Apparel Online India Magazine May 1-15, 2019 | Page 15

SUSTAINABILITY
Famous faces bringing change
The report also identified few famous faces that are supporting sustainability in a good way. “Whether
by making statements on the red carpet or by investing in new technologies and companies that will
make a difference, these inspiring sustainable icons have been trying to change fashion habits for the
better,” the report reads.
Eileen-Fisher
Emma Watson, a well-known English actress and model, partnered 8 years ago
with Alberta Ferretti to launch the eco-conscious collection Pure Threads, in
2016; she made sure that most of her costumes on Beauty and the Beast were
eco-friendly; and the following year, she created The Press Tour, an Instagram
account that she used to highlight her tour wardrobe and raise awareness on
sustainable fashion and beauty brands.
Livia Firth is the founder of Eco Age, a specialist sustainability and
communications consultancy. It offers bespoke sustainability solutions for
brands and whose clients include Gucci, Chopard and M.i.h Jeans. She has also
launched the Green Carpet Challenge, which puts sustainability in the spotlight,
as well as the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, which aim to celebrate the values
and commitment of a network of designers, producers and manufacturers.
Nanushka
on Lyst. Since launching its most
sustainable Kanken backpack ever in
2016, Fjällräven has seen a constant
increase in searches by 25% Y-o-Y.
With searches rising 85% in August
following the news of the collaboration
with Acne Studios, the ethical Swedish
brand has gone from strength to
strength in 2018.
The Arket Fishtail Parka, made
entirely from recycled materials,
has been the brand’s most searched
product for the last one year, making
it one of the most wanted sustainable
products in the list. Apart from search
for Arket Parka Coats increasing by
56% since October, online searches for
the brand have also seen a rise.
Eileen Fisher’s forward-thinking
sustainable practices and minimal
approach to design have helped her
brand go from strength to strength
in the last one year. Searches for the
brand have increased by 10% QoQ on
Lyst, with the lightweight jumpsuit
becoming one of the topmost wanted
ethical products.
One of the hottest vegan products
of the year was Nanushka’s Hide
Vegan Leather Puffer Jacket. After
dominating New York Fashion week
this season, online searches for the
brand have increased by 30% on Lyst
since the beginning of January.
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has been championing a few sustainable
brands, including Stella McCartney, Misha Nonoo and Gabriela Hearst. When she
was spotted wearing a pair of Veja 10 trainers in October 2018 during a tour of
Australia, searches for the brand increased by 113%, making its sneakers the first
fully sustainably made product to have entered the Lyst index since its creation;
and when she stepped out in a pair of skinny jeans from sustainable denim brand
Outland Denim, not only did they sell out in an instant, the company’s global
sales too increased by 2,374% and its traffic grew by over 3,000%.
Famous designer Stella McCartney launched her eponymous, fur-free and
leather-free brand in 2001. Her ethical designs have become an integral part of
the fashion scene. Her initiatives include successful, cruelty-free sportswear range
with Adidas and she created one-off collection for H&M that featured pieces
made from organic cotton. She prides herself on being at the helm of a vegetarian
company. Not even a single product of its company uses any leather, fur, exotic
skins or even feathers and none of the glues used come from animal origins.
Fashion Revolution, founded by Carry Somers (in pic.) and Orsola de Castro,
has become a global movement that aims to unite people and organisations to
work together towards radically changing the way clothes are sourced, produced
and consumed, so that clothing is made in a clean and fair way. It is being said
that through this movement, the self-proclaimed ‘pro-fashion protesters’ duo
are helping people and brands recognise that they have the power to make a
positive impact in the industry. With the launch of the Fashion Revolution Week
and #whomademyclothes campaign, they are also trying to encourage brands
and producers to demonstrate transparency.
Nine years ago, singer, producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer Pharrell
Williams became the creative director and third partner of Bionic. Bionic uses
recycled plastic from the ocean to create clothing. Their first product hit the
market in 2014, when they collaborated with G-Star RAW to create RAW for the
Oceans, a line that included denim products made from synthetic yarns. Two
years ago, Williams became the new co-owner of G Star Jeans, which focuses on
minimising its environmental impact by taking a circular approach to how denim
is both made and used.
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