The Eco Edit
Uniqlo’s low cost sustainable fashion focuses on making the world a better place by one piece of clothes at the time. Uniqlo's practice functions largely in the form of socially ethical manufacturing processes by lowering their carbon footprint. Their target is to do so by 10% in 2020, no feat for this multi-national retail chain. There largest success lies in their educational focus and repair and reuse program where they recycle onwards their own seasonal refuse and that of their customers donations, repair what is necessary and sending it onto needy communities.
The Curated Content: ASOS
With their varied, accessible and sustainable fashion pieces, Asos is a great destination to visit for your one off pieces.
(1) Asos Made in Kenya
Since 2010, ASOS has teamed up with the charitable initiative clothing workshop SOKO Kenya. For the latest ASOS Made In Kenya collection – made under fair-trade principles – the SOKO Kenya initiative incorporates designs from local wildlife and foliage into its blouses and jumpsuits. Additionally, the SOKO Kenya initiative incorporates designs made in collaboration with brother and sister duo 2ManySiblings, alongside drawings by local primary school children have been turned into prints by the ASOS design team across tailored pyjama sets, ruffled tea dresses and tote bags. New outerwear styles are also introduced to the collection, upcycling deadstock garments and reworking pieces with exaggerated sleeves and asymmetric hems.
(2) Gestuz
These pieces by label Gestuz are both feminine and made from recycled sustainable textile productions. Whilst the entire collection is not produced in the same way this series of floral dresses were lovely and understandably the first to run out the door.
(3) Cheap Monday (a subsidiary of the H&M family)
Stockholm based label Cheap Monday are renowned for their perfect fit skinny jeans and collection of stylish denim goods. Offering attainable, high quality jeans, in an array of colors and designs, using organic cotton and environmentally safe dying techniques, the collection now samples an array of unique jersey separates, casual knitwear and covetable dresses alongside a directional footwear and accessories range; all retaining that signature, clean Scandinavian style.
The Paradoxical Chain Game: H&M
This last month the Swedish Multinational retail chain H&M launched a new conscious collection which reminded us all of their long term sustainable goal. Since 2011, they had a conscious collection launched yearly with a long term plan to pivot their entire sourcing, manufacturing and production sustainable. With an estimated timeline projecting that by 2030 their entire collection with be sourced and produced using sustainable resources and processes.
Unfortunately, this year’s collection launched at the exact time Bloomberg reported the excessive yearly inventory produced by the chain. The last annual report, declared that in the last year it has more than a 4 billion excess and due to this reason their profits have taken a serious decline.
Given this, these projected goals of sustainability seem both paradoxical and likely an overstretch- Let’s just hope they stay afloat to achieve at least some of these goals.
To read more about this plan visit:
https://about.hm.com/en/sustainability/sustainability-summary2017.html
More opportunities to break the budget:
It will cost a little more but it’s a better quality for all
On clothes: https://olderbrother.us/collections/all
On Couture: Viktor & Rolf Couture
Couture is typically handmade in a Parisian atelier as one-of-a-kind pieces, but Viktor & Rolf took things one step further in terms of sustainability; Their last two collections have been completely up-cycled using only vintage dead stock fabrics.
http://www.viktor-rolf.com/haute-couture/vagabonds/
On shoes: http://www.veja-store.com/en/17-women
On bags: https://brothervellies.com/collections/bags
And for more meaningful shopping possibilities that wont break the bank, or mother earth
Insiders tip: buy locally produced, find a homegrown designer that speaks to you and if they produce locally support them and they will support you.
For more information on fashion, transparency and sustainability- visit the following sites:
http://sustainable-fashion.com
https://www.fashionrevolution.org
https://baptistworldaid.org.au/resources/2018-ethical-fashion-guide/