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5 Sustainable Fashion Practitioners & How They’re Responding to COVID-19

Covid-19’s spread across the globe has dominated our minds and media outlets. OSF wanted to shine a light on just a few of the amazing stories and acts of kindness that have come out of this difficult time. Here are five sustainable fashion brands we love who’ve turned their attention to the Covid-19 crisis.

Reformation

Another big name in sustainable fashion, Reformation has joined forces with The City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti on LA Protects, “an initiative to organize local manufacturers to make five million non-medical masks for brave people doing essential work, ensuring medical grade masks can be available to healthcare workers”.

By April 20th, the brand had already shipped over 100,000 masks and can make up to 25,000 a week. Reformation also offers the option to donate money towards making masks via their website.

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney has built her entire business model around minimising impact on the natural world. While her famous luxury fashion brand continues to come up with eco-friendly clothing options, now that COVID-19 has spread across the globe, pioneer McCartney has created ‘Stella Vision’, a network to help people stay connected, or as she explains on her website:

Stay safe. Stay Positive. Stay tuned

So far ‘Stella Vision’ has spread its message via Instagram with fun home challenges shared by the hashtag #StellaCommUnity, as well as blogs about ways to “discover novel ideas for not only filling the time, but making the most of it”.

Bhoomki

The ethical fashion brand based in Brooklyn, founded by designer (and School of The New York Times educator), Swati Argade, has joined the campaign #WeBuiltThisNYC demanding small businesses get rent relief, lease renegotiation and official representation. Argade points out that while landlords cannot evict tenants for three months for non-payment, they can still demand back rent and, if this isn’t received, they can later evict residents, taking these small businesses to court and then claiming tax breaks for empty storefronts. Small businesses like Bhoomki are one of the many great things about New York City. As well as collectively generating billions of dollars in revenue, this body of entrepreneurs has created 50% of the jobs in the borough of Brooklyn. 

Threads 4 Thought

The sustainable fashion brand, founded in 2007, has partnered with its suppliers from around the globe to produce ten medical-grade face masks for every $50 spent on T4T apparel. What’s more, the casual and sportswear brand has launched a $1 = 1 mask initiative allowing customers the choice to donate what they can -  $25, $50, $100 - which will then be equivalent to the number of masks they produce.

Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co, one of the largest denim companies in the world, has been quick to act in the face of Covid-19. The California-based company’s President and CEO, Chip Bergh, has donated $3 million to relief efforts, with a focus on employees, community partners and supply chain workers. But it doesn’t stop there. The Levi Strauss Foundation is playing a role in supporting organisations that are on the side of marginalized people most likely to be affected by the crisis, like Chinese for Affirmative Action who are fighting against COVID-related racism directed toward Asian Americans, or Vision Spring which helps factories produce protective clothing for community health workers.

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Five Celebrities Paving the Way Towards a More Sustainable Future

Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern, and Jane Fonda. What do all of these A-list celebrities have in common? They are all paving the way towards a more sustainable future by re-wearing clothes to red carpet events, partnering with brands including True Botanicals and ThredUp, and vowing to no longer buy any new pieces of clothing -- ever!

Timothée Chalamet

The Hollywood actor who has starred in hit films such as Little Women, Call Me by Your Name, and Lady Bird, has been seen on the red carpet wearing garments such as an exclusive Prada Re-Nylon suit made out of Econyl, a fabric that “uses synthetic waste such as industrial plastic, waste fabric and fishing nets from oceans,” according to the website Good on You.  Chalamet has also consistently worn pieces from previous Stella McCartney collections since December 2019, showing that he values re-wearing garments instead of wearing new pieces for each red carpet event. As one of the most popular celebrities right now, it is evident that Chalamet is well aware of the impacts of fast fashion by making it known that re-wearing garments is the best way to reduce textile waste.

Emma Watson

The Harry Potter actress and Little Women star has consistently shown that she is on the side of sustainable fashion. For starters, Watson has a separate Instagram account that guides followers on her sustainable fashion journey. The account features headline photos talking about her vow to sustainability practices as well as photos of her at various awards shows wearing sustainable pieces by designers such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Earlier this year, Watson partnered with online thrift store ThredUp and has been vocal about her decision on Instagram, stating that "Our closets impact the planet and climate more than you might realize, which is why I am proud to partner with @thredUP to launch their new Fashion Footprint Calculator. They created an easy to use tool, and I’m so excited to help people discover the carbon impact of their wardrobes, and steps you can take to lighten your fashion footprint." 

Jane Fonda

Actress and climate activist Jane Fonda, announced this year at the Oscars that she was going to stop buying new clothes -- not just for a few months, but forever. She made this known at the 2020 Oscar’s, arriving in a six-year-old beaded gown that she had pulled from her closet. Fonda said in an interview with The Independent, “When I talk to people and say, ‘We don’t really need to keep shopping. We shouldn’t look to shopping for our identity. We don’t need more stuff,’ I have to walk the talk. So I’m not buying any more clothes.” Fonda has also been a vocal activist at climate change protests outside the United States Capitol and was arrested multiple times for her activities, feeling pretty darn proud of her efforts.

Laura Dern

The actress in Marriage Story and Little Women, has made it clear that she is a sustainability advocate. Besides re-wearing designer dresses on the red carpet, Dern has also been vocal about her use of the sustainable skincare brand True Botanicals and stands behind each of its products. According to the True Botanicals website, their “products are developed, produced, packaged, and shipped to you in ways that minimize their impact on the environment.” The brand uses natural and organic ingredients, and its products even come in glass bottles, waving goodbye to plastic packaging.

Saoirse Ronan, who claimed her spot in Hollywood by starring in the Academy Award-winning film Brooklyn is also a celebrity paving the way towards a more sustainable future. At the 2020 BAFTAs, Ronan was seen wearing a sustainably made Gucci gown on the red carpet, which had been made out of discarded satin fabric scraps. Ronan also wore a stunning gown to the 2020 Oscar’s which was cut from the same black fabric as her BAFTAs dress. As one of the most popular young actresses in Hollywood today, Ronan is truly making an impact by showing that sustainable fashion is beautiful and can look timeless.

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History of Sustainable Fashion Movement

The Sustainable Fashion Movement, also known as the Slow Fashion Movement, has only just begun to pick up momentum over the last 15 years or so , however the concept for this movement spun out of the Anti-Sweatshop, Environmental, and Anti-Consumerism Movements. While the Anti-Sweatshop movement has been around since the early abolitionist movement in the early 19th century (“Anti-sweatshop movement”), a huge turning point that directed the issue towards the mainstream media was the 2013 Savar building collapse in Bangladesh, which left over 1000 dead and 2500 injured. This catastrophe showed the public the horrific conditions that people worked in to create the clothing as well as other products we buy. While the environmental movement has also has been long standing in some form throughout US history, the modern day movement really kicked off in the late 1960s with the formation of the hippie movement. With this movement not only came the need to conserve our natural resources but also the creation of clothing made with environmentally conscious fibers like hemp. The anti-consumerism movement also has had a great effect on the sustainable fashion movement through the push to buy less, resulting in the need to buy clothing that is not only interchangeable between outfits but also able to withstand being washed and worn over the course of many years. The biggest enemy of the slow fashion movement is the fast fashion movement, not necessarily because the leaders of this industry are against the protection of people and the environment but because their fortune depends on how quickly they can produce the latest trends for a low cost that the average consumer will be willing to pay for. Fast Fashion companies like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M thrive because they are able to do this while barely paying the people who actually make their clothing. According to Macleans.ca only 12 cents goes towards labor for the average $14 shirt, whereas there is an estimated 60% markup price for the consumer to pay. In the United States, an average of 68 pounds of clothing are thrown out every year, mostly due the fact that fast fashion brands don’t want their clothes to last resulting in tears and being worn out (Whitehead, Shannon, “5 Truths the Fashion Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know”, Huffington Post) . The sustainable fashion movement, on the other hand, works towards creating quality clothing meant to withstand stand that is not destructive towards the environment or its workforce. While today this movement is still considered almost a sub cultural one, it is continually gaining momentum towards becomingness the norm in the fashion industry.

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Sustainable Fashion Designers

If you are looking to make a shift to sustainable fashion, given below is a list of new generation fashion designers who are experimenting with sustainable clothing and changing the way we look at fashion:

Stella McCartney

When thinking of sustainable and ethical luxury fashion, Stella McCartney is the first name that comes to mind. Since the launch of her fashion house in 2001, she is one of the pioneers of Eco-friendly fashion and offers sustainable wardrobe alternatives. The materials used by this designer include organic cotton, ethically sourced wool, recycled textiles while excluding fur and leather.

Sandra Sandor

Sandra Sandor is the mind behind Nanushka, a label that finds its origins in Budapest, Hungary. Starting from vegan leather and up cycled materials, she creates, bags, dresses, and shirts for both men and women.

Eileen Fisher

This Eco-friendly designer is passionate about disrupting the linear production model and works in a circular model. She recycles old textiles and garments that result in luxurious and sustainable clothing.

Maggie Marilyn

Maggie Marilyn is a designer from New Zealand who stands as one of the most outstanding examples in the fashion industries efforts to protect the planet. All her collections are created with sustainable materials that are ethically sourced. Additionally, the brand went the extra mile of using cassava root bags when packaging orders.

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How eco-friendly fashion designers are making a change

With the global population set to reach nine billion people by 2030, nature will struggle to meet human demands like never before. More consumers are becoming more mindful of their purchase and seeking awareness of where their clothes come from. Hence more and more designers are making a shift to sustainable fashion and creating an impact as;

1. This fashion approach reduces the amount of micro fibers released into the environment.

2. Reduces toxic waste and supports animal rights.

3. Clothes are distinct and unique.

4. Leads to less strain on the planet’s resources as eco-friendly clothing is made through sustainable practices.

5. Eco-friendly fashion does not harm you.

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How to practice sustainable fashion

Running out of things to wear isn’t a problem unique to me. Everyone’s default reaction after staring at a closet full of clothes and finding zero outfits is to buy more clothes.

On my journey to finding my personal style however, I’ve slowly become savvier and more conscious than ever — only buying things that I know will either last at least 5 years or get a lot of wears. Not just because I do find myself feeling dejected whenever a piece of clothing gets lost or ruined unnecessarily, but also because over the years I realized that the key to a more sustainable lifestyle is to reduce one’s consumption. Buying less ultimately means generating less waste and doing less harm to the environment.

There are a lot more factors in play in the road to sustainability. Here are some tips to consider so we can all collectively practice sustainability without sacrificing style:

Do not buy clothes just because they are cheap. Rather invest in a couple of quality pieces.

Avoid trends & stick to classics because trends are short lived.

Donate, repurpose, or sell your used but wearable clothes. Purchase second hand or borrow from your friends if purchasing ethically made clothing is outside of your budget.  

Look for certification labels like GOTS and Fair Trade before buying clothes to verify that the workers and environment are treated well.    

Only buy what you need. Before buying anything make sure you use every piece of clothing in your closet.

If this is all too much to remember, just remember the four R’s of sustainable fashion: reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair. Shop less, own less, and prolong the life of your current wardrobe.

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What Created The Need For Sustainable Fashion?

With the emergence of fast fashion, we aren’t wearing the clothes we buy enough times before throwing them away and moving on to the next shopping spree. 

The ever increasing pace with which companies are introducing new collections, meets the desires of the consumers as well as creates it. We may have clothes in our wardrobe sitting there with the tags hanging still, waiting to be worn, while we may be out buying more, yet.

A 2015 study observed that only 3% of what goes into making new clothes comes from recycling while 97% of it are new resources which makes it 98 million tonnes of resources ranging from chemical dyes, chemicals for fabric finishes, oil for producing synthetic fibres, fertilizers to grow plants like cotton, billions of cubic meter of water, etc.

Also, it was found that in 2015, the CO2 emission of the textile industry was way more than even combined emission of international flights and maritime shipping.

So, every time new clothes are produced, it not only wreaks havoc but because of the fast fashion spell, around 73% of it ends up in a landfill and that not only puts all the resources used to waste but also pollutes the environment further.

Additionally, as fashion becomes more affordable for the masses, someone somewhere is paying for it. The millions of people employed in the fashion industry worldwide are the ones compensating for the it. And as unbelievable as it may seem but modern day slavery in forms of ill wages, improper working conditions, countless working hours, etc., does exist.

Most of us would read about the plight of these workers and the abuse of the environment, feel a little unsettled but then shortly after we would move on with our lives thinking what can we do about it, anyway.

However, fashion is an industry driven by the choices we consumers make and that gives us some power that can help overturn the fashion industry scenario for good.

Even by just being mindful of what we buy, from where and how often could impact the industry right down to the lowest level in the chain. Being thoughtful and conscious is all it takes.

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What Is Sustainable Fashion?

What is it that we consider to be one of the gravest crisis of today’s date? Climate change is what most of us would come up with.

However, whatever be our answers, fashion would not strike most brains as either a problem or a solution. Though, what most of us don’t know is that a sustainable approach towards fashion can help ease various issues leading to the deterioration of our environment as fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world.

We as consumers can play a major role towards ensuring that the fashion industry goes forward on the path of sustainability but in order to do so, we ourselves need to be well educated and aware regarding the degrading impact the fashion industry has on the environment as well as the workforce.

But, before we can talk about solutions that can be initiated on our part, it is important that we are clear as to what sustainable fashion actually means.

Often, it is thought of as just concerning clothes, shoes, accessories and how it impacts the planet. However, sustainable fashion is an umbrella term which includes ethical treatment of all involved in ensuring that fashion reaches us along with aiming to minimize any undesirable environmental effect of the product’s life cycle. It is a movement that focuses on being eco-friendly and people-friendly.

Hence, we can say that fostering change in the world of fashion in order to be more considerate to the environment and humanity is what sustainable fashion is all about.