Why should we care about sustainable fashion? In a post-Diet Prada world, we are increasingly aware of the damages that the apparel industry can bring. Low wages, terrible working conditions, astronomical amounts of waste, are just a few reasons to start.

There has often been a widespread belief that clothes created according to basic ethical standards would be either, a) mostly inaccessible, b) unappealing, and/or c) carry the weight of a heftier price tag. If that was the case a decade ago, it definitely is not now.

As consumers, we have the power to choose by supporting sustainable brands that don’t contribute to the damage fast fashion can bring. Here are the labels ushering in a new era of fashion.

Rag & Bone introduced its Denim Recycling Project last year, a collaboration with Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green programme, which has since 2006 managed to recycle over 1,000 tonnes of denim and help divert over two million pieces of denim away from landfills. Consumers turn in old denim jeans of any brand at Rag & Bone stores, in exchange for a 20% discount. What happens to the denim? It’s upcycled, turning it into a special insulation that’s used by Habitat For Humanity as an environmentally conscious option to fiberglass insulation used in homes and buildings.

Rag & Bone Denim Recycling Project

Her name is synonymous with London’s punk scene in the 1970s. Today, Westwood combines fashion and ethics by partnering with the Ethical Fashion Initiative, a United Nations project. Through this collaboration, Westwood has turned out a collection called Handmade with Love, where bags for both genders are produced in Nairobi’s biggest slum using recycled canvas, roadside banners, brass and leather off-cuts.

Westwood also supports Cool Earth, a company with a mission to save rainforests and prevent climate change. As of 2014, Westwood had donated £1 million to the company, and also dedicated two fashion shows to Cool Earth. She designed a range of T-shirts for Cool Earth, and proceeds go towards the protection of the habitat of the Ashaninka people in Peru.

Vivienne Westwood Modern Slavery Act

These were probably the bags you’ve seen littered all over your instagram feeds – and it’s not hard to see why. The bags are perhaps everything you want to make you feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, what with its lighthearted and stylish designs.

And the story doesn’t just end there, too. The bags are made of straw, upcycled acrylic, and all natural bamboo – none of that environmentally damaging synthetic stuff. Since it shot to Insta fame in 2017, they have added dresses, viscose tops, wooden earrings, and now shoes to their collection.

Fresh out of Central Saint Martins in the 1990s, Stella McCartney set out to change the standard of the luxury fashion industry’s attitude towards environmental friendliness (hint: it was not much of a priority). Twenty years on, the fashion world is slowly playing catch up. She continues be an industry spearheader in producing environmentally friendly and cruelty-free products for her namesake label for the past 17 years, and is a speaking voice for ethical practises. Her collection features deconstructed, yet timeless pieces created for the modern woman.

She states, “I am mindful of the impact that fashion has on the environment and it became a conversation about this industry being the second most destructive industry (after big oil),” she says. “Once you are aware of that, as a lover of nature and of life, you can’t ignore it.”

Boldly subtle is a term you can use to describe New York-based fashion label Cienne.  With each collection built upon a foundation of refined shapes, considered details, and artisanal, all-natural materials, the minimal yet eclectic clothes is built to last in your wardrobe for a lifetime.

Cienne is part of a new wave of upstarts prioritizing small-batch production; low-impact fabrics; artisanal crafts; and purposeful design. Besides a production process that empowers its workers and efforts to incorporate safe and recycled fibres, they also work with non-profit organisation, Nest, to support and invest in artisan partners and supporting family-run factories in New York.

This New Zealand based fashion label made a strong debut in 2016 – it was shortlisted for the LWMH prize and quickly sold exclusively with Net-A-Porter. The pieces speak of both strong tailoring and a elegant charm – silk is matched with denim, drills and popline that create modern textures, perfect for an effortless, confident look.

What makes the designer, Marilyn Hewitt’s work even more special is her sustainable supply chain, workers that are paid living wage, and environmentally conscious manufacturing – the label uses organic cotton, ethically produced silks, and recycled metal that does not cause harm to the environment.

Re/Done has a star-studded fan base – think the Hadids, Jeanne Damas, and Cindy Crawford – who even designed an entire collection after instagramming herself in a pair of vintage Levi’s jeans. And why is that? Because they look and fit so damn well good.

And founders Jamie Mazur and Sea Barron found the perfect solution – by upcycling old levi’s jeans. They wanted to recreate the worn look of jeans without the use of any corrosive chemicals (in most cases, these chemicals end up dumped over a river or on our skin), and instead turned to washing, measuring, taking the vintage jeans apart, and sewing them together to a specific, fitted size.

Many designers are inspired by their travels, but Aya Tabari, founder of All Things Mochi, took things a step further by collaborating with local artisans in the countries that she visits, with her bohemian pieces crafted using traditional techniques.

The Dubai-based design house’s SS18 collection is immersed in Mexico’s indigenous culture, inspired by the intricate embroidery created by the indigenous Mayan population. This has resulted in beautiful bohemian pieces that come in vibrantly threaded embroidery and geometric patterns applied in full silhouettes.

We all know the power a great piece of fur coat can bring – it adds an instant touch of glamour and chic to any outfit. House of Fluffs brings all that, minus the iffy ethical issues that come with using fur. Their swing jackets, cool bombers, faux-fur trimmed coats and accessories are made from mostly organic and sustainable faux-fur materials with bamboo, cotton, and French terry.

Vibrant, chic and classy are perhaps a few words to describe the designs by Mara Hoffman’s eponymous label. Her shift towards sustainability has been a gradual one – her label underwent a sustainably-focused shift recently since its start 18 years ago, and the 99% woman run company now has a strong focus on sustainable materials, processes, and production to improve and extend each garment’s life.A celebration of women, in every sense of the word.

During the recent NYFW SS’18, Tome debuted gorgeous pleating in a range of vibrant hues, in the form of an intimate dance performance that had lithe bodies flowing in its easy and effortless, strong sculptural shapes.

Designed for the everyday woman in mind, the label itself is a strong supporter of diversity and sustainability.  TOME was a participant in the CFDA’s sustainable fashion initiative, and debuted its philanthropic project, the White Shirt Project, in 2014, where 30% of proceeds go to Freedom For All, a foundation that fights human trafficking and modern day slavery globally. Plus, all shirts are ethically and ecologically manufactured in eco cotton poplin by female first factories.

With its signature high fashion silhouettes in utilitarian twists, Californian label ALYX takes heavy inspiration from youth and urban subcultures. Started by creative director Matthew Williams, who previously worked with Lady Gaga and Kanye West, the label quickly caught the attention of the fashion elite, and was named finalist for the young designer LMVH Prize in 2016.

The recent release of ALYX’s “Halcyon Blvd” men’s SS18 collection focuses on the use of upcycled textiles in collaboration with Recover Tex – recycled plastic bottles and preloved garments used to create cotton yarn in new fabrications for every piece.As Matthew Williams stated in an interview, “I’m looking a lot into sustainable fabrics and sustainable supply chains. Not as a poster boy for sustainability or the environment, but as a conscious human being. It’s hard to ignore that there’s loads of shit being made, and people that are just being mindless consumers. I don’t want to be a brand that’s into that.”

The fashion world has fallen hard for Gabriela Hearst – a fashion chief executive named her as the contemporary label which might become the Hermes of the 21st century, and she has also been awarded this year’s Pratt Visionary Award winner. How? Her secret may be her commitment to producing only timeless designs of the highest quality, and a strong ethos in sustainability.The label works on the concept of vertical operation: that means that they own everything, from the sheep that make the wool, which gives them the capability to develop even more innovative and luxurious products.

Faustine Steinmetz believes in craftsmanship over trend. With denim as her raison d’être,her studio uses artisan techniques to rework classic wardrobe favourites. She weaves, spins and dyes all her own fabrics from her East London studio, and it takes about a hundred hours to create one pair of jeans.

So call it contemporary couture, if you will. Once you buy a product, you can receive regular updates during the production process – each piece has a unique number which can be entered on the brand’s website to see images of the piece being made.

Here’s another New Zealand label that has quickly become a fashion favourite, with pieces worn by the likes of Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Margarat Zhang. As a self described tomboy with a love for tailoring, Designer Georgia Currie’s label reflects just that – cool, classic and wearable wardrobe essentials are translated into universally flattering, sleek tailored silhouettes.

Borne out of the dance clubs of Berlin, fashion collective GmbH – German shorthand for Inc, or Ltd, is a  unisex streetwear label founded by Serhat Isik, and  Benjamin Alexander Huseby. The label is dedicated to showcasing diversity, from the Berlin techno scene to Middle Eastern culture.  They have shown on Paris Fashion Week, been endorsed by Stefano Pilati (who also modelled for one of their lookbook), and stocked by the likes of Opening Ceremony, LN-CC, and Voo Berlin.

And everything has a low carbon footprint in mind – the materials from each collections are sourced from deadstock, a response to the overproduction of fashion.