Ecosystem for Change (part 2)
It seems there has been an upsurge in ethical fashion brands and organisations developing environmentally conscious fabrics and homewares. Or maybe being more focused on the social enterprise and impact business sector I've just come across more of them in the past 6 months. Either way I wanted to share the amazing organisations I've connected with and in a small way help raise their profile.
In this Ecosystem for Change (part 2) blog I introduce the amazing social entrepreneurs and impact businesses tackling the fashion industry.
It seems there has been an upsurge in ethical fashion brands and organisations developing environmentally conscious fabrics and homewares. Or maybe being more focused on the social enterprise and impact business sector I've just become more aware of them in the past 6 months. Either way it's exciting times to have greater access to so many sustainable brands.
I wanted to share the amazing organisations I've connected with and in a small way help raise their profile. Luckily they're not all here in the UK, so you might even be able to find one in a country where you live.
(Notably this is not an exhaustive list and I would love to add to it, so please get in touch if you know of another ethical or sustainable fashion brand I should know about).
So here's 11 great companies to check out and start buying from, in my humble opinion....I might be a bit biased as I've had most of them on my podcast...
Offset Warehouse are the place to go if you make your own clothes or are a fashion designer. They provide amazing ethical and sustainable fabrics from around the world. Listen to m interview with Founder Charlie Ross (UK) here.
West Plum Studio is the brainchild of Sophie Roberts from York (UK). She's obsessed with triangles and uses these for her amazing surface pattern designs. She's only recently started printing her patterns to fabrics, so you need to contact her directly if you want to find out how to get your hands on them.
MAMOQ is a curated, fashion marketplace for the conscious consumer, it includes 35 carefully selected brands and tells the story of each as well as their ethical or environmental ethos. (Created by Madeline Petrow and Lenny Leeman, UK).
Where does it come from? produces shirts, hats, scarves and kids clothes and each item comes with a code on the label so you can trace exactly how they were made, who made them, whether they were fairly paid and how the environment was protected whilst they were manufactured. Simply visit the Trace Your Garment page find out all the things that turned cotton growing in a field into the clothes that you own today whilst getting to know the people involved. (Created by Jo Salter, UK).
Needs More Cushions is a cushion company with a difference. Created by Jill McKenzie in New Zealand to support artisan fabric makers in West Africa and provide employment for refugees in New Zealand. Currently with fabrics from Mali and Coe D'Ivoire these cushions would add something really special to any home.
With every pair of Moeloco flip flops you purchase, they give a pair of shoes to a school child in poverty, one for one. Why? Over 300 million people in the world have never owned a pair of shoes. The simple act of giving a child a pair of shoes for school helps their health, their access to education and their confidence. It also means that charities like our partner the Hope Foundation, no longer have to pay for shoes themselves, and can fund other much needed programs like safe water and education. (Created by Kathy Wong, Australia).
Ruby Moon (created by Jo Godden) uses nylon fishing nets, reclaimed from the Mediterranean as the sustainable material for her designer gym and swimwear range. The profits go towards supporting female entrepreneurs in developing countries with micro-loans. You can find Ruby Moon products on Etsy and MAMOQ.
Kudu & Mimi (created by Tahni Aitkin and her sister) produce ethically sourced and manufactured nappy bags, one-off vintage bags and other treasures for the home, as well as organic cotton and denim children's clothing.
Luca Brocolini are a New Zealand based, family company producing durable unisex clothes for kids with responsibly sourced materials. I particularly like their kids hats and jackets - check them out.
Batiqua preserves the traditional batik technique, indigenous to the Zimbabwean people and supports women from disadvantaged backgrounds by empowering them with skills to improve their livelihood.
Couchman Bespoke provides tailored menswear using sustainably sourced cloth that reduces water consumption and pollution. (Created by Claire Couchman, in London, UK)
Want to find out more about how to support a change in the Fashion & Fabric industry? Check out Fashion Revolution Week here.