You have probably heard about sustainable clothing but what does ‘sustainable clothing’ mean?
What is green and sustainable fashion? Different people use different terms when talking about sustainability in the fashion industry, but it all boils down to the same thing. Trying to reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the environment.
Through recycling, repairing and creating clothes that last, the fashion industry cuts down on pollution and unnecessary waste.
Ethical and sustainable clothing have concerns with the environment, but also with animal welfare and how well workers in the clothing industry are treated.
The following brands take all of this into consideration and are championing the ethical and sustainable fashion movement.
Balena launches the BioCir™ Slide.
Founded in 2020, Balena is a material science company who have spent that last 2 years developing a breakthrough compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic material in a mission to create a circular model for footwear and solving one of the fashion industry’s biggest challenges: disassembly + end of life. Millions of garments are being dumped into landfills or being burnt every year, polluting the earth and the oceans with dangerous microplastics. Balena’s answer to this problem is BioCir™; a flexible and fully compostable thermoplastic material that is 100% compostable. Products made of BioCir™ reach their end of life responsibly in a biological recycling mechanism, biodegrading back to the ground safely, completing a fully circular process required for a sustainable future. But Balena is not only a material science company; it now has its own in-house design studio that has designed and produced the first product made entirely of BioCir™ – BioCir™ Slides, designed and manufactured in Italy. The Slides will be presented to the market for the first time this summer 2022, with a limited drop that will be sold exclusively online at the Balena store.
PUBLIC SERV-CE BIO SPORTSWEAR
A visionary bio-sportswear company with societal relevance and environmental values. Led by an international team and Raphael Young, former design director at iconic fashion houses including Jil Sander, Off-WhiteTM and F_WD, and whose vision has always incorporated organic design and commitment to our environment. PUBLIC SERV-CE’s organic design emphasises form and function: It is coded in the brand’s DNA and triggers the consumer’s subconscious senses – by creating immediate visual comfort yet an edgy look. PUBLIC SERV-CE is challenging the industry through creating higher standards for eco-friendly smart materials and the factories that produce them. It is at the forefront of performant, comfort driven & eco- sustainable innovation. The apparel line uses traceable certified organic, biodegradable & recycled cotton as well as recycled polyamide, bamboo, hemp, lyocell and seacell. The company is also importantly at the forefront of science and biotechnological innovations: introducing planet-friendly smart material treatments such as DynaMint®, BioDry® and BioSoft® technologies to provide antibacterial, moisture-wicking, and ultra-soft feel functionalities to its products. The sneaker soles are 100% made from recycled EVA, the laces created from banana leaves, and the outer fabric of the shoe is bio certified vegan leather made from bio-based renewable sources which reduce CO2 emissions. PUBLIC SERV-CE will release several drops per year and has launched this May 2022. Currently available online and in major retail experiential stores.
ARMEDANGELS ACTIVEWEAR
Breathable, antibacterial, dyed at low temperatures and made with of recycled fibres. With the first GRS® certified capsule collection, ARMEDANGELS is reaching a new milestone in the sparse use of resources, as a high proportion of recycled fibres also means a minimum of fresh resources. Soft and comfortable, the recycled sportswear adapts to all body types and becomes an indispensable product for everyday life. The Mix and Match range comes in Black, Indigo, Powder Rose and Rosemary Green and includes short and long leggings with hidden pockets in the waistband, filigree as well as high-support sports bras, tops and classic longsleeves. Their GRS® certified leggings and sports bras use 84% recycled polyamide and 16% elastane. The polyamide content is thereby 100% recycled from production waste. The tops and shirts of their activewear are made with 62% TENCEL™ (biodegradable fibre derived from the regenerative raw material wood), 30% organic cotton and 8% elastane. The loose fits guarantee freedom of movement, are breathable and thanks to the material composition they’re very flexible. The sports tops and long sleeves are also real winners in terms of sustainability when it comes to finishing: the finish with naturally clean® technology increases the lifespan of the activewear by up to 20%.
www.armedangels.com/wo-en/women/activewear
TheVWL Vegan Way of Life
Launched in 2021, TheVWL was born from a California based collective of designers to create the ultimate elevated vegan fashion label. TheVWL aesthetic and design language is rooted in hybridization design, between sport and daily casual sophistication. They elevate the modern casual look, perfecting the balance of design and function to create the ultimate everyday sneaker & apparel collections. The collections embody the California lifestyle involved in wellness and sustainability: everyday key items, cool, comfortable, and respectful of the planet. TheVWL defines a new zone where urban codes and visual art are in open discussion: inventing concepts and imagining tomorrow for a new generation. Sophistication with no compromise on comfort. This season we are pushing forward the concept of hybridization to create a conversation between casual and sophistication mixing low and high vibes. The new casual will become the everyday outfit with its bold and luxurious details. Casual streetwear is no longer casual and becomes a functional formal.BIO CERTIFIED ECO LEATHERS / PU made from renewable source / 48% of corn-based polyols content replacing petroleum products / Water based & solvent free / Contribute to lower CO2 emissions / RECYCLED POLYESTERS / Sourced from post-consumer plastic bottles / Yarn produced from a non-chemical but mechanical process / Water based & solvent free / Reduce by 50% CO2 emissions / ECO PACKAGING / 100% recycled cardboard + vegetable ink print / Recyclable cane sugar fiber / The VWL is available online as well as from worldwide retail stores.
Sheep Inc. T-Shirts and Shorts (Carbon Negative – Future positive!)
The 24-piece Hero collection is made up of 6 new colour way sets (t-shirts, shorts, trousers, and high necks) all made from 100% merino wool. Sheep Inc. have set out to make the perfect summer clothing starting from the only material with twelve thousand years of product development – wool. A summer wearing wool. Sceptical? They get it. But just as you trusted their relentless pursuit of softness — hear them out on this one as well. There’s some solid (scientific) reasoning behind having wool as a go-to when the mercury rises. Merino wool can naturally regulate body temperature. When hot, its exceptional breathability allows it to release warmth as needed to prevent overheating. It also has a unique ability to draw moisture away from the skin. It can absorb around 35% of its own weight before feeling wet to the touch (compared to around 7% for synthetic fibres and 20% for linen). In short, wearing wool in the summer makes perfect sense. It’s a light, fresh layer that can literally take care of itself.
Keeping you perfectly temperature regulated, whilst resisting wrinkles and odour-causing moisture (aka sweat). The way this affects your daily life. You can stop worrying about the look of your clothes, or whether you have unsightly patches expanding under your armpits and spend more time simply enjoying summer. That’s their (sheep included) transformative life-hack for you. The new spring collection made from their finest regenerative Merino wool, now in Shorts, T-shirts, and Trousers. The very softest of revolutions has begun.
