिसमें वह मैरून रंग की बनारसी साड़ी पहने हुए नजर आ रही है। ऐसे में जब हमने इस दुल्हन के बारे में ज्यादा जानना चाहा तो हमें पता चला कि इस दुल्हन का नाम फजर है, जिन्होंने कुछ दिनों पहले निकाह किया है। ऐसे में सबसे पहले बात करें फजर की मरूनिश डार्क लाल की तो इस बनारसी साड़ी में सुनहरे पोल्का डॉट्स के साथ जरदोजी बॉर्डर शामिल था, जिस उन्होंने साड़ी से मिलते-जुलते घूंघट के साथ कम्पलीट किया था। अपने ब्राइडल लुक को कम्पलीट करने के लिए फजर ने गोटा पट्टी के काम के साथ नेट फैब्रिक बूटी प्रिंट वाला घूंघट दुपट्टा भी कैरी किया था, जिस पर में उर्दू में 'निकाह मुबारक' लिखा हुआ था। बात करें के ओवरऑल लुक की तो इस खूबसूरत दुल्हन ने चमकीले मेकअप के साथ अपने गालों को ब्लश से हाईलाइट किया हुआ था, जिस पर बोल्ड रेड लिप्स उनके लुक में एक्स्ट्रा ग्लैम को जोड़ने का काम कर रहे थे। यही नहीं, ब्राइडल जूलरी के लिए फजर ने गोल्ड पन्ना चोकर नेकलेस, रानी हार, मंगा टीका, मैचिंग के झुमके के साथ-साथ हथफूल, सोने के कड़े और कलीरे से अपने लुक को एक्सेस किया। हमारी अंग्रेजी वेबसाइट टाइम्स ऑफ़ इंडिया से इस खूबसूरत दुल्हन के फोटोग्राफरों ने बात करते हुए कहा, 'फजर उन सबसे खूबसूरत दुल्हनों में से एक है जिनके साथ हमने काम किया है। उन्होंने जो लाल साड़ी पहनी थी वह एक अमेजिंग आइडिया था। हमारे लिए यह कुछ ऐसा था, जो इससे पहले हमने कभी नहीं देखा। (फोटो क्रेडिट- ) फजर की खूबसूरती ने हमें ऐश्वर्या राय बच्चन की उस लाल बनारसी सिल्क साड़ी की याद दी, जिसे उन्होंने ईशा अंबानी की शादी में पहना था। वैसे, आप हमें आपको इस दुल्हन का यह अंदाज़ कैसा लगा?
On Friday, Lily Collins took to Instagram to announce her engagement to Charlie McDowell, the film director who Collins has been dating since last summer. “I’ve been waiting my lifetime for you and I can’t wait to spend our lifetime together,” the Emily In Paris star wrote alongside a three-part slideshow of the proposal, which, it appears, McDowell performed mid-hike. The third photo shows a close-up of the show-stopping ring, a cushion cut set on a yellow gold bezel band. McDowell also posted a photo — in which Collins is smiling while showing off her new jewelry — with the caption: “In a time of uncertainty and darkness, you have illuminated my life. I will forever cherish my adventure with you.”
According to Andrew Brown, the CEO of WP Diamonds, Collins’ ring features a 2-to-3 carat morganite center stone, “set in a diamond halo with a brushed yellow gold setting.” The stone itself is a cushion cut, meaning that it has a “square or rectangular outline with rounded corners,” says another gem expert, Elizabeth Doyle of estate jewelry store Doyle & Doyle. But what’s perhaps more newsworthy than the popular stone shape is what it’s crafted out of. In the last few years, we’ve seen more and more jewelry designers embrace morganite as an affordable, yet nonetheless stunning alternative to diamonds. Morganite is a pink semi-precious stone in the beryl family, which also houses aquamarines and emeralds. Morganite gemstones have a high clarity rating, and, unlike diamonds, they won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Dare we continue?
After spending far too much time admiring Collins’s ring, we rounded up 12 morganite engagement rings that are similarly stunning. Click ahead to see her ring and maybe bookmark one of your own.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.Click through for a close-up.
David Yurman Châtelaine® Ring with Morganite & Diamonds in 18K Rose Gold/11mm, $, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
Yi Collection Morganite And Black Diamond Ring, $, available at Olivela
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As demand for sustainable fashion grows, so does the need to navigate its myths. Misleading information is everywhere, from corporate greenwashing to the notion that all women are empowered by eco-conscious choices. One of the most prevailing and dangerous misconceptions about green fashion is that it’s a movement conceived by the West and led by white people. Sustainable fashion has let down people of color time and time again, whether through spotlighting majority-white representatives, favoring Western branding as the prevailing and acceptable aesthetic, or absorbing the capitalist notion that it’s a lifestyle to buy your way into.
With strong historical, spiritual, and ancestral relationships with the regenerative power of the Earth, many communities of color were living sustainably long before corporations sold it back to the masses as the neoliberal ideology we know today. The fashion industry also operates under colonialist ideas — the extraction and exploitation of resources, whether materials or labor, for infinite gain — meaning the communities who make the industry tick are often the very same communities being abused. There are the garment workers whose rights are ignored in warped and precarious fast-fashion production lines; the makers and craftspeople whose work is stolen by brands with more visibility; the activists whose ideas are taken without credit and popularized by the West; and the non-Western countries which are used as dumping grounds for cast-off clothing. The colonial powers at play are as sinister as they are far-reaching. As environmental educator Dominique Drakeford says, people of color are “the vanguards of the sustainability movements whose voices and work has been omitted and often weaponized.”
Change is long overdue. Here, we celebrate 15 activists, brand founders, educators, consultants, and thought-leaders — by no means an exhaustive list — whose work and leadership in caring for the planet and its people is benefiting us all. It’s time to learn, unlearn, and take action.
London-based American writer, consultant, activist, and personal stylist Aja Barber has long fought for the idea that fashion is best when it’s sustainable and inclusive. Her 208k Instagram followers are treated to outfit shots highlighting the joy of repeat-wear looks — the antithesis of the “one and done” mentality — plus a generous education unpacking everything from brand accountability to the importance of personal boundaries online. We’ve invested in her Patreon, too, where you’ll learn even more from Barber’s clarity and insights on intersectionality in the industry, plus find her podcast, brand, and article recommendations. Keep an eye out for the relaunch of her size-inclusive line with London-based label Lora Gene next spring, too.
“I had always wanted to work in the industry but found myself on the outside looking in because of privilege and race. I was participating in fast fashion but it felt sinister and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Once I went down the rabbit hole and saw the way it harmed the planet and marginalized people, there was no going back. The biggest misconception about sustainable fashion is that it’s always very expensive. Yes, the price of clothing should be higher — a $25 dress isn’t fair to the garment worker, ever — but if you’re shopping secondhand, you’re shopping sustainably. You can find brands on Etsy whose prices rival more upmarket fast fashion. It requires energy to make the switch, but it’s more satisfying and I spend less because I’m not buying something every month anymore. It takes many tries before you fully move away from fast fashion — that’s okay! Give yourself a little grace because the journey is long. Finding your own personal style is really key as you’ll make fewer mistakes in the things you buy. Stay out of the stores you’re trying to get away from and unsubscribe from all the emails that tempt you. I want sustainable makers and brands to start prioritizing being size-inclusive. If our movement doesn’t include everybody, it’s not a progressive movement.”
After learning about 2013’s Rana Plaza factory collapse, LA-based journalist, content creator, public speaker, and consultant Aditi Mayer began exploring the intersections of style, sustainability, and climate justice through her blog ADIMAY. Her responsible, inclusive, and thoughtful storytelling and her capacity to dissect topics like decolonization, environmental equity, and the exploitation of finite resources through analytical but accessible approaches have earned Mayer an engaged following both on and off social media, and stretching beyond sustainability spaces. Recently named a National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow, next year, Mayer will spend 12 months in India documenting the environmental impact of the country’s fashion supply chain.
“Fashion became a vehicle for me to understand larger systems of oppression and histories of colonization, and how those legacies tie into our unsustainable systems today. When I first entered this world, topics of race were always undermined and seen as distractions to the movement, when in reality, identity is key in how we engage with it: BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of color] communities are disproportionately affected by issues of social and environmental justice globally. I quickly learned that the sustainable fashion movement was homogeneously led by well-off white women, where the presence of women of color was often tied to their labor. Conscious consumerism is important, but sustainability has been led by the Western world and rebranded, reintroduced, and recontextualized as a consumer act, one limited to those who can afford it. I’d love to see more conversations about the sheer scale at which certain companies produce. I’ve written about the idea that colonial practice is rooted in the extraction and exploitation of finite resources as the means for infinite capital gain, and I’m fascinated by degrowth; it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of business as we know it but rather a reimagination that produces within our planetary and humanly bounds, and makes longevity and circularity a key part of the business model.”
Designer and London College of Fashion alumnus Comet Chukura cut her teeth at established labels like Preen and Michiko Koshino. Seeking autonomy and a more environmentally conscious purpose, she then founded her own brand Glow. Creating reflective knitted accessories like beanies and scarves — a boon for cyclists everywhere — and bridging the gap between functionality and aesthetics, Glow’s mission is sustainability, activity, and high visibility while honoring craftswomen over profit. Partnering with women’s groups and charities, Glow’s cool and cozy pieces are hand-crocheted by skilled BAMER (Black, Asian, minority ethnic, and refugee) women from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are paid their area’s Living Wage. With a few collaborations on the horizon, we’re particularly excited for Glow’s partnership with eco-conscious designer Christopher Raeburn, dropping in November.
“When I interned in fashion, doe-eyed, straight out of university, I created sample after sample, rehashing collections each season, but it didn’t feel innovative. [It felt] hollow. It suddenly all seemed so wasteful and it dawned on me that we were part of the problem. My style is imperative to me and as a London-based cyclist, I struggled to find well-designed, high-visibility fashion that was sustainable or ethically made. With Glow, I wanted to create a unicorn of a brand. With no one to answer to, being a founder and my own boss was the ultimate expression of my creative freedom and gave me the opportunity to make my way in fashion without having to jump through hoops. There’s a misconception that sustainable fashion is inaccessible or exclusively something that middle-class white people are able to engage with. We’re only going to make a dent in its environmental impact if everyone realizes they have a stake in it. It’s as simple as buying secondhand and buying less. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to accept that as a small brand it’s practically impossible to be 100% sustainable, so being strategic about what we can do creates the biggest change. Start small, figure out your MVP [minimum viable product] and don’t try and do it all by yourself.”
For New York-based, Lebanese-Canadian designer, writer, and advocate Céline Semaan, the experience of being born in war-torn Lebanon shaped her relationship with sustainable fashion. After witnessing firsthand war’s cost to both human rights and environmental justice, in 2013 she founded Slow Factory, a nonprofit working at the intersection of climate and culture through open education, action, reports, and scientific innovation. With a focus on the fashion industry, Slow Factory explores equity-centered and science-driven solutions that benefit the planet and its people. From Open Education, an online free school exploring everything from labor and racial justice to transparency and greenwashing, to projects like Landfills as Museums, where fashion design students are taken to landfills to see where clothes go after they are used, Semaan’s holistic, human-centered hub is a priceless resource for anyone looking to educate themselves on fashion’s impact on every living thing.
“Using what we have, being resourceful and upcycling are ways my culture coped with the war and struggle of not having everything we need. It’s been the compass in my life in approaching fashion, waste, and sustainability. The biggest misconception about sustainable fashion is that we can buy our way into it. The road nobody has ever taken is probably the one we need to explore: there isn’t a quick and easy fix. The industry is a complex and toxic ecosystem that requires multilayered and intersectional solutions if we aim to resolve and create a better system that benefits people and is designed with the Earth in mind. I hope by next summer, the industry becomes completely circular, meaning not one item goes into a landfill. Wear and take care of what you have, alter your clothes, learn how to fix your garments, know a seamstress or tailor, hand wash, hang to dry, and sew back your buttons. Resell instead of donating and if you do, make sure your items are impeccable, otherwise, chances are they’ll end up in a landfill. Learn, unlearn, and continue to be curious.”
Through her work on the intersections of climate justice, antiracism, and migrant and refugee rights, Edinburgh-based medical student and activist Mikaela Loach shares her inclusive and accessible insights and advice on everything from conscious consumerism and sustainable fashion to low-impact living with her Instagram audience of 86k. Along with Jo Becker, Loach hosts The Yikes Podcast, a space to untangle the messiness of the world with the aim of finding hope, whether advocating for trans rights or dismantling the stereotype of the “angry Black woman.”
“Watching The True Cost documentary kickstarted my relationship with sustainable fashion. There’s a line in it talking about the clothes we wear as our ‘chosen skin.’ I love expressing myself through the clothes I wear but I know that my desire for expression should not cause someone else’s oppression; [it should be] something that empowers and protects the maker, too. Lots of people think that to dress sustainably you need to buy the same amount of clothes from expensive ethical brands, or get rid of everything fast fashion you own — no way! The most sustainable clothes you have are the ones already in your closet and rewearing is better than buying new clothes from an ethical brand. I’ve learned a lot about privilege here: ethical brands’ limited size ranges means that plus-size folk are left out and fast fashion is often the only option. The Unplug Collective does amazing advocacy around this, I’ve learned heaps from them.”
San Francisco-based Ayesha Barenblat has worked tirelessly with brands, manufacturers, and governments for over a decade to improve human rights within the fashion industry. Growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, Barenblat learned the power of garment factory employment in lifting women out of poverty but she’s also seen firsthand the damage wrought by fast fashion on women of color across the globe. Remake.World, which Barenblat founded in 2011, is one of the most vital resources for progress and education in the sustainability sector. Working with 500 ambassadors across the world, through fact-filled stories and campaigns, plus a Seal of Approval system that holds brands to account through traceability, maker wellbeing, and environmental impacts, Remake.World has effected genuine change. The platform’s viral #PayUp petition garnered over 272k signatures this year, leading to 21 brands agreeing to pay for back-ordered clothes totaling $22 billion globally, and many garment workers receiving fair pay. Now, with the recent launch of its #PayUp Fashion movement, which outlines six demands for a post-COVID-19 recovery in fashion, the path towards a fairer, more inclusive, and reformed industry has been paved.
“The fashion supply chain is one of the few industries in the world that mostly employs women — more than 75 million — most of who are in their early 20s. At the time Rana Plaza fell down, I was working with the International Labor Organization to improve garment factory conditions. As the death toll mounted, I watched the footage with growing horror and felt that I had to do more, sooner and faster. I have had the pleasure to have meals, laugh, talk, and be awestruck by the women who make our clothes – they’re not victims as the media paints them. These are incredible, resilient women often supporting upward of five family members, leaving the safety of their villages to enter the big bad world of factory city life. I believe these stories, of the millennial maker, could spark a more empathic connection with millennial shoppers. On transparency, I believe brands first need to move the conversation beyond ‘is this product doing as little harm as possible?’ to ‘is it actually doing good for makers and the future of our planet?’ From raw material to end of life, brands should focus on protecting the wellbeing of the people behind the fashion and environmental stewardship.”
Scroll through sustainability consultant and creative director Emma Slade Edmondson’s Instagram account and not only will you be greeted with the most colorful outfits, you’ll be inspired to #JoinTheRentalRevolution, get stuck into #SecondHandSeptember, and rewear your existing items on the ‘gram. Alongside heading up her consultancy brand, ESE, which helps elevate brands and organizations looking to do social and environmental good, Edmondson has driven real change in the sustainability space through transformational campaigns like Love Not Landfill, aimed at converting 16-24-year-olds to secondhand clothes, and Charity Fashion Live, which recreates London Fashion Week looks using only pieces found in charity shops. She’s also a TEDx speaker and hosts the informative and joyful Mixed Up podcast with Nicole Ocran, about mixed-race identity. Most recently, she’s been posting secondhand affirmations in her Instagram Stories throughout September, and started a collective of women of color with a professional interest in sustainable fashion called SIS UK — so watch this space.
“My relationship with sustainable fashion began with a mixture of my longtime love of secondhand, all of the beautiful pieces handed down to me from my mum and my nan, and my growing awareness of the amount of waste created by the industry. My work is varied and crosses disciplines but it’s always rooted in instigating behavior change towards a better future for people and the planet. If you can recreate catwalk looks the moment after they’re shown, using only what you can find in a single charity shop, then anyone can be inspired by secondhand clothing. The biggest misconception about sustainable fashion is that it’s boring, muted, and scrappy — it’s not just hemp sacks and hippies. It can be chic, colorful, exuberant, and fashion-forward. There’s so much innovation and design in the space right now; it’s an exciting place to be. The availability of larger sizing options needs to improve, period. I want to see our plus-size community be able to enjoy conscious options. It’s hard to change your mindset and habits, so take it slow and don’t beat yourself up.”
LA-based entrepreneur Dechel Mckillian spent a decade as a creative director and celebrity stylist in the entertainment industry, touring the world with chart-topping musicians like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne. Witnessing firsthand fashion’s negative impact on people and the planet, Mckillian took a deep dive into sourcing more eco-conscious and ethical brands to style her clients in but knew that if she was finding it difficult to discover labels which put the planet first, then other people must be, too. Enter GALERIE.LA, which Mckillian founded in 2015 to bring sustainable fashion to the masses. From repurposed jewelry labels to recycled denim brands, GALERIE.LA hosts 38 brands online and at its IRL space in downtown Los Angeles.
“For so long people associated sustainable fashion with terms like granola and yoga but I want to change people’s misconceptions — it can be fashion-forward. Greenwashing runs throughout the industry so it would be amazing to see government legislation that connects the dots for true transparency, in the same way food is labeled on packages. Changing my buying habits was one of the biggest obstacles. There’s a big program in the industry to constantly consume, stay up to date with trends, designers and influencers, and I fell victim to its marketing ploys. In homing in on my personal style, I realized how little I needed and was able to free myself from the trap of constantly buying.”
While in Rajasthan, India, for her honeymoon, London-based Eshita Kabra was exposed to the polluting impact not only of the fashion industry but of our wasteful consumption habits. With an older sister who avidly subscribed to Rent the Runway, she started researching the rental market but took umbrage with the throwaway culture of #OOTD-fuelled “wear once and done.” Leaving her career in the financial services industry to found her own platform, By Rotation, Kabra’s mission was to create a self-sustaining community of style- and eco-conscious people, where quality fashion came at fast-fashion prices — without the human cost. Now the UK’s largest rental platform and app, By Rotation lets you rent and lend your wardrobe, with 28.9k Instagram followers providing unique styling inspiration and joyfully sharing By Rotation’s ethos of #WhatsMineIsYours. Having collaborated with the likes of Stacey Dooley and Abi Marvel, the brand’s most recent campaign spotlights plus-size rental, celebrating the size inclusivity available in this corner of sustainable fashion.
“I want to transform the way we consume fashion globally by sharing what we already own with our neighbors. Fast fashion welcomed people from all walks of life with its affordable (but exploitative) price points. With By Rotation, we’re doing the same but with better quality pieces that are already in circulation and are just as affordable. I am being overly optimistic but I hope to see an active and global regulatory body governing garment workers’ rights. I’m appalled by the lack of regulation and transparency in the industry as a whole, unlike the industry I previously worked in. There are many (well-known) companies and personalities who greenwash their credentials by taking the easy way out — partnering with fast fashion companies, cherry-picking ‘eco-friendly’ traits for marketing, or promoting a company while not disclosing a paid arrangement — which at times has misrepresented the ethos of sustainable fashion. I have learned that any business that does care about its environmental footprint will clearly demonstrate all the steps they have or haven’t taken to ensure they are mindful of the resources they utilize. A practical tip: unfollow and unsubscribe from fast-fashion retailers’ mailing lists.”
Consultant, podcast creator, magazine editor, and environmental educator Dominique Drakeford is based in Brooklyn and has been bridging the gap between people and the Earth through multiple mediums for over a decade. Her digital publication, Melanin & Sustainable Style (MelaninASS), dissects everything from wellness and clean beauty to ethical fashion and land sovereignty, all while amplifying the work of Black and brown brand owners, activists, business leaders, and makers. It has become a resource and network for BIPOC, those who not only “originally created regenerative thought and sustainability practices” but whose voices have typically been silenced and overlooked in sustainability circles. Alongside MelaninASS, her platform Sustainable Brooklyn provides a direct line between targeted communities and sustainability through consultancy and programming, while her five-part podcast The Root, created in collaboration with Kestrel Jenkins of Conscious Chatter, sets out to decolonize the sustainable fashion agenda by unpacking complex subjects such as racism as a system and the power of privilege with an incredible roster of activist-educator guests.
“I grew up loving fashion; I was a thrift shopper, loved urban street culture (i.e. Missy Elliott), and always frolicked in my mom and grandma’s closet. Additionally, I grew up an environmental nerd. I was an avid backpacker and hiker, took BIPOC youth on educational outdoor trips, was on a review board for outdoor recreation-based nonprofits, and overall just loved the wilderness. My path has shifted a few times but my vision for merging my passions to create a career that heals me and the planet has remained steadfast. Environmentalism, as the term has traditionally been coined, is inherently white, violent, and oppressive. Studying environmentalism in traditional educational spaces opened my eyes to the detriments of these institutions. How sustainability is marketed and discussed in social spaces has been problematic for years, especially when the global climate crisis disproportionately affects communities of color. 75 percent of who you follow on social media, the events you’re attending, and books you’re reading should be from BIPOC communities who have been practicing all layers of sustainability despite, and sometimes because of, systematic oppression. Accountability leads to antiracism and sustainability work, from systematic change to wealth distribution. Eco reparations should be at everyone’s frontal lobe so that the communities who have always had the solutions can protect themselves and the planet from colonial fuckery.”
London-based designer and tarot reader Claire Yurika Davis founded her brand HANGER shortly after graduating in 2013. Specializing in slick, directional, and fetish-inspired latex, HANGER soon became a cult favorite not just for its mission to empower its wearer, but for its sustainability credentials, too. By sourcing the lowest impact materials, creating minimal waste, and reducing her collections from a relentless season-to-season model to just one a year, Davis’s sustainable practices began at day one. Catching the eye of the producers of Netflix’s Next in Fashion, hosted by Alexa Chung and Tan France, Davis was invited on as a contestant and captured the hearts of viewers with her warmth and sense of humor. Now closing her brand after seven years, she’ll be moving into consultancy to help brands create and communicate more sustainably to enable a better future for everyone.
“I was using sustainable materials and practices without labeling it as such and it took a mentor to point out that what I was doing was a real point of difference in my brand, so it was more of an organic process than a conscious decision. I have an expectation for everyone to be as ethical as possible as a standard – incorporating it into my own garments was a no-brainer. As a fledgling brand, when units are low, it’s much easier to align with your ethics. The biggest misconception is that sustainable fashion has to look like it came from Fat Face. HANGER proved it can be relevant and modern. Our mission is to help people step into whichever mood they choose, be that powerful or sexy, and connect with their mind and body. Also to highlight our community and uplift BIPOC at every opportunity. I hope after the pandemic brands can produce differently, making to order, making locally or adjusting their practices to be more flexible — they’re responsible for orders they’ve placed and had to cancel, and manufacturers should not have to pay for having extremely seasonal product. Especially those who source their garments from Asia, where the local workforce and economy suffer as a result of Western demands.”
Based in Brooklyn, multimedia journalist and director Sophia Li’s Instagram was a tonic in the early stages of lockdown. Her IGTV series, Supernatural is the New Natural, welcomed hypnosis practitioners, astrologers, and Hailey Bieber to talk all things spirituality and navigating the new normal. It’s her sustainability work that first caught our eye, though. Producing self-dubbed “conscious content,” Li’s aim is to make educational, accessible, memorable, and resonating content that helps shift minds and behavior for the benefit of the planet and its people. From this handy flowchart which we refer to before every new purchase to teaching the Open Education courses at Slow Factory, we’ve learned so much from Sophia already. This autumn, she’s launching her first evergreen collection with Public Habit, a sustainable brand that uses deadstock fabric in a made-to-order business model and labels each unisex piece with a sustainable rating and carbon footprint calculation.
“Growing up, I spent my summers in China and because of high production volumes, shopping there was always a season or two ahead with trends. I’d buy my entire wardrobe in the shopping meccas of Shanghai and Hong Kong. Going as a young adult, though, I witnessed how this was affecting the air and quality of life, and that blue skies could be gone in a matter of years if this formula of consumption was kept up. While entertainment media editor of American Vogue, I saw the sheer quantity this industry thrives on and how it relies on volume and profit more than anything else. I’ve realized in this capitalist world that you can still love fashion while wanting the systems in place to completely deteriorate and rebuild themselves. Fashion profits should be decentralized — there’s no reason why a fashion billionaire exists while their garment workers are being exploited. Never let eco-anxiety get the best of you: being aware of the purchasing power you have is the biggest hurdle and every decision from then on will be harmonious. Humanity was intended to be regenerative with Mother Earth — observe how the Indigenous approach nature. We have to shed the ego to get back to our ecosystem.”
Cofounding her game-changing store Sancho’s back in 2014, Exeter-based Legesse is giving sustainable shopping a total refresh. Selling affordable, organic clothing from esteemed brands like People Tree, Lefrik, and Armedangels, and using suppliers certified by the Fair Wear Foundation, the store’s aim is equity, equality, and amplified voices for all Black and brown people, and fair wages for garment workers. There’s even a transparent pricing collection to make ethical fashion more accessible, whereby you can choose the price you pay for an item without it negatively impacting anyone in the production line. Keep an eye out for SHWAP, the app Legesse is producing. Currently, in its first stages, it’s set to tackle the quantity of clothing products by enabling users to buy and sell pre-loved items.
“The value of money was always clear to me, as was how hard one needed to work to be able to afford things like fashion. When I started working I would count every new purchase by the number of hours I’d need to work to pay for it. This made me a huge fan of charity shops, secondhand, and hand-me-downs. I became captivated by the craftsmanship of makers at market stalls with their fabric weaving, garment sewing, and hand embroidery. I want to see more brands owned by garment workers win. There are enough technology and global transport links for the biggest fashion brands to be located anywhere in the world.”
Back in 2017, entrepreneur Brittany Sierra founded the Sustainable Fashion Forum after noticing a lack of IRL events, conversations, and community that drew a direct line between fashion fans and industry players. Now a hugely successful online platform — think witty, playful, and ultra shareable memes celebrating sustainable living — the SFF is also an influential conference held annually in Portland, Oregon. Hosting brands like Mara Hoffman, adidas, Girlfriend Collective, thredUP, and Fashion Revolution, the platform fosters education and engagement that leads to individual and collective change.
“There’s a misconception that you have to give up fashion in order to be sustainable, that it sucks the life and fun out of fashion with muted colors, boxy silhouettes, and basic design. I don’t think that’s true. I’d like to see more BIPOC hold corporate leadership positions. Having so many brands represented at our conference is an honor, as we’re a small but mighty team of three POC women, but those chosen to represent their company aren’t diverse. It’s always been important to me that the work speaks louder than the color of my skin — I don’t want people to unconsciously judge SFF because a Black woman is running it, not to support it simply because a Black woman is running it. If the BLM [Black Lives Matter] movement has taught me anything, it’s that being a Black woman in the sustainable fashion industry means the responsibility to show other people of color that there is a place for them in this space. It means being visible, sharing my voice, and doing what I can to make the industry I love welcome to all.”
After the Rana Plaza disaster occurred while she was studying fashion, and witnessing unsold stock being sent to burn while interning, Ngoni Chikwenengere set her compass towards more sustainable living. Noticing a gap in the market for affordable contemporary tailored pieces for young women, she launched her label WE ARE KIN in 2016. Growing quickly from Graduate Fashion Week to cult favorite, Chikwenengere’s label is responsibly sourced and sustainably manufactured in Bow in east London. Avoiding fast-moving trends to create timeless pieces with longevity — think breezy linen jumpsuits and cotton workwear trousers — WE ARE KIN works on a pre-order model, meaning reduced waste and no unwanted stock.
“We’re lucky to live in the time we do now. There’s so much advice on explaining the difference between fast fashion and sustainable fashion and the cost of certain items. I hope to see unethical and unsustainable fashion go the way of fur. Consumers are waking up to the true cost. Before every purchase, ask yourself: Do I need it? Who made it? Can I find it elsewhere more sustainably? Last year, this led me to buy reusable bamboo face-cleansing pads, for example. Swap clothes with your friends. You don’t always need to buy new.”
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Sustainability and fashion are notoriously disagreeable bedfellows with goals and ideals that are often at odds. This stalemate is most apparent when it comes to leather: a beloved and ancient material whose star is simultaneously enjoying a precipitous rise on the trend scene while also lighting up charged environmental controversy. In one camp is the argument that leather is a naturally sustainable material to be consumed consciously and passed on to future generations all while putting a byproduct of the mass meat industry to use. On the other side of the fence is the ethics-driven argument against animal cruelty and advocation for vegan leather — which, despite its organism-free composition, is often heavy with high-polluting synthetics. This begs the question: if animal-derived leather is sustainable, then can it also be ethical? And if a leather-lover wants to adhere to a lifestyle free of animal byproducts, then is their only option an environmentally harmful polyurethane substitute? “You can argue until you’re blue in the face about those kinds of things,” said Lyndsey Butler, founder of New York-based leather goods brand Veda. Below, with the help of industry experts, we dive a bit deeper into this conscious-fashion paradox. And, spoiler alert: while we may not land on one definitive resolution, we can provide context that will hopefully help inform more thoughtful consumer decisions for the future.
We do a lot of work to make sure that all the leather that we use is a byproduct, which would otherwise be waste. It would either end up in a landfill or burned.
Ricky Lupp, head of product at Nisolo
When choosing to shop for leather with an eye on sustainability, it’s crucial to commit to pieces of the highest quality; it will ensure the item’s durability, longevity, and ability to be repaired (as opposed to replaced) over time. Silver & Riley founder Lola Banjo explained that shoppers should choose full grain leather (the highest-quality cross-section of the material) for a product with maximum heft. “It just [improves] as time goes on, because it has all the grain in the hide,” says Banjo. “Leather should get stronger, and not weaker.” Environmental harm also lurks in the often chemical-intensive finishing process, so shoppers should “look for vegetable-tanned or chrome-free [options],” advises Veda’s Lyndsey Butler. “Those are two ways that you know that the process of tanning is a little more environmentally friendly. The Leather Working Group is a great resource,” she adds, “because they can tell you [which tanneries] are meeting certain standards.” Leather is also inextricably linked to the meat industry, and most of what’s used to make garments is excess from industrial food production. Shoppers shouldn’t be shy about ensuring that the leather they’re buying is part of this supply chain. “We do a lot of work to make sure that all the leather that we use is a byproduct,” says Ricky Lupp, head of product at artisan-goods imprint Nisolo, “which would otherwise be waste. It would either end up in a landfill or burned.”
It’s always a lesser-of-evils question with all of this.
Sydney Brown, Vegan footwear & handbag designer
For shoppers in search of the most cruelty-free leather alternatives, there are a host of options on the market — but, many contain PVC or polyurethane (plastic compounds made up of imperishable toxic chemicals) and will degrade quickly. With these alternatives, explains Anna Fahle Björcke, head of communications at footwear brand Vagabond, “you must face either the durability issue or alternative environmental issues — in other words, materials deriving from nonrenewable fossil sources.” With these options making up the bulk of the leather-alternative world, shoppers have to dig deeper to find substitutes that are driven by natural materials. The goods news is, they do exist. Vegan footwear and handbag designer Sydney Brown explains that natural materials like cork, fennel, pineapple, mushroom, and even algae can be woven into materials with a hide-like hand that contains significantly less plastic than their synthetic counterparts. (While some of these options are not entirely plastic-free, explains Brown, “It’s always a lesser-of-evils question with all of this.”) One standout fiber, Piñatex (a leather invented by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, who spent seven years and a Royal College of Art Ph.D. developing the material) makes use of the 40,000 tons of pineapple-leaf waste that’s generated annually and has been used by H&M and Hugo Boss. “[There’s] a lot of trial and error,” explains Brown, when it comes to innovating new materials. “Research and development is our biggest part of the company, and we’re constantly testing things.”
[Consumers] should challenge the brands that they’re excited to buy products from.
RICKY LUPP, HEAD OF PRODUCT AT NISOLO
Perhaps the most significant thing that a shopper can do is use their spending power to take companies to task. “[Consumers] should challenge the brands that they’re excited to buy products from,” says Nisolo’s Lupp. “They should demand information from those brands and transparency and clarity around that. I think it’s impossible for the consumer to shop consciously if there’s not brands creating product consciously.”
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ऐश्वर्या से लेकर करीना तक के लिए कपड़े डिजाइन करने वाले इंडिया के फेमस फैशन डिजाइनर तरुण तहिलियानी ने ब्राइडल ऐंड फेस्टिव वेअर कलेक्शन 2020 लॉन्च कर दिया है। इस कलेक्शन के कुछ लहंगे, साड़ी और ड्रेस की तस्वीरें सोशल मीडिया पर शेयर की गई हैं। डिजाइन से लेकर कलर के मामले में ये सभी कमाल हैं।
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By now, the fashion industry’s harmful effects on the environment are well-known. With natural resources being used faster than they can be renewed, and more clothing produced by brands (and thrown out by consumers) than ever before, the environmental impact of the industry, as it currently operates, is catastrophic. “In the U.S., 11 million tons of textiles go into landfills every year,” says Kristy Caylor, CEO and co-founder of For Days, a zero-waste, organic line of basics. “When these clothes decompose, they release methane which is more harmful than CO2.”
With this in mind, many fashion brands have been reconsidering their practices over the last few years. In 2015, Mara Hoffman, the founder of the eponymous fashion brand, made a turn for the sustainable. “The switch was prompted by discomfort. When I started to learn about the fashion industry’s harmful impact on the environment, I realized that I wasn’t willing to move the company forward in this way any longer,” Hoffman tells Refinery29. “It also came from a heightened awareness of having a kid who was three at the time, and understanding what my actual ‘legacy’ would be and what his reality would be, dealing with the stuff I left behind. This left us with two options: to close shop or completely change our methods. So we chose to change our methods.”
Now, she is one of the leading voices of sustainability in fashion, and as well known for that as for her aesthetic. But, according to her, the switch wasn’t easy. “Five-and-a-half years ago was a different world in sustainability, it was challenging to convince the wholesalers that had been buying from us for years and had certain expectations that this new way was what people would want down the line,” Hoffman says. However, she has proven she’s on the right side of history: Consumers’ shopping habits have indeed been changing, with an increasing number of shoppers in 2020 interested in secondhand fashion and sustainable brands.
“We have seen shifts in how our customer thinks about sustainability. In the early days [the mid-’90s], they used to ask about where the product was made or whether the product was made in a sweatshop. When we first started to celebrate Earth Day in our retail stores [in the mid-2000s] — with a focus on organic product — the customer would ask what the difference was between ‘organic’ and ‘natural,’” says Amy Hall, VP of Social Consciousness at Eileen Fisher, a brand that has been a champion of the movement long before it was one, and whose sustainable practices range from the fabrics selected to its take-back programs. “Now, we hear about all kinds of issues from our customers, such as animal welfare, living wages, and chemical toxicity. Our customer is much more educated and informed than a decade ago.”
Cassandra Dittmer, a sustainable brand consultant and stylist, confirms that today’s consumer wants to make better choices: “People do understand the need to shop sustainably. Conceptually we know it’s the right thing to do, but access to responsible brands is not always readily available.” She points to price as one of the biggest factors that deters shoppers from buying sustainable fashion, which is typically more expensive to buy new. “Being able to shop sustainably is a huge privilege because that means you are able to make choices,” says Dittmar. “Many people today don’t have the time or means to make sustainable choices when they are trying to support themselves and a family on living wages. We need to work on finding more accessible options if we want the masses to have the ability to get on board.”
“People do understand the need to shop sustainably… but access to responsible brands is not always readily available.”
Cassandra Dittmer, Sustainable stylist
There is also the fact that, with the prevalence of greenwashing — the process of making companies appear more sustainable than they really are — and the many definitions the fashion industry applies to the word “sustainable,” it’s often hard for consumers to tell which brands are genuinely following eco-friendly practices and which are just exploiting the practice’s current popularity. “The key is to consider if brands are just using buzzwords or if they’re actually describing and detailing their practices,” says Dittmer. “If sustainability is truly a part of the brand’s overall mission, you will be able to tell from the way they talk about the clothing and manufacturing processes. I am always wary when I can’t find any information on the brand online — it generally means considering their practices and sustainability overall is not a priority.”
As such, transparency is key, and “creates an architecture for accountability, both internally and externally, and it also invites your community into the journey and the joy behind the creation of the product,” says Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow, a fashion brand whose products allow customers to scan a QR code on the care label to see the provenance of each garment and what choices we made along the way to make it. “Transparency is critical to the future of sustainable fashion, and fashion period — it raises the bar for all companies by changing the expectations customers have, creates accountability, and really restores that connection between the customer and who made their clothes, which creates a real foundation for respect.”
That said, the treatment of garment workers and fair wages is still a topic that often gets overlooked when talking about fashion sustainability. According to Sami Miro, founder of Sami Miro Vintage that uses existing upcycled and vintage (as well as organic) fabrics for its collections, the two are inherently connected though: “If we’re talking about sustainability, then it’s about the planet. But the people aspect of it is, in a way, a different subject. But really, if you’re going to be good to the planet, you have to be good to the people within the planet, too.”
As consumers continue to demand transparency and ethical practices from companies, more fashion brands will be motivated to become more sustainable — if only to stay relevant. “I do see more brands following more sustainability practices,” says Chantel Davis, founder and designer of swimwear line Castamira, says. “When a brand knows that it can make a profit while making a difference, it’s a win-win situation.”
So then what does a genuinely sustainable brand look like? “Being truly sustainable varies by region and it’s not a one-size-fits-all label,” says Dittmer. “Personally, before working with or recommending any brand, I always consider the three Es — economics, environment, and ethics — that go into the creation of a new product. From there, it’s about making the best decision possible.”
Ahead, we look at some of the biggest things that sustainable brands consider when making theirs.
What Are Sustainable Fabrics?
One of the first decisions that every brand makes when operating in a sustainable manner is fabric choice. Many eco-friendly brands opt for natural materials, avoid synthetics that contribute to microplastics, support farmers that use innovative practices to restore the local ecosystem, and look for long-lasting, high-quality fabrics.
“[In 2015] we started slowly by replacing existing fabrics,” says Hoffman. “You want to invest in fabrics and materials that will last and achieve a certain level of quality.” This, understandably, led to an increase in price. Miro says that the key to a more sustainable future is for consumers to understand why it costs more to do things more ethically. “The biggest problem in terms of sustainability is a lot of people don’t understand. Some people are like, ‘Why is this item so expensive for my brand?’ And there are a lot of reasons why,” she says. “The first is that we buy high-quality upcycled fabric.” When you add a short supply chain and fair wages to that, it’s even easier to understand why the costs add up — and why a T-shirt should cost more than the $7.99 it does at a fast-fashion store.
When it comes to material like cotton, organic is much more than a buzzword. “The cotton industry is a very significant user of chemical pesticides and insecticides, including some of the most hazardous pesticides on the market. Organic and regenerative farming is crucial to reducing this chemical usage for the sake of biodiversity, soil health, and the health of local farming communities,” says Barboni Hallik.
In addition to using organic fabrics, Miro uses upcycled and vintage materials — something that’s become increasingly popular with brands looking to combat waste. “Upcycled fabrics are fabrics that have already been created by other brands. They’re essentially waste, they’re leftover fabric that wasn’t used. So when you buy upcycled fabric, it’s so much better for the planet, because it eliminates the additional need to manufacture, which causes a lot of the problems that are happening, and is one of the biggest reasons why fashion is so detrimental to our planet,” says Miro. “You’re taking waste, fabric that would essentially be going into our landfills, and creating beauty out of them.”
The longer the fabric can be kept in rotation, the better it is for the environment. “A product can be made from upcycled materials, worn by a customer, then contributed back into the same product cycle. The primary goal of any product is to keep it in circulation for as long as possible before breaking it down and upcycling it into new materials,” says Hall. “Once that happens, the new goal is to keep that upcycled product in circulation for as long as possible. And, overall, to reduce — or even eliminate — the use of virgin resources in any new material.”
In addition to upcycled and vintage options, some have taken to using fabrics made from literal waste. Girlfriend Collective, an activewear line, made a name for itself in recent years for using materials like recycled post-consumer bottles in their sports offerings. Castamira similarly uses Econyl® for some of its swimsuits. “This yarn is made from fishing nets from our oceans, including fabric scraps from mills and carpets that would end up in the landfill,” says Davis. “This was to recycle landfill materials and what filled the oceans.”
How Do Labor Practices Affect Sustainability?
Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, consumers have become increasingly aware of the mistreatment of workers behind some of the biggest names. “The fashion industry is increasingly built on cheap and fast fashion. We seem to forget that, without the garment workers, none of our products would exist. Yet, we collectively forget that, with each ‘haul’ of cheaper trendy garments, the people who made those garments may not have been paid enough to buy food for their family,” says Hall.
As consumers are looking to improve their shopping habits, ignoring the inhumane treatment of workers is impossible. This conversation has been heightened even more in recent months as several brands refused to pay for orders that were already being produced during COVID-19, resulting in a loss of income for people who depend on the little wages they do make. To highlight the issue, Miro asks to think about the process it takes to make that $7.99 T-shirt:
“You choose the fabric, create the fabric. You wash and dye the fabric. Then the fabric gets sewn by a human. And then the fabric gets shipped. So think about all of those steps — how much the fabric costs, what it costs to make the product, what it cost to wash the fabric, what it costs to sew the fabric, and then what it costs to ship it. And yet, even with a $7.99 price point, these fast fashion brands are still making a profit, obviously. They’re worth billions now… How much is the person who’s sewing that garment getting paid for it to still be $7.99 retail price? It’s frightening.”
“We collectively forget that, with each ‘haul’ of cheaper trendy garments, the people who made those garments may not have been paid enough to buy food.”
Amy Hall, VP of Social Consciousness at Eileen Fisher
If a brand wants to be truly sustainable, it has to make labor practices part of every sustainability conversation, and ensure that the people behind the clothing are making living wages and working under good conditions. “You cannot be a ‘sustainable’ brand if you do not advocate for the humans behind it,” Hoffman says. “The treatment of humans across all supply chains — from the farmers and factory workers to distribution center employees through to staff at an HQ— should be a priority for all companies.”
What Does It Mean To Have A Short Supply Chain?
With items manufactured in other countries from the point of purchase, there is also the issue of CO2 emissions. “Moving things around takes a lot of energy and our current global logistics system is still powered by a lot of fossil fuels, which has a material contribution to global warming. The fashion industry is notorious for having far-flung supply chains where the components of a single garment may travel all over the world before its final manufacturing and shipment to the end consumer,” says Barboni Hallik. “We try to mitigate that by keeping our supply chain as short as possible. For example, we manufacture our garments as close to where our fabrics are made as possible and we are constantly looking for raw material sources that are more local as well.”
Miro likewise keeps the supply chain short. “My supply chain starts and ends in Los Angeles. So I’m not shipping all of this fabric from China. I’m not having the pieces sewn in China, and then shipping it to me, and then distributing it from Los Angeles. It’s made in L.A., and it ships from L.A. So eliminating all of the production made in another country, and then shipping it to here.”
What Can Fashion Do To Make Eco-Friendly Packaging?
Sustainability doesn’t end with the making of a finished product — it still needs to be packaged and sent to the consumer. While brands can’t control how far away their customer is, they can use recycled and recyclable packaging to ship the product. “EcoEnclose [eco-friendly packaging and shipping supplier] is a supplier of ours for our polymailer bags which are 100% recyclable,” says Davis. “Plastics and other trash can take tens even hundreds of years to break down in the environment.” That’s why many are trying to eliminate plastic altogether. For example, Mara Hoffman introduced a paper bag this year as part of the brand’s goal of eventually eliminating all plastics from its packaging. Meanwhile, For Days tries to use reusable packaging whenever possible.
“Packaging is a big part of the impact of any consumer product, and we took great care in ensuring that our packaging has the lightest footprint possible,” says Barboni Hallik of Another Tomorrow’s initiatives, which start with organic cotton garment bags and hangers made from 100% cellulose fiber from recycled pulp and go all the way to compostable stickers. “The key decision points are often in the details — for example, there is a lot of packaging labeled as compostable that is only compostable in industrial facilities to which most consumers do not have access. So you really have to do the research.”
How Fashion Can Close The Loop
More recently, conversations about closing the loop have come up when talking about sustainability in fashion — and for good reason. “A closed-loop system means that products, materials, and resources stay in circulation and retain maximum value versus ending up in landfill. At For Days, we make it easy and incentivize customers to close the loop by sending us their old clothing, and we do the rest,” says Caylor. “We sort, grade, and determine if it can be reused or requires recycling. We then work with post-consumer recycling partners to upcycle the fabric into new fiber, new yarns, new fabrics, and new garments.” Not only does For Days take its own clothing and exchange it for new items via its SWAP system, but it also accepts other brands’ products via its Take Back Bags, to keep all clothes out of landfills.
They are not alone. Eileen Fisher’s Renew and Waste No More programs, according to Hall, are the two pillars of the brand’s circular effort. “One of our proudest initiatives is Eileen Fisher Renew, which began in 2009 as a clothing take-back program. Now in our 11th year, Renew has collected nearly 1.5 million Eileen Fisher garments, half of which are still in perfect condition and can simply be cleaned and resold,” says Hall. “The rest are sorted and fed into different channels: some are resold as ‘not quite perfect’ pieces; some are cut up and reassembled into fun, limited-edition collections; and some go into our Waste No More brand of felted pillows, wall-hangings, and furniture coverings.”
Mara Hoffman also has a take-back program in partnership with the Renewal Workshop, which cleans, repairs, and sends back the brand’s clothing for resale. “The goal is to keep things out of landfills for as long as possible,” says Hoffman. “We also invite our customers to send us back any pieces they no longer wear. This partnership helps us increase the longevity of our garments. Since August 2018, we’ve sent 884 pounds of damaged Mara Hoffman garments to The Renewal Workshop for repair.” With more brands taking responsibility for everything they put out into the world, they are partially taking the onus off of the customer who has long been stumped by what to do once their clothing reached the end of its lifecycle.
“A closed-loop system means that products, materials, and resources stay in circulation and retain maximum value versus ending up in landfill.”
Kristy Caylor, CEO and co-founder of For Days
Designing with longevity in mind has, too, become an important hallmark of a sustainable fashion brand. “For us, circularity means ethically produced, exceptional quality products with long lifecycles and extending those lifecycles even further through resale,” says Barboni Hallik. “On average, increasing the longevity of a garment by even nine months decreases its carbon footprint by over a quarter. Imagine doing so for years and years.”
More brands are starting to think about resale. This summer, Mara Hoffman partnered with The RealReal, a luxury secondhand retailer, to sell its pieces at discounted prices. “Companies like TheRealReal really embody what we are talking about when it comes to longevity of a garment and keeping clothing out of landfills, this is why it is crucial to design quality pieces. If you don’t love your piece anymore, consigning to TheRealReal gives the garment another chance at life with someone who does. This cycle of passing a garment on could be endless,” says Hoffman.
While these are all applause-worthy initiatives, it still falls largely on the consumers to do the work. “Brands can’t close their loops without the help of customers. It is, after all, up to the customers to bring back their previously worn garments, whether directly to the brand or to another reclamation point, so that brands can then choose a new path for those old garments. That said, the customers need convenient and efficient ways to upcycle their old garments,” says Hall.
So What Can Brands And Consumers Do Next?
There’s a lot for brands and consumers to consider when making sustainable choices, but it’s important to remember that change won’t happen overnight. “While there is a lot of greenwashing out there right now, I don’t believe in shaming brands that don’t have every area of their supply chain completely sustainable,” says Dittmer. With that said, she believes that everyone can do better by starting to examine their current habits. “Every brand and consumer can make the effort to rewire the way they run their business and brain to be more conscious,” she says. “The best thing you can do [as a consumer] is buy less. Take a step back and resist the urge to be fueled by the quick release of fast fashion. Instead, work to integrate mindfulness into your purchasing decisions.”
Miro agrees that consumers need to stop viewing fashion as disposable. “I think that’s a pretty typical assumption that people make when they know they’re buying something from a fast-fashion brand. They’re like, ‘Okay, I’ll probably get one or two uses out of this dress or whatever it is, and then I’ll throw it away.’ If you invest a little bit more, you’ll get a lot more time out of the pieces that you buy,” she says. “What I focus on is not creating a collection of abundance and pieces that aren’t really necessary, but on what my customer wants, and something that she’s going to wear frequently. Produce high-quality garments that aren’t just a one-wear and then throw it away. The pieces that I create the customers will have for years and years and years.”
All the brands interviewed for this piece emphasized the need to design fashion that will last. “Climate change is an undeniable reality — just look at what is happening in California right now. Once we really dug down and learned about the negative impact that the fashion industry has on the earth, there was no turning back. We know that putting clothing into the world is inherently not sustainable, so our focus is on creating the least harmful impact on the earth and its inhabitants,” says Hoffman. “We design each piece with longevity in mind. We ask questions: Will this garment be timeless? Will it hold up for the wearer to re-wear over and over? How can we ensure we offer an end of life option?” It’s the same questions that consumers should be asking themselves, too, before purchasing.
“Brands can do a few key things: assess how much they produce and sell, how often they introduce new styles and collections, where every fiber comes from, how each item is made, and how purchasing practices and decision-making processes impact their supply chains,” says Hall. “We believe that limiting the harm we do is no longer enough — we must leave the places we touch better than we found them.”
Or at least do everything in our power to try.
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