10 Sustainable Clothing Brands You Must Know in 2023
Posted by FABIANA GONZALEZ
Slow fashion is infamously more expensive than fast fashion, for multiple reasons. It costs more to produce clothing in sustainably certified factories, high quality or organic fabrics are more expensive to source, and environmental initiatives aimed at creating a more cyclical ecosystem have no immediate financial benefit for companies. But these sustainable clothing brands are making the conscious decision to incorporate eco-friendly, fair trade and/or socially impactful practices into their manufacturing to make a difference in the fashion industry nonetheless, in part to cater to increasingly earth-first shoppers.
Furora
The name of the game for socially conscious Polish clothing brand Furora is: 100% ‘slow fashion’. Their chunky sweaters, cardigans, coats, and adorable wool accessories (like the ‘gauntlet’ sleeves which add an edge to a summer dress or work outfit) are all crocheted, woven, macraméd or knitted by hand. The merino wool they use is ethically sourced from non-mulesing farms appropriate for vegans. (Mulesing is the practice of removing strips of flesh from the hindquarters of lambs to prevent ‘flystrike’, a condition that results from the over breeding of lambs to produce more wool.) Each modern yarn garment is slowly crafted over dozens of hours. They also produce soft yarns in various colours from locally sourced non-toxic materials.
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Slow production, handmade, responsibly sourced fabrics
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/furora
Never Fully Dressed
Never Fully Dressed is an Essex-based responsible clothing brand that can help you build a complete capsule collection. From dresses, co-ord sets and jumpsuits to denim, swimwear, and activewear, we love their sustainable fashion brand’s inclusive sizing and whimsical prints which are either designed in-house or sourced from London print studios. Their sustainability stance is rooted in long-term relationships with their international suppliers and ensuring fair trade factory standards through regular factory audits. Upcycled materials such as recycled polyester and biodegradable fabrics such as organic cotton and linen are also extensively used throughout the range. We also appreciate that Never Fully Dressed transforms deadstock fabric into accessories like drawstrings and face masks.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Biodegradable fabrics, waste reduction, charity partnerships
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/never-fully-dressed
Baobab
Having grown from a small swimwear store in Bogotá to an eco fashion brand that’s sold internationally in Four Seasons hotels, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Victoria’s Secret, Baobab has kept innovative sustainable production at its core. Not only does the Earth-first clothing brand use recycled surplus fabric, it also turns plastic waste and fishing nets into a techno fabric that’s used in all their futuristic, luxurious swimwear and resort apparel. Profits are also put towards restoring the San Andrés Coral Reef and tree-planting. Each collection has a dedicated tree-planting program targeted at deforested ecosystems in Colombia. The fabric steaming process that Baobab uses to colour garments is also zero water waste.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Environmental rehabilitation, upcycled plastic waste, low water waste
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/baobab
Mar a Mar
At Vipop, we love Latin American responsible clothing, and Colombian resort wear brand Mar a Mar fits the bill with their goddess-like beach dresses, kimonos, and designer swimwear. The colours are on-trend pops of bright pink, teal and tomato reds, but the patterns inspired by nature are absolutely timeless. Garment details like ruffled sleeves and strong puffed shoulders help you serve powerful marquesa realness.
On the socially conscious front, the entirety of Mar a Mar’s flowy garments are handmade to order in Colombia. This helps reduce waste by ensuring that there will never be excessive stock or fabric waste, and the production quality ensures longevity. Their pieces are also made from recycled PET bottles and printed with non-toxic water-based inks.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Recycled fabrics, upcycling PET bottles, handmade, local production
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/mar-a-mar
Makara Wear
Inspired by the strong female surfers in Bali, Makara Wear is a swimwear-focused ethical fashion brand that emphasizes a minimalist aesthetic and artisanal crafting for years and years of durability. Makara Wear’s designs, with long sleeve swimsuits, slip dresses, and activewear built to withstand high-intensity sports like kite surfing and bodyboarding, are conscious, timeless pieces that also have visually interesting quirks like deep V’s paired with a mock turtleneck or side panels in bright hues for that extra oomph.
Swimwear is made from a recycled nylon lycra blend called ECONYL, while apparel is made from organic cotton grown in Java, Indonesia, bamboo, and upcycled silk and satin. All the pieces are handmade in Bali in partnership with a family-run factory run by a long line of artisans and tailors. Stock is limited to small batches to maintain zero waste, one of the fair trade fashion brand’s ethos.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Innovative eco fabrics, zero waste, handmade, environmental rehabilitation
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/makara-wear
Oropendola
Oropendola is one of the many slow, responsible sourcing fashion houses from Colombia making their name in the conscious clothing industry. The Medellín-based brand draws mainly from ancestral weaving and natural tones to produce thoughtful wardrobe basics like tops, skirts, and even wedding dresses. Comfortable, understated, and undeniably feminine, the slow garments are made from 100% cotton with a resin finish for durability.
Price: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Handmade
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/oropendola
Palma Canaria
For mother and daughter founders of Palma Canaria, Mónica Arbeláez and Juliana Quintero, eco-conscious fashion is the standard, not an ideal. Their mindful, fully handwoven dresses, tops, and skirts are responsibly made by artisans in Colombia. The duo collaborates exclusively with expert weavers in four regions throughout Colombia to ensure a traceable and transparent supply chain. They also use ecologically sound materials to make every cruelty-free garment to order.
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Handmade, slow fashion, fair trade
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/palma-canaria
Entreaguas
Ethical clothing brand Entreaguas was born in Manizales, Colombia, a region known for its coffee-growing climate, by costume artist Natalia Botero. The tie-dyed bikinis, kaftans, beach wraps, and dresses are called ‘wearable art’, and we can see why – the construction is almost architectural, offering support and figure-flattering structure to their swimwear and resort wear. The weaving and dying technique is done in traditional artisan techniques by single mothers in local Colombian communities. Their eponymously named Entreaguas Foundation also works to educate these women and provide them with job opportunities.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Fair trade, non-profit work, handmade
Brunna Co.
A love story dedicated to Indonesia – this is BrunnaCo., which offers hats, bags, and apparel created by Indonesian artists in Bali, Lombok, and more cities. Certain garments are made from sustainable fabrics, like the bodysuits made from biodegradable Lenzing Ecovero Viscose fibres derived from wood and pulp, or the windbreakers made from certified recycled plastic fabric. BrunnaCo. is also dedicated to climate-neutral packaging, some of which is fully compostable.
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Carbon-offset shipping, sustainable clothing materials, eco-friendly packaging
Taarach
Taarach is an Ecuador-based slow fashion brand that was born from appreciation for folklore and traditional crafts. Founder and creative director Mireya Gómez de la Torre was inspired by a central element of Andean communities’ traditional wear: the faja, a belt worn for decorative, symbolic, and medical purposes. The belts are handmade by artisans from the Ecuadorian community of Otavalo peoples, and a portion of profit from each belt they sell is donated to children in need via the One 1 One program.
Price range: $$-$$$
Sustainability initiatives: Non-profit work, handmade, local production
Shop: https://vipop.com/pages/taarach
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