British Vogue - 09.2019

VEJA

Co-founder Sébastien Kopp

reckons 85 per cent of Veja’s

customers are unaware of

the French label’s sustainable

credentials (for the record:

fair trade, sustainably tapped

rubber soles, organic cotton

and recycled plastic uppers,

wage transparency, a clean

energy supplier). Despite his

no-advertising policy (the

money that would usually

be spent on advertising is

used to pay producers fairly),

people buy his retro-feel,

resolutely unflashy sneakers

because they look cool.

This September, they’ll want

to buy Veja’s first running

shoe, too: three years in the

making, the Condor is

45 per cent bio-based

and recycled, making it an

innovative alternative to

a traditional plastic-based

performance shoe.

Veja-store.com

MOTHER OF PEARL

“Sustainability is about asking questions,” says Amy Powney, one of London’s

best-informed designers. “The necessary information is out there – you just need

to unearth it.” The Mother Of Pearl creative director has been busy investigating

her supply chain, crunching air miles and subsequently streamlining her production

process for the brand’s sustainable No Frills line. She recently partnered with BBC

Earth on a collection of eveningwear. With jolly, ruffle-trimmed designs that lift the

spirits, she has an eye on energising and enduring creations. Motherofpearl.co.uk

Organic cotton, natural vegetable

dyes and recycled packaging bolster

the environmental credentials of

Outland Denim’s jeans, but the

label’s ethical stipulations are equally

impressive: Australian founder

James Bartle owns the factory

where the denim is manufactured

and, as a result, can ensure the

wellbeing of his staff. Since launching

in 2011, the brand has employed

70 seamstresses, many of whom

are female survivors of human

trafficking in Cambodia. A new

wash house is in the works for 2019,

which will allow the label to further

limit its environmental footprint.

Outlanddenim.co.uk

OUTLAND DENIM

S

ustainability is fashion’s latest buzzword – but its

definition is hazy. How can one weigh up the support

of local, skilled artisans on the one hand, for instance,

versus the carbon emissions racked up in exporting

said artisanal goods on the other? As always, there is a trade-

off. A sound principle to adopt is buy less, but buy better.

And while no fashion label can truly claim to be entirely

sustainable, these brands are making serious inroads...

Green light

A cohort of fashion labels is

serving up designs produced

with the planet in mind. Ellie

Pithers cherry-picks the best

Australian designer and KitX founder Kit

Willow’s beat is sustainable luxury; her aesthetic

sensual bohemia. With one eye on the past

• she uses corozo nut buttons, popular in the
  1930s and a compostable alternative to plastic


• she’s an expert on future-facing fibres
  and raw materials. In July, she eliminated
  plastic from her supply chain, switching to
  compostable packaging, and in September,
  she’s collaborating with The Australian Ballet on
  Econyl leotards and upcycled tulle costumes.
  Available at Selfridges.com
  London- and Stockholm-based Bite has
  cornered the sustainable minimalism market
  with its sleek silk shirting, quietly rigorous
  suiting and heirloom-status coats, produced
  using all-natural and organic fibres. The brand
  offers lifetime repairs, and is piloting a buy-back
  scheme whereby it will repurchase designs from
  customers, upcycle them and sell them on again
  in sample sales. Plans for 2020 include a foray
  into faux leather made from recycled plastic
  bottles. “Nothing is trend-led,” says designer
  Elliot Atkinson. “It’s about wearing the piece for
  many years.” Available at Net-a-Porter.com

BITE

Jacket, £210.

Jeans, £180

KITX Trainers, £115

TRENDS

OLIVER HADLEE PEARCH

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