This week, we celebrated Earth Day, a global event that highlights the importance of environmental protection. This celebration got me thinking. As we adapt our wardrobes and beauty routines to our changing bodies and skin, isn’t it high time we rethink how our choices impact the environment? Cue: sustainable fashion.
I recently attended an invigorating panel discussion on sustainability. I was heartened to see that the majority of the audience were millennials. This younger generation is not just demanding products from brands, they are demanding sustainability and fair labor practices. It’s a powerful wake-up call that inspires us to consider the broader effects of our buying habits.
The Problems With Fast Fashion
I’ve created sustainability reports for several brands and comprehensive documents that detail a brand’s environmental and social impact. Thus, I’ve seen first-hand the damage caused by fast fashion. Brands like H&M and Zara encourage a cycle of temporary trends that too often end up in landfills or are exported to countries like Ghana. This leads to environmental degradation and poses health risks to locals there. Often, these folks struggle with the repercussions of our discarded fashion.
Sustainable fashion is not just about the environment; it’s about fair wages and humane working conditions. Most often, sustainable brands come with a higher price tag. However, see this investment as a testament to our values and our planet. It’s a positive step towards a better future that should motivate us all.
Marina Testino, a renowned sustainability strategist, has coined the Five Pillars of Conscious Fashion. These pillars equip consumers to avoid eco-fraudsters. Marina calls them: “faux-eco products or brands that claim to be eco-friendly but don’t meet sustainability standards.” By understanding these pillars, consumers can make choices that authentically contribute to social and environmental welfare.
With so many seeking style with substance, there’s no shortage of brands moving the needle toward a better future. Here’s my top-four list of luxury sustainability brands that are rocking the scene:
Our Favorite Sustainable Brands
Another Tomorrow: Crafting timeless, high-quality pieces with sustainability at its core, this brand is next-level luxury and has just been added to the roster at Bergdorf Goodman; excellent suiting and minimalist aesthetic. From a marketing and messaging perspective, I love how they discuss sustainability as part of their core values; check out their POV here.
Lauren Manoogian: Embracing natural materials and sustainable production, epitomizing environmental commitment with a focus on gorgeous knitwear.
Apiece Apart: Championing social and environmental causes through its Future Forward Fund, proving sustainable fashion can be stylish and compassionate and worn on boho chic backs from Brooklyn to Beverly Hills. I love their dresses, jumpsuits, and denim.
Folklore: Merging artisanal craftsmanship with sustainable materials demonstrates that style and sustainability can coexist. I love the bags from this Kuwaiti-born brand and will covet this rattan number for beach and brunch days this summer.
Brands like Everlane and Eileen Fisher are making sustainability accessible, offering affordable options without sacrificing ethical standards. Premium brands like DL1961 and Levi’s are shaking up the denim industry with water-saving techniques and recycled materials, showing that mainstream fashion can also be sustainable. But sustainability isn’t just about buying new sustainable products. Don’t overlook the power of vintage or secondhand items or the luxury brands offering resale items. These items are part of a more circular economy, where products are reused or repurposed, reducing waste and the need for new production.
Fashion-Forward
Looking into the future, sustainable fashion, accessories, and beauty are leaning toward innovative materials. For example, mushroom-based textiles are a sustainable alternative to traditional fabrics, as they are biodegradable and require less water and energy to produce. Lab-grown diamonds are a more ethical choice, as they are not associated with the environmental and social issues of traditional diamond mining. And products with no added water help conserve this precious resource. These trends signal a future where fashion and beauty are not just about looking good but also doing good.
This Earth Day, let’s make a personal pledge to cultivate a wardrobe that honors our evolving selves and our enduring planet. Fashion is not just about looking phenomenal — it’s about making a positive impact. As we spring clean our closets and cabinets, let’s commit to buying less but better. Our individual choices can make a significant difference.
For more information, check out the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals here. It’s an excellent guide that will give you a great overview of our world’s challenges and how we can all work together to improve our planet.
