FASHION AND SUSTAINABILITY: 3 BRANDS YOU CAN'T MISS
Fashion and sustainability: 3 brands you can’t miss
Fashion is one of the most polluting sectors in the world, and that’s just a fact. However, there is a growing number of brands that are fighting for a more sustainable system, based on the use of ethical materials and greener production processes. From this point of view, technology is a great ally: the development of alternative materials is getting more and more effective, enabling the realization of very high quality products, with a significantly lower environmental impact. We selected three brands that are revolutioning the concept of sustainable luxury fashion: let’s discover them.
Stella McCartney
Sustainable brand par excellence, Stella McCartney has always proposed – since its debut in 2001 – free from leather, fur and feathers collections. In their place, it has encouraged the use of recycled and alternative materials such as Mylo, a leather-effect fabric obtained by the processing of mycelium, a substance contained in the roots of mushrooms. During its latest season, the brand has succeeded in making 87% of the ready-to-wear collection with responsible materials, including the first product crafted from regenerative cotton. SS23 involves the use of eco-friendly viscose, regenerated nylon (ECONYL), recycled polyester, organic cotton, responsible linen and wool. Moreover, all the materials derive from traceable sources. Plastic use is banned: since 2010 Stella McCartney made all of its products PVC-free (glitters and sequins included), to solve the problems of the non-recyclability and non-biodegradability of this material. The attention of the brand towards the environment doesn’t stop here. It is enough to consider that during fashion shows, carbon emissions are kept to a minimum, with the rest to be offset afterwards.
Marine Serre
Circularity and recycling are the keywords of Marine Serre, French brand born in 2017 from an idea of its eponymous founder and designer. For Marine Serre, upcycling is a real lifestyle: that’s why everything starts from the reuse of old garments, assembled and processed to give life to new clothes. Regenerating already existing materials allows to reduce waste, reintegrating usually considered to-be-thrown-away products in the creative cyclical process. Moreover, all of this ensures the transparency and the traceability of the sources. Today, 50% of the collections is made of recycled pieces, while the remaining half involves the use of innovative and sustainable fibres, such as biodegradable yarns. An example? The iconic second-skin pieces, with the Crescent Moon logo, exclusively crafted from recycled materials such as polyester and elastane. Same goes with Clashing Tartans garments, in regenerated wool with the typical patchwork and houndstooth motifs.
Jakke
London-based and specialized in eco-furs, Jakke is an ethical brand by definition, born in 2015 from an idea of the designer Nina Hopkins, convinced of the necessity of making ethical fashion more approachable for modern women. Animal-friendly and cruelty-free, each Jakke eco-fur has a “Free From Fur” patch on the sleeve, which proudly emphasizes its main feature. Well aware that the production of a real-fur piece requires at least 4 times more energy than a faux fur coat, Jakke’s commitment involves all of the steps of the production process, from the material research to the practical realization and environmental impact. To fight fast-fashion mentality, the brand has always refused the idea of seasonal trends: that’s why Jakke’s ones are long-lasting pieces, to keep in the wardrobe season after season. The goal is to create timeless luxury pieces, crafted from ethical and durable materials. 45% of the collections is made from recycled plastic bottles, a percentage that aims to grow even more. It takes about 30 plastic bottles to make a recycled polyester eco-fur, bottles that would otherwise end up in the ocean or in a landfill. The quality of the recycled fabric basically remains the same, but its production requires 59% less of energy.
