Hello everyone,
Saunter here! I hope everyone is having a safe and festive holiday season. I'd like to share, with my community, the increased implementation of sustainable and circular fashions. Read this excerpt below. Email me with your comments on this topic and how you can contribute, as a consumer and/or entrepreneur in fashion. Also, if you would like to read the remainder of the article you may go to From Sustainable To Circular: 7 Leading Impact-Driven Fashion Brands (forbes.com)
Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 the fashion industry has really taken an introspective look at how we produce our garments, how the fibers are harvested, manufactured, and treated to maintain quality and be available with hypoallergenic fabrics that may, or may not affect people with sensitive skin. In response to this introspectiveness of the fashion industry we have come to this point with Forbes.com identifying these 7 leading fashion brands taking charge with sustainable and circulatory fashion:
"The U.S. alone throws away 11.3 million tons of textiles from fashion waste each year. That’s around 2,150 pieces of clothing each second. Fortunately, for the past decade consumers conscious of the ecological and social impacts of their clothing choices have helped sustainable fashion to evolve from a niche movement into a powerful force. Sustainable fashion now accounts for 32% of the global apparel market – and this percentage is only expected to grow.
That said, a 2023 study from Net Zero Tracker reveals that while 60% of the world's largest companies have set ambitious net-zero climate targets, only 4% of these companies have met the criteria. This is where Climate Neutral steps in. Climate Neutral is a nonprofit that helps companies to set credible targets and, even more importantly, to follow through on them. Founder Austin Whitman works with over 350 brands – including many fashion companies like REI and Allbirds – to help them measure, reduce and then compensate for their carbon footprint.
Given the complexity of sustainable fashion in today’s world, here are seven companies leading the charge. Their focus is on circularity, which means going beyond the “green-hyping” of eco-friendly fabrics to creating designs that last and reusing both clothing and previously-made natural materials.
1.) NUW: "Clothes-swapping platform Nuw debuted in the US in 2023...Nuw has a 83% recirculation rate, which is significantly higher than traditional channels (including thrift stores), which have a 10 to 20% sell-through rate. To date, more than 500K gallons of CO2 and 7M gallons of water have been offset with Nuw usage. “This platform develops a circular model that combines the appeal of fast-fashion – its speed and affordability – with a commitment to sustainability in order to democratize sustainable fashion.”-Founder Aisling Byrne
2.) Tentree: "Tentree creates circularity by marrying the two paths of “reuse” and “recycle” through partnerships with textile recycler SuperCircle and resale guru Treet. To participate in circularity by tentree, customers request a free shipping label for their tentree product and send their clothing to SuperCircle, who determines whether the product will be posted through tentree’s resale shop, powered by Treet, or recycled by SuperCircle."-President Diana Seung
3.) Je Mérite: "Black-owned, female-founded Je Mérite creates luxury silk slips, robes and sets designed to flatter a wide range of body shapes with superior comfort, all sustainably sourced domestically in New York City. Ensuring minimal waste during the production process, Je Mérite reduces the amount of fabric, material, and resources used to make its garments. Additionally, the company has partnered with EcoEnclose for eco-friendly packaging made of recycled paper and tissue paper, polybags, and shipping boxes that are 100% recycled. “My purpose is to cultivate a community that gives abundantly from their overflow – and that must be done responsibly,”... “The purpose of Je Mérite, which means ‘I deserve’ in French, is to reinforce the idea that every customer deserves nourishment and replenishment, so that they can give abundantly.”"-Founder Tamara Charese
4.) Ibex: "A Climate Neutral-certified company, Ibex designs apparel made from ethically-sourced merino wool, the top natural performance fiber in the activewear industry and the best environmentally-conscious fiber for the planet. It stays odor free through multiple wears, meaning you can wash your clothes less frequently. And compared to synthetic fibers that will never break down, 100% pure merino garments can be composted in our own backyard."...“Much of our environmental crisis today is due to overconsumption. At Ibex, our goal is to craft the highest quality apparel utilizing thoughtful designs built with the best materials. That allows customers to buy far fewer goods in total, enjoy them more, and cut their consumption significantly.”"-Jordan Todoroff is the GM of Ibex
5.) Gen Phoenix: "Gen Phoenix is the world’s first and only producer of sustainable recycled leather at scale. The truth about alternative, non-animal based leather can be ugly. It requires energy and resources to be created, harsh chemicals to clean, and much of it is made from plastic. Gen Phoenix’s recycled leather has built-in antimicrobial properties and is made from 77% recycled content, saving over 18 million pounds of leather from landfill. In addition, recycled leather often looks like new even after 10 years of use, and it is five times more durable than traditional leather. “Part of the beauty of Gen Phoenix is its simplicity: taking waste and turning it into something beautiful, valuable, and useful,”... “It really feels that we are doing our part in the urgent and critical pivot that society needs to make to combat climate change. To be successful, it is essential to break existing paradigms and collaborate as a team – not just within Gen Phoenix, but with our brand partners, suppliers, and other key stakeholders..."-CEO John Kennedy
6.) TSC Naturals: "Premium New York City-based children’s label The Sunday Collective introduced TSC Naturals in March 2023. This collection uses a circular sustainability process. The raw materials are collected from local businesses and farmers, then transformed into stable dye elements for clothing. Leftover materials and water are returned to earth. Furthermore, the collection consists of unisex essentials for children, and are designed to be worn and then passed along for years. “We run intensive tests on every product for harmful chemicals, washing results, button strength and overall durability. We have had to take losses in the past if an item did not meet our high standards,”...“We run intensive tests on every product for harmful chemicals, washing results, button strength and overall durability. We have had to take losses in the past if an item did not meet our high standards,”"-Chloe and Jae Kim, Cofounders of The Sunday Collective
7.) Trove: "Trove is the market leader in branded “re-commerce.” The company powers circular shopping for Canada Goose, Lululemon, Patagonia, REI, Levi’s, Eileen Fisher, Carhartt, On, Allbirds, and other leading fashion brands. Recently, Trove released the first ever brand resale index, which evaluates over 40 brands with resale programs. It found that only 35% of brands promote their resale program via social media, and only 13% of brands integrate used products with new ones in search results on their websites...Through Trove, brands can create programs that are profitable and scalable. REI, for example, resold over 1 million items in 2021 alone.”"-Andy Ruben, Founder and Executive Chairman
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