Much to our delight, it seems like every day another brand announces a shift towards sustainability. Last week, for instance, Browns Fashion unveiled their consciously curated capsule, while a new beauty e-commerce platform eschewing toxicity entered the equation. There is, however, always more that can be done; at both individual and collective levels.
Unfortunately, denim – a staple in, well, every wardrobe – isn’t very eco-friendly. This is primarily for the amount of water it takes to produce a pair of jeans (circa 1,800 gallons of water), and the intensive use of chemicals... As an antidote to the pressure the process puts on the environment, we've rounded up a trio of brands that offer up refreshingly conscious approaches.
For Creative Director Amy Powney it’s all about cutting down on waste without cutting corners on style – this means picking their suppliers wisely to minimise waste. First came her eco-bridal collection back in 2018, and now she brings us ‘No Thrills’ – a denim and shirting offering with the everyday in mind. With a low carbon footprint, social responsibility, animal welfare, transparency within her supply chain and the environment all part of her manifesto, the collection arrives with no less than organic cotton, all spun and woven in one country.
Style-wise, Amy gets her inspiration from the nostalgic 90s sportswear of her youth – giving the denim a boisterous modern flare. The Cropped Chloe Jeans are one of our heroes; for a co-ordinated look, look to the denim crop. Alternatively, loose shirting (that No Frills serves in abundance) works just as hard.
Also looking towards a greener future is Paris-based Maje with the launch of their new denim line, ‘First Stone’, that marks their first sustainable endeavour. Their aim is to cut back on water consumption by up to 95% – a process that involves using a more eco-efficient method of washing the denim to reduce waste – starting with jeans “because they are the item of clothing which causes the most pollution and which must therefore be dealt with urgently.”
Alongside their jeans, comes a jean dress, skirt, shirt and denim jacket with fringes, offering up serious Western vibes; the fringed jacket, our highlight.
Elsewhere, the motto at Weekday is ‘re-thinking’ – and it’s clear that their activism speaks through their conscious clothing. For the highstreet giant, sustainability is not something to arrive at. Instead, it’s an ongoing mission to cut back, invest more and waste less.
How do they do it? Weekday have created an incentivised recycling scheme, which encourages their customers to donate their clothes in return for a 10% discount voucher to use in-store. Meanwhile, the brand also organise in-store flea markets that enable customers to extend the shelf-life of their existing wardrobe and make some extra cash.
In terms of their clothing, think street-style – offered in a wide-range of organic cotton and recycled material. You'll find us embracing the Canadian Tuxedo.
Dive into the world of sustainable denim, here:
Also on Because Magazine:
+ Autumn calls for an outerwear refresh!
+ Dinny Hall rings in her latest collection, created in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery.
+ For this week's Store Stories, we're in Notting Hill.
