There are so many fantastic fashion activists and organisations around the world working to make the industry a better, greener place. But where should you start? We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting.
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The businesses, designers and activists shaking up the fashion industry
From the first week I moved to London, I’ve been obsessed with its plethora of charity shops. But one has always stood out: trendy, not too pretentious, cheap, cheerful, and filled to the brim with treasures. I rarely step out without a new gem (most recently, a pair of tomato-red vintage trousers).
I’m not alone in my devotion. It’s been a fixture across London for over 20 years, with 13 branches spread out across the capital, and you’ll find it listed on virtually every round up of the UK’s top charity shops for its wide-ranging selection of quality items. But it also stands out for its mission. TRAID isn’t just fixing fast fashion indirectly by providing a more sustainable way of shopping, but also tackling waste in the industry head-on.
Vintage lunch box purses, sunglasses made of compostable materials or upcycled beer towel sweaters: Stitch Up! selects the most creative and eco-friendly fashion designers of the moment. Characterised by their inventiveness and ethicality, these pieces are the perfect definition of what a green fashion collection can be.
Today, we will be exploring the work of the talented designer Rosie Evans.
Between Balenciaga’s fashion show featuring a single digital model and London-based Auroboros’ first digital ready-to-wear collection, who hasn’t noticed that virtual fashion is in this fashion week? This technological breakthrough might be aesthetically futurist and intrinsically cool, but it can also serve another purpose: making the fashion industry more sustainable.
Each year, 92 million tonnes of textiles are either dumped into landfills or burned in incinerators, which gravely pollutes the environment and degrades our ecosystems. To combat this, British company Yellow Octopus has launched its reGAIN app, aiming to change people’s habits of throwing away unwanted clothes and find solutions to recycle textile waste. We spoke to Janet Nakonechna, collaboration manager at the company to find out how it works – and what the future holds for fast fashion.
Pics: Radski Photography for THTC / Natasha Tonic / Hemp Eyewear
When Gav Lawson and his brother first found out about hemp at university, they knew they were on to something big. “We figured pretty soon the secret will get out – because the internet is just here, people are going to find out about it and it’s going to be a gamechanger. Which, you know, 20 years on, people are still like, ‘Is that weed? Is that okay?’
“So it’s been a gradual process,” he laughed.
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Designer of the day: Adam Jones
Vintage lunch box purses, sunglasses made of compostable materials or upcycled beer towel sweaters: Stitch Up! selects the most creative and eco-friendly fashion designers of the moment. Characterised by their inventiveness and ethicality, these pieces are the perfect definition of what a green fashion collection can be.
Today, after having only talked about women designers for a few days, we will be exploring the work of the talented Adam Jones.
A device using “hydrodynamic” technology to clean clothes without a washing machine is launching this month.
Called W’air, the gadget “combines a gentle burst of air with just a tiny bit of water and soap”, creating a spray that pushes dirt off of clothes.
Vintage lunch box purses, sunglasses made of compostable materials or upcycled beer towel sweaters: Stitch Up! selects the most creative and eco-friendly fashion designers of the moment. Characterised by their inventiveness and ethicality, these pieces are the perfect definition of what a green fashion collection can be.
Today, we will be exploring the work of talented French designer Emma Reynaud.
British fashion designer Priya Ahluwalia, known for her sustainable approach, has won this year’s British Fashion Council/GQ Designer Menswear Fund.
The prize is a one-year business mentorship, free legal services and a cash injection of £150,000.