Upcoming sustainable fashion brands

As environmental impacts of our clothing consumption come to light, with serious implications arising from our production and distribution to the fashion-loving masses, we now realise the importance of buying from slow-fashion brands which are sustainable and ethical. It is key to be kind to our planet and do our part in helping its everyday running, even if it is one shirt at a time. The brands listed below are doing just that and more, to ensure that we as consumers are looking fabulous whilst also maintaining our planets bountiful resources.

E.L.V DENIM

‘East London Vintage’ is a fantastic brand which takes unwanted jeans destined for landfill and turns them into modern sophisticated pieces. Adhering to an ethos of zero waste, the material used has zero impact on the environment whilst also being extremely stylish and on trend.

Working with local ateliers in East London, Anna Foster ensures that each jean has the lowest carbon footprint possible whilst supporting local businesses and communities. With all manufacturing taking place in London, their company minimises on waste, water, and carbon, with only 7L of water to create a pair of E.L.V. DENIM jeans, compared to 7000L for your average new pair.

JPL Atelier

With their motto being ‘responsible luxury for the modern woman’, this company does exactly what it says on the tin by providing stylish and tailored alternatives to fast fashion. At the heart of their ethos is a transparent supply chain committed to the use of superhero certified fabrics and materials, fair trade, local production, and the protection of all animals. Their clothes are produced from recycled, upcycled, organic and vegan materials and are all produced in London by fairly treated employees.

Throughout the past couple of years, JPL Atelier has continued to champion both women and their muse, Mother Earth. Their main collections are inspired by a woman or groups of women from history who defied their position in a restricted society and demanded their voices to be heard. Both ethical and feminist – what more could you want?

BITE Studios

BITE, standing for ‘By Independent Thinkers for Environmental Progress’, is a luxury womenswear label with a mission to create uncompromisingly sustainable yet thoughtfully designed clothes – and they’re doing it oh so well. Each of their items are designed to stand the test of time, so you have no worry of a seam tearing any time soon, and their materials used have been researched meticulously in order to provide the finest quality whilst also being organic, recycled, and socially and environmentally low impact.

With each BITE piece created with a minimal environmental footprint, they set themselves high targets. With a drive to reduce the blow on our planet’s precious resources, this company is one to keep an eye on.

RE/DONE

Iconic. Sustainable. Individual… a bold statement that this stylish company lives up to very well. RE/DONE sees itself as a sustainability movement to restore individuality to the luxury fashion space whilst keeping heritage brands relevant. They believe worn denim carries within its stitches stories of years of wear and a history of a past life, and build upon this by repurposing the fabric into their new jeans.

They take pride in their manufacture within Downtown Los Angeles using water conserving methods and no harsh chemicals, but ship to the UK to make sure we’re not missing out. Due to each pair being handpicked, hand cut, and distinctly one of a kind, their stock is low but reward very high – make sure you get your hands on one of their unique pieces.

JW Anderson

Established in 2008, this Northern Irish brand has a unique aesthetic which offers a modern interpretation of masculinity and femininity by creating thought-provoking silhouettes through a conscious cross-pollination between menswear and womenswear elements. With the release of their collection ‘Made in Britain’, JW Anderson has taken a sustainable stance comprising casual and cool garments that relate to British heritage whilst reducing CO2 emissions and reusing surplus fabrics as a form of upcycling.

 “Made in Britain” had a purpose of creating something new whilst remaining resourceful, and was entirely put together during London’s COVID-19 lockdown. Designers and seamstresses communicated via digital platforms to coordinate everything, and produced some amazing unique pieces involving mismatched buttons and fabric that are futuristic yet nostalgic in equal parts.

By Victoria Fletcher