Bridging the skills gap for the fashion industry
The fashion industry emits more than 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year, accounting for more than 10% of the world’s carbon footprint. More consumers and brands realized the need for renovations in fashion, with consumers seeking transparent, sustainable processes, and brands making changes accordingly.
Sustainable fashion is a design philosophy and movement that promotes environment and social responsibility. Sustainable fashion is defined as clothing, shoes, and other accessories that are manufactured and used in the most sustainable manner possible, taking into accounts both environmental and socio-economic.
Popular parts of sustainable fashion include:
More and more brands are making the transition to sustainable fashion. If you are also considering a change, or just looking to get inspired, let’s take a look at these designers:
Garcia Bello was conceived in Argentina by Juliana Garcia Bello. This designer focuses on upcycling and reconstruction methods by using disused materials and donated hand me downs. These discarded clothes are then combined with raw cotton to make its collections. Bello likes to use small stock to adopt a humane and unhurried time frame too.
Garcia Bello’s upcycling methods relies on the following framework:
Sanyukta Shrestha is a pioneer in sustainable bridal wear and eveningwear. Her designs are luxurious, timeless and sustainable. She has redefined the bridal market with her sustainability goals, making an industry that was previously thought to be unsustainable – sustainable and couture at the same time. One of her designs was preserved in the Fashion Museum in Bath in 2012..
Sanyukta Shrestha’s fight for a better environment includes the following steps:
Hunza G is a British based sustainable swimwear brand helmed by Georgiana Huddart. All items are one-size inclusive and reflect the pillars of sustainability and authenticity. The signature fabric is crinkle-stretch and the designer wishes to create figure flattering fabric that flexes to sculpt and support all shapes.
Hunza G’s fight for sustainability includes the following pillars:
Carolina K is a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Carolina Kleinman, who designs her collections on the foundation of versatility and functionality. Each piece is created with consciousness in mind and the artisanal works of different cultures is the defining characteristic of her designs.
Carolina K’s desire for sustainability includes the following pillars:
4. Giving Back: The designer is committed to giving back to the community through volunteering and making more conscious everyday actions. You too, can join in on the initiatives here.
Katharine Hamnett is a brand inspired by Buddist concepts of Right Livelihood. Manufacturing sustainably is the heart of their business and they aspire to be completely traceable and transparent soon. They want to prove that changing the industry from within is very possible.
Katharine Hamnett’s commitment to sustainability includes the following pillars:
Maggie Marilyn aims to do things differently and wants to use fashion to create a better world. Maggie Hewitt, the founder of the brand set out to reduce the carbon footprint by 73% to become a climate-positive business.
Maggie Marilyn’s commitment to revolutionizing the fashion industry includes the following steps:
Misha Nonoo is a fashion designer with a multicultural upbringing. This diversity is showcased through her work. She was named under Forbes ‘30 under 30,’ and was the first designer to use social media as a venue for her fashion shows. She wishes to push boundaries by marrying her designs with innovative digital concepts that are celebrated by women.
Misha Nonoo wishes to push the boundaries with the following steps:
Whether you have started, or are planning to become a sustainable fashion designer, designing on sustainability principles is a lot more than using organic fabrics, dyes, and textiles.
60-80% of a garment impact on sustainability depends on the choices made at design and development stage. To become a sustainable fashion designer, you need to design anticipating the impact further along in the supply chain, be it at the sourcing, production and packaging phase. To achieve that you will need to learn the different facets of sustainability and efficiently communicate and collaborate with other actors in the development process who also need to be educated on sustainable practices and can align with your vision.
To upgrade your skills and know more about sustainability in fashion, go for Motif’s Sustainability in Fashion Course. The online course is self-paced and relevant for designers and product development team members at a large, whether they are seating in brands, retailers sourcing offices and vendors. And don’t forget as a simple citizen and consumer you should also do your part by supporting sustainable fashion designers to take ethical fashion from margins to the mainstream.
Plus Size customers want the same array of choice when shopping for clothes than their regular counterparts, including how sustainable their garments are. In this Blog Post, we take a look at the smart plus size brands that take bold leaps with sustainability in 2022.
Meet Caroline Simonelli, a Lebanese/American designer who teaches Fashion Design and Creative Draping in New York City, Brooklyn and Beirut.