Sustainable fashion

The Durability Myth: How Fast Fashion Is Rebranding As High-Quality.

UTOPIA-The-Edit — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:02:50 +0000

The Durability Myth: How Fast Fashion Is Rebranding As High-Quality.

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Fashion

Fast Fashion

Sustainable fashion

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Sustainable Fashion

Story from: UTOPIA-The-Edit

It seems simple to separate the fast from the fashion: SHEIN is the devil incarnate, and your local earth-toned boutique that stocks small designers is the only way forward.

However, there exists a foggy middle ground, littered with brands attempting to convince consumers of their high quality.

Polished merchandising, sleek mannequins and vague marketing copy are all employed in an attempt to point towards the direction of our favourite buzzword: sustainability.

Fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, and Abercrombie & Fitch have re-marketed themselves in recent years as higher-quality alternatives to the demonised brands that first spring to mind when we hear the words ‘fast fashion.’

Consumers should not be so easily convinced, since the perception of these garments as durable is antithetical to the push for sustainability in fashion.

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Read the full article on UTOPIA-The-Edit online magazine>>

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Irish slow fashion brand calls for `A Gentle Life ' with new collection

Szilvia Szabó — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:47:55 +0000

Irish slow fashion brand calls for `A Gentle Life ' with new collection

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Slow Fashion

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Slow Fashion

When was the last time you stood in front of your wardrobe, getting ready for a date, family event, or a girl's night out, feeling you didn`t have a single piece to wear despite probably having more clothes piled up than you will ever need?

Fast fashion and an even faster-paced life condition us to keep up with the ever-changing trends almost religiously, chasing the illusion that more is merrier regardless of quality, values, or authentic style.

Trailblazer designers Triona Lillis and Aoibheann MacNamara, founders of the slow fashion brand The Tweed Project, are inviting wearers to indulge in pieces that seamlessly blend traditional and contemporary Irish design with individuality while channelling the essence of a simpler time as they mark their 10th anniversary.

Their unique approach to using overlooked fabrics, such as Donegal Tweed or Irish Linen, in creating handmade one-off pieces has been the foundation of their decade-long commitment to simplicity and the artistry of natural fabrics.

Reflecting on their inspiration for creating this line, Aoibheann shares her personal connection: “It’s to do with both being older and needing things more gentle and softer than before.

Softer emotions and ways of being in the world and softness in what we wear and how that affects us.”

Triona adds: “We have both reached a similar point in life where we’d like to slow down a little or have more periods of rest as life and work can be so busy”.

The Tweed Project Founders, Triona Lillis and Aoibheann MacNamara. Image: The Tweed Project

The new collection is not only a testament to a long-term commitment to simplicity and the artistry of natural fabrics but also resonates with the ethos of gentleness and mindful consumption.

“We’re definitely seeing the consumer asking for better quality, fairer wages for workers, more transparency in manufacturing, but there is still a lot of greenwashing going on in the fashion business.

A ‘conscious’ labelled t-shirt that’s sold at €5 has to be viewed as suspicious,”

says Triona.

The Tweed Project`s work of designing timeless outfits with longevity in mind is feeding into the growing “capsule wardrobe” trend, calling shoppers to opt for a smaller number of lasting items that can be easily mixed and matched together to meet styling needs and dreams.

“We’ve been harping on about this for ten years… But when major fashion brands are using dead stock and recycling fabrics, you know it’s more than a trend,” says Triona.

This approach appeals to many conscious consumers since we tend to wear only 10% of our clothes on a day-to-day basis, and on average, clothes are only worn seven times before being discarded.

`A Gentle Life` collection designed by The Tweed Project reflects on values and sustainability. Image: The Tweed Project

Keeping the production local and small-scale in Galway allows Aoibheann and Triona to look after details and blend carefully selected materials with authentic modern tailoring brought to life by talented Irish suppliers.

“You feel floaty and girly and elegant all at the same time,” says Aoibheann about the cream tweed skirt presented in “A Gentle Life” collection, adding that for her, it is the “most beautiful feeling item” she ever put on from The Tweed Projects.

The linen or tweed round-collar jacket is the ultimate choice for Triona: “It`s very comfortable, stylish, and will keep me warm. Besides, it goes well with jeans or a dress, making it an extremely versatile and timeless piece.”

Considering that we throw away about 60 per cent of still good quality clothing within the first year, adding to the 92 million tons of textile waste produced every year globally, it is time to set a new fashion trend that is built on quality, values and longevity.

Creating high-end handcrafted items relies on suppliers just as much as on design.

Triona highlights that they have always appreciated their relationship with Irish partners:

“They have been at the top of their game, producing traditional Irish fabrics for generations. Since day one, we have worked with Molloy & Sons, the talented father and son weavers in County Donegal. The quality of their work is of the highest calibre and internationally revered, and our customers never fail to be in awe of their craftsmanship.”

Although the raw materials are not from Ireland, all the spinning, dying, and, most importantly, weaving takes place in these small Irish factories, supporting them to stay in business.

Aoibheann and Triona are keen to thoughtfully use all indigenous materials such as tweed, linen, and Aran knits.

“We have zero waste. We reuse every single thread of fabric being produced and are very proud of that as it also really enhances the design process,”

says Aoibheann.

Indigenous materials are used with a zero waste approach by The Tweed Project. Image: The Tweed Project

Looking back on their journey, both founders feel that their principles remain untouched, still harnessing their love for what they do while continuing to create value for their customers.

The Tweed Project is intertwined with the founders' personal lives as they pursue other ventures and cross-pollinate this one with their experiences and life paths.

As Fiona describes it, for her, “it is very fulfilling personally as it feeds a desire to create something purely aesthetic.”

Aoibheann adds: “It was very important to me artistically for many years and almost opened my ability to be creative, so I really value that.”

The Tweed Project is paving the way towards a more sustainable and kinder future on its own accord, as Aoibheann shares that instead of setting fixed goals, they tend to take a more adaptive approach.

“I never really aspire to stuff; I just let it happen, so Triona and I are often pleasantly surprised by the next turn in the road... as opposed to making the thing happen.”

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Making steps towards sustainability incredible

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:57:06 +0000

Making steps towards sustainability incredible

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Sustainable lifestyle

Sustainable fashion

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Business Sustainability

The idea of Incredible Socks came to Marc Carey while living and working in Los Angeles, harnessing the inspiration of the city from an entrepreneurial and design standpoint.

A conversation in a coffee shop gave him the final push to follow Richard Branson’s approach to Virgin - ‘Screw it, let’s Do It’!

Now living in Ireland, he officially became the Chief Sock Maker and started manifesting his dream to help people feel incredible wearing socks with a blend of style, sustainability, and a touch of social responsibility.

Marc Carey, Chief Sock Maker at Incredible Socks.

“My career has taken me into international marketing roles, primarily for Entertainment brands across the world. I spent the last 20 years building other people’s brands, positioning their products, and driving sales strategies with super results.

While I spent some time living in Los Angeles, I saw that everyone there had a side hustle and was starting a business.

I got the idea for Incredible Socks as every Christmas, Birthday, Father's Day, Mother's Day and practically any gifting occasion, my family gave each other socks. So, I thought, why not socks?”

Driven by his personal values and motivation to give rather than take, Marc wanted Incredible Socks to operate in a way that makes a positive difference.

“While we are carbon neutral and use sustainable materials, packaging and processes, my dream is to be awarded B-Corp status through our actions related to helping people, communities and the planet.”

He is passionate about the brand and obsessed with socks, constantly working on new designs, taking inspiration from looking at other great brands, talking to customers and excited to see where the brand goes next.

Marc sees socks as more than functional pieces in our closet, saying his approach to design is based on three words: bold, fun and unexpected.

“I want my designs to stand out, whether through the colour combinations or the illustrations on the product. Incredible Socks is about having fun, so I want my designs to lift moods, spark conversations and put smiles on people's faces.

When you buy these socks, you are not getting a boring black pair of socks - you’re getting something that not only feels great but also is an extension of your personality and character. Have fun. No more boring socks!”

Incredible Socks is made out of bamboo, which considered to be significantly more sustainable than cotton. Image: Incredible Socks

To materialise his vision, he decided to use bamboo as a fabric to manufacture premium quality products for comfort, durability, and breathability.

Since bamboo is a fast-growing grass, it requires no fertiliser or extra irrigation and self-regenerates from its own roots, so it doesn't need to be replanted, so cultivating it means lower environmental impact.

Marc explains: “Unfortunately, cotton and sustainability do not work well together.

Cotton requires huge amounts of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to grow, polluting local ecosystems and the water from which communities drink. It degrades soil quality, prevents biodiversity, and forces many to labour in tough conditions.”

To ensure fair working conditions and environmental credentials, the bamboo sourcing and supply chain is audited to the highest standards at Incredible Socks.

This includes everything from clean energy, fair pay, inclusivity and equality within the workforce to working hours and conditions.

He highlights the massive potential in making essential fashion items like socks, underwear, and t-shirts to be sourced, produced and sold more sustainably instead of considering them as part of fast fashion, which significantly contributes to the climate crisis and exploits workers.

Besides good intentions and dedication, a lot goes on behind the scenes to develop an idea, source products or materials, register trademarks, build websites, manage social media, etc.

“Hitting go on my website and launching marketing felt so good and a huge achievement. After that, having my first sale come in, and every subsequent sale that followed and continues to follow is so wonderful.”

To evolve in his leadership, Marc listens to people who have already achieved business results while going through a similar journey.

“Whether it’s through other entrepreneurs or mentors at Enterprise Ireland or my Local Enterprise Office, I approach each day with curiosity. I am always willing to pivot and try new things.

The only element of my business I am rigid on is my core values: Great products, sustainable materials and practices, and our commitment to giving back to our charity partners and the planet.”

“I’d rather make no socks than use materials that have caused damage or hurt to the environment and farmers,” says Marc Carey.

He is determined to continue to build on philanthropic goals and make as big of an impact as possible with their charity partners.

The brand donates 50 cents from every sale to charity partners, including Bombay Teen Challenge, Jigsaw, and Focus Ireland.

“I’d love Incredible Socks to really make a positive difference in people’s lives in Ireland and internationally. I am so committed to these missions while at the same time growing my styles, products and lines."

Although Marc feels the rollercoaster effect of running his own enterprise, he says that’s what also keeps it fun and interesting.

“I am a dreamer and would love to have hundreds of styles in thousands of stores, dressing millions of feet every day.”

He enjoys the unwavering support of his family, saying that his dad has been a huge supporter on every level.

“He’s been leading his field across so many business areas for over 40 years and always keeps my head on the financial side of things.”

Another source of inspiration and motivation comes from spending a lot of time reading business books and following podcasts and social channels from some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, listening to founder stories and analysing various approaches.

His ethos is a constant driver for him, saying that “through Incredible Socks, I encourage the message: Live incredible, Do incredible, Be incredible.”

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Leading fashion brand launches circular denim collection at large scale

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 17:55:47 +0000

Leading fashion brand launches circular denim collection at large scale

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The 'Jeans Redesign' project is a milestone in Tommy Hilfiger’s vision to create fully circular fashion products.

Tommy Hilfiger, one of the world’s most recognized premium designer lifestyle groups, owned by PVH Corp. announces the launch of its first Jeans Redesign garments made to be more durable and easier to recycle – two critical components in creating a Circular Economy.

Coming up with this special denim range is part of the company's 2019 pledge to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global leader in promoting and mainstreaming the Circular Economy.

“Sustainability has become a driving force for our brand and our business,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global.

“As a leading fashion brand, we have a responsibility to drive the transition to a circular economy, and we are proud to work alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to achieve this.

This shift requires a full rethink of the fashion value chain, and these pieces are a testament to the skill, expertise and dedication of both teams as we continue to push the boundaries in both design and manufacturing. This is just one step on our path to creating fully circular products.”

The sustainable denim range will be available online and in select stores beginning March 3, 2021.

Seven garments were designed as part of the Jeans Redesign project, including five pairs of jeans and two denim jackets.

Durability, conscious use of materials, recyclability, and traceability were at the heart of the design process.

The Story of the Jeans Redesign - Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiative

This was achieved by rethinking the jeans' design according to circular principles, including using detachable buttons; the replacement of metal rivets with bar tacks; the removal of all metal zippers; removal of the leather patch; and use of 100% organic fabric.

Each piece features wash and care instructions on the pockets, along with advice to repair, donate or recycle the product after use.

“As a denim industry leader, and one of the first brands to sign up to Jeans Redesign, Tommy Hilfiger is demonstrating how we can all work together to redesign fashion’s future,” said Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“The launch of this collection is an exciting step towards a circular economy for fashion where the clothes we love never become waste.”

The Jeans Redesign collection highlights Tommy Hilfiger’s ongoing commitment to eliminating waste by innovating for becoming more circular and transparent.

To date, Tommy Hilfiger has trained more than 80% of its designers on circular design principles and recently launched Tommy for Life, its first circular business model.

Under the Tommy for Life program, the company takes back items from customers and partners, cleans, repairs and resells them, keeping products in use longer.

They are also driving transformative change in the denim industry, producing more than two million pieces of lower impact denim, which is finished through a process that uses less water and energy than traditional methods.

Using detachable buttons makes recycling easier - image: Tommy Hilfiger

Headline image: Tommy Hilfiger press newsroom

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Irish entrepreneur disrupting the market with a simple circular idea

Bronagh Loughlin — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:42:52 +0000

Irish entrepreneur disrupting the market with a simple circular idea

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A small business seamlessly translating the circular economy model into a gap-filling solution.

The early successes of the premium second-hand baby goods marketplace, Kindora, suggest a significant market opportunity for businesses to offer cost-efficient and eco-conscious solutions.

This up-and-coming business has launched in Ireland, seamlessly translating the circular economy model into a simple, yet, gap-filling business solution.

Kindora is on a mission to help parents in Europe access the best products with a less negative impact on the environment or crippling families financially.

Co-Founder Sarah Ouellette shares some insights about their initial idea of disrupting the baby goods market:

“European parents are looking for sustainability paired with affordability.

As I looked around our home, I saw that our child – not even a year old – was already leaving a trail of lovely, barely-used things.

I searched for a marketplace where these top quality items could be bought, sold or even rented. When I didn’t find one, I decided I’d try to create one.”

Sarah Ouellette, Kindora Co-Founder, Image: Kindora

In early development, Kindora conducted a survey of 100+ first time parents and parents-to-be in Ireland.

71% said that positive impact on the environment would motivate them to buy second-hand items, and only 28% indicated cost savings as a factor.

An interesting fact that an average new pram requires 16 different materials and is equivalent to making over a thousand disposable coffee cups as 33% of pram components are made of plastic.

However, Sarah realised early on that primary drawback for consumers when it comes to second-hand items is cleanliness, safety and quality control, which is why many businesses fear adopting a resale model.

“We only deal in premium, trusted brands, and in items that are suitable for reuse.

We screen and clean every item before we send it off to its new home.

We check it, take it apart, give it a hospital-grade cleaning, and reassemble it.

As parents, we knew that’s what it would take to give us peace of mind,” says Sarah about their process of handling second-hand items.

Analysing products best resale value and lifespan help parents to buy better and buy less. Image: Kindora

Besides addressing these concerns they set out to analyse what products have the best resale value, the longest lifespan to help parents buy better and buy less, essentially to do the right thing, the easy thing.

Adopting the circular economy approach could be an exciting market opportunity for startups and SMEs, given the forecasted market growth and consumer behaviours changes.

Second-hand fashion is expected to gain huge popularity in the coming years as more and more consumers realise the importance of sustainability.

A 2020 report by ThredUp found that the second-hand market is set to hit $64 billion within the next five years, and leading this growth is the resale sector.

Beyond the environmental benefits of adopting a circular economy approach, there are many other benefits for a business.

For one thing, the increasing scarcity of non-renewable resources, ie. Fossil fuels, minerals and metals result in higher resource prices and price volatility.

By adopting a circular economy model, businesses can lower the number of materials they need while still meeting their customers’ needs.

Another way the circular economy benefits business is by ultimately giving you a green image and better positioning of your brand.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the products they purchase. As a result, they are aligning their purchasing decisions with their sustainability values.

Thinking circular in a business is like looking through a new lens at its operations and revenue model.

This could provide new insights and therefore, stimulate innovation while also offering an opportunity for growth by exploring new niches, which are ideal for startups and SMEs.

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Improved sustainability impact measurement tool is available for fashion industry players

Bronagh Loughlin — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 14:54:16 +0000

Improved sustainability impact measurement tool is available for fashion industry players

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The user-friendly material assessment tool to make the fashion industry more sustainable

Material assessment is key in combating the harmful effects of the fashion industry on the environment and transitioning into a more sustainable operational model.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and Higg Co released a new version of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) in August 2020. The Higg MSI is a leading online tool to assess the environmental impact of materials in the apparel, footwear and textile industry and was first released in 2011 by the SAC and regularly upgraded ever since.

This unique tool can calculate the environmental impact of millions of possible material manufacturing variations and available on the Higg Index platform.

Information provided by the platform allows brands, retailers, manufacturers to compare material life-cycle assessment (LCA) data in a user-friendly way and to create a more sustainable design based on better material choices.

“There is a growing conversation about ‘sustainable materials,’ but it’s difficult to know what it actually means for people and the planet and whether it’s really trustworthy information,” said Julie Brown, SAC Director, Higg Index – Higg Product Tools. “Our goal is to pull together the most robust and tested data sources available and translate complex metrics into digestible and actionable guidance to have a positive impact at scale.”

This newest version of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index offers an enhanced user experience, updated database and scoring. The release of this tool is a true milestone for the industry because it provides more accurate and detailed information which enables users to dive further into material assessment.

Better material choices allow the fashion industry to become more sustainable (image: Pexels)

The Higg MSI measures five specific environmental impact areas: chemistry, global warming potential, nutrient pollution in water, water scarcity and fossil fuel depletion.

The tool will be able to inform users by capturing how the five environmental impacts will change based on different raw materials or production process options, for example, opting for continuous dyeing over batch dyeing.

In addition, it features more than 80 example materials that are commonly used in the industry such as leather, cotton, polyester, nylon, silk, jute and metals.

Companies are now able to assess the impact of different materials as they select which ones they wish to use for a product.

Besides, users can also customise how their companies uniquely produce materials using the insights from the MSI, which help them to create more sustainable options.

Some of the main updates to the 2020 Higg MSI are: new interface offering an enhanced user experience, migration from a standalone website to the Higg platform, other Higg tools, packaging library, comparisons and customisation.

There is also an updated chemistry scoring methodology and new chemistry data analysis. The ability to align chemistry certifications at the process level, new background LCA database (GaBi) and new water scarcity assessment methodology (AWARE) also new features. That includes biogenic carbon and water consumption in the metadata.

Besides, users can also customise how their companies uniquely produce materials using the insights from the MSI, which help them to create more sustainable options. Finally, there are new process level loss rates which help the consideration for process efficiencies.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which is a global industry alliance working on standardising social and environmental sustainability performance measurement, is frequently enhancing and expanding the Higg Materials Sustainability Index.

Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the SAC seeks to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability built upon a common approach for measuring and evaluating apparel, footwear and textile sustainability performance.

Image credit: Pexels

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