Shopping has never been easier than it is in now.
Thanks to same-day delivery apps, buy-now-pay-later billing methods and social media‘s intensifying e-commerce offering, dropping your hard-earned cash is as convenient as hitting ‘confirm’ and as justifiable as knowing it’s all 100 per cent refundable.
But with greater choice comes responsibility, and clued-in consumers are more aware than ever of the damaging toll fashion is taking on the environment. Ditching fast fashion and looking to brands that champion socially and environmentally responsible practices, buyers want to know exactly where their clothes come from and how they’re made.
but, what exactly is fast fashion? and why is it bad?
Fast fashion is a relatively new phenomenon in the industry and unfortunately growing at a rapid pace, causing extensive damage to the planet, exploits workers, and harms animals,” Georgina Neill Ryan, founder of Slowe Store, told ELLE Australia.
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Environmental: Fast fashion’s environmental impact is immense due to its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes and making the fashion industry one of the largest polluters of clean water. Its use of cheap textiles/fabrics including Polyester which is derived from fossil fuels, contributes to global warming and the shedding of microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans. They also use conventional cotton that uses significant quantities of water and pesticides in developing countries. The constant speed and demand mean increased stress on other environmental areas such as land clearing, biodiversity, and soil quality.
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Exploitation of workers: There is a human cost to fast fashion. Fast fashion impacts garment workers who work in dangerous environments and conditions for low wages and without fundamental human rights.
What are a few key pieces people should invest in?
There are a few pieces that have to be in every woman’s closet and create the perfect capsule wardrobe. My go-to is a crisp white shirt, this is probably one of the most versatile pieces in one’s wardrobe whether you are wearing it with jeans, layering over a dress or wearing over swimwear to go from pool to bar. Black Blazer and the perfect pair of straight leg blue jeans these are a must! Lastly a Shirt and Shorts/Pants Set, this is for the days when you have minimal time to put something together.
I always fall back on my Hyde & Stone crinkle set — the Anastasia Shirt and Lottie Pant. These items create the essential pieces in your closet and can be styled with each other or with other pieces to help build out the outfit options within your wardrobe.
So, how can we be more conscious about the brands we’re shopping from?
Georgina’s top signs to look out for when shopping consciously:
• Is there a dedicated page on a brands website about their sustainability journey covering:
• Where their garments are made and by who. Look out for local production!
• What their garments are made from and the environmental impact of their
• Are there thousands of styles on the brands site which focus on all the latest trends? If yes, this is fast fashion. Look for brands with few, specific styles per collection, which are released twice to three times per year or have a permanent seasonless collection
• Always check what fabrics and materials their items are made from – I always look for sustainable materials like natural fibres like wool, organic cotton and linen that points to higher quality pieces. Especially love if the brand’s fabrics are certified.
• If the price seems too good to be true and super cheap, steer clear!
Thanks to a growing list of environmentally minded designers and eco-conscious brands, sustainability is in—as it should be.
Here, an ELLE approved list of sustainable brands favoured by the fashion set (and us).
Introduction, 150-200 words. Include 2-3 internal links to relevant shopping pages. (Links to non-shopping pages can go below.)
The best sustainable fashion brands of 2024
GANNI is the cult Danish label with a Scandi 2.0 sense of style. They are on a journey to minimise their social and environmental impact and strive to be a more responsible version of themselves every day. Last year they launched their GANNI Gameplan setting 44 tangible goals to be reached by 2023 across four main pillars; People, Planet, Product and Prosperity.
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St. Agni recognises and understands their responsibility to make decisions with people and the environment at the forefront, by creating quality and timeless pieces that stand the test of time, designing with longevity in mind and using considered materials that are gentle on the environment.
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The perfect combination of surf, skate, style and sustainability – Cariuma’s sneakers are made to last and act as the ultimate base footwear for any It Girl’s wardrobe. Made using sustainably and ethically sourced materials, the B-Corp fashion brand was inspired by the founders love of boardsports and their home country of Brazil (from which they source a lot of their materials) to create timeless and trendy pieces.
Aje is continuously working towards adopting sustainable practices in design. Their mission? Minimise their impact on Earth and maximise their positive impact on humanity. Now that’s something we can get around.
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Bite Studios is the London and Stockholm-based brand blending minimalist design with sustainable practice. Its offering of beautifully tailored, neutral-paletted wardrobe classics comes imbued with a modern beat: elegant cuts and laidback silhouettes lend smart trousers, shirt dresses and trench coats a refined, hard-working edge. Philophiles, take note.
Launched in 2016, Bite Studios found a cult following after releasing an upcycled knitted dress on Yoox.com made from reworked longline waistcoats. Releasing four collections a year, the brand focuses on its fabric use (it uses organic naturally dyed wools from Italy, as well as its own organic, cruelty-free silk), ensures its workers are treated fairly and provides customers with lifetime repairs on their buys.
New Zealand brand Maggie Marilyn is only four years old but has already found an international cult following, its fans include Meghan Markle, Karlie Kloss and Kendall Jenner. Unexpected and bold, feminine and yet structured, Maggie Marilyn brings a fresh and inspired perspective to preppy classics.
The brand’s innovation extends beyond its aesthetic to its operations: for Maggie Hewitt, the millennial behind the brand, sustainable and ethical philosophy has been a non-negotiable since day one. The designer believes in radical transparency and educating her clientele on why investing in sustainable fashion is worth it. Made in New Zealand, the brand is committed to using organic cotton, ethically farmed silk and New Zealand merino wool.
Continually on the lookout for cutting-edge, environmentally-minded materials and manufacturers, Hewitt acknowledges her brand isn’t 100 per cent sustainable but is constantly pushing forward. The brand already challenges industry norms with its packaging—seasonal wholesale collections are shipped in fully biodegradable bags—and pledges that by 2020 it will use repurposed and recycled materials for 50 per cent of its collections. “I believe it is my responsibility to do better than those before me,” Hewitt says.
Each S/W/F garment is handmade locally and made to order with naturally derived fabrics and styles to love, loan, re-discover and repair.
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This Hawaii-born, Barcelona-designed, and Spanish- and Portuguese-made brand encapsulates the spirit of hot, sunny summers. Initially a super-chic footwear brand with boots, sandals, sneakers, and heels made from sustainable and ethically sourced materials, they have since branched out into apparel and resort wear.
The brand works on a pre-order system to reduce clothing waste, so you can actually shop new collections at 30% off to encourage shop on demand.
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A perennial favourite of every Instagram ‘It’-girl, Reformation is the vintage-vibed LA brand behind that leopard print midi skirt and many of Kendall Jenner’s most hyped street-style moments. Launched by Yael Aflalo in 2009, Reformation’s designs come instilled with a Californian cool and effortless femininity.
From recyclable packaging to the repurposing of vintage finds, sustainability has been at the core of Reformation’s business model since the brand’s inception. Not only is it committed to using biodegradable, plant-based fabrics, it also invests in conservation programs to replace the resources it uses.
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Australian brand Nagnata is the next-gen workoutwear that brags serious street appeal and impressive sustainability credentials.
Collections are made from upcycled textiles, natural dyes and organic yarns, and released transeasonally to ensure the brand grows within its business capacity and doesn’t overproduce. It also uses an innovative circular knitting technique to ensure zero offcut waste and collaborates with family-run artisan collectives and fair-trade initiatives in India.
Headed by Australian sisters Laura May and Hannah Gibbs, Nagnata is a mashup of ’90s crops, block-colour bike shorts and turtleneck knits that translate perfectly from pilates class to brunch.
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This Australian-born denim label has become a royal favourite of Meghan Markle and with their impressive selection of timeless and trendy jeans, jackets and dresses it’s no wonder why.
Not only does Outland Denim source ethically and sustainably for their denim, but their products are also made by talented seamstresses from Cambodia who have experienced modern slavery and since been mentored in the denim-making process to develop and grow in their career
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Kit Willow believes in creating clothes that don’t harm the environment. She also believes that sustainability shouldn’t compromise the desirability of a garment or fashion brand. Marrying these beliefs, Willow launched KitX in 2015, fast becoming a leading force within the Australian ethical fashion movement.
Romantic and yet sophisticated, Willow’s designs are founded on fluid silhouettes and artfully engineered, consciously sourced materials—think slinky silk teal dresses with work-to-bar versatility and fitted denim jackets with raw edges and loose statement sleeves.
With full access to her supply chain and an ethical and eco-friendly design ethos, Willow works solely with non-hazardous materials that are sourced from traceable and fair-trade suppliers who adhere to global environmental and social standards. Considered, creative and thoroughly coveted.
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Looking to save money on sustainable fashion? Check out our coupon codes for Aje, Boody and more.
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