If your New Year’s resolution is to make more sustainable choices, you’ll want to read this.
When Kanye tweeted, ‘I hate when I’m on a flight and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle’, he was mercilessly mocked. And while it was deeply ironic for the rapper to feel guilt-stricken about his single-use plastic consumption while soaring through the sky in an aeroplane, he neatly surmised the cross hairs our world is in. How, in 2019, when choice and consumption is available on every corner, do we make sustainable choices?
If you’ve resolved to dress more like Meghan Markle (i.e. eco-consciously) in 2019, then you’re not alone. Lyst reported that 47 per cent more shoppers were looking for clothes with ethical credentials.
Although shoppers spent £3.5bn (approx. NZD $6.7b) on Christmas party clothes last year (eight million of which will find its way into landfill), it’s never been easier to find stylish consciously-produced clothing. Stella McCartney and Edun may have opened the world’s eyes to responsibly made fashion that wasn’t hemp-y and beige, but they are no longer alone.
Here are just 11 little-known labels that are redefining the look of sustainable fashion in 2019.
1. Allbirds
Soft, washable, warm trainers you can wear without socks exist and they are made by Californian label Allbirds founded by NZ native Tim Brown and business partner Joey Zwillinger. Dubbed ‘the world’s most comfortable shoes’, they don’t just play lip service to sustainability as they are made from a new technical woollen fabrication and a simplified construction that relies on all natural materials.
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Almeida Striped Merino Wool Dress @theofficialselfridges #gabrielahearst
2. Gabriela Hearst
The founder, Gabriela, has coined the phrase ‘honest luxury’ to describe her brand of thoughtful tailoring and must-have bags. With 99 per cent of the fabrics, the brand uses sustainable and all packaging recyclable packaging, sustainable is more than just greenwashing for this label.
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SS18 suit in @pusspussmag styled by @nikesofiaamorina photographed by @suzor
3. Rave Review
The hype around Rave Review, who show during Paris Fashion Week, has been building each season. The Scandi label continues to develop their brand of upcycled couture, which reworks pre-existing textiles into imaginative new silhouettes.
4. Misha Nonoo
If you’ve seen a picture of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, likely you have seen a Misha Nonoo design before. The founder, Misha Nonoo, a close friend of the royal has won a CFDA award for her no-waster fashion brand. Working to a made-to-order business model, the brand is able to decrease waste.
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We just can’t get enough of this perfect fit. With spring comes the Cropped Mimi ✌🏻
5. Mud Jeans
Mud Jeans take a two-pronged approach to reducing waste. Firstly, they only produce organic cotton denim with washes created without chemicals or water and that make use of upcycled textiles. Secondly, they lease out their pieces for a guilt-free shopping solution.
6. Kitx
With their marigold and jackfruit dyed dresses, the Australian label Kitx proves that sustainable eveningwear doesn’t need to look hemp-y or scratchy. Founder Kit Willow (formerly of the beautiful and oh-so-covetable Willow brand) holds a Masters degree in draping from Paris and its put to good use with her romantic designs.
7. Rêve En Vert
The multi-brand retailer stocks labels that either re-use materials or source low-environmental impact fabrics and produce pieces locally and fairly. The end result is a range of understated and typically French fashion, homeware and cosmetics.
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9. Rafa
There is a team of 20 specialist shoemakers working in LA to create Rafa’s luxury made-to-order footwear, which uses ecologically-friendly materials.
10. Ninety Percent
The London-based premium basics brand Ninety Percent think of sustainability well beyond the construction and consumption of their clothes. Not only are materials and manufacturing thoughtfully considered with eco and social sensitivity but the label also promises to donate 90 per cent of its profits to a range of charities.
11. Veja
Maybe you remember when Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex wore her Veja trainers on her tour of Australasia and they sold out instantly… She’s not the only celebrity (others include Emma Watson and Lucy Williams) that loves the French brand’s vegan trainers, which are produced without chemicals or pollutants.
Words: Lucy Morris
Photos: Supplied
This article originally appeared on Grazia.
