Green Is The New Black : Ethical Labels

According to the FT, we’re witnessing a proliferation of ethical labels, from mail-order catalogue
People Tree to Edun - a range created by pop star Bono and his wife,
Ali Hewson. This reflects "a long-term change" rather than some kind of
trend or fashion revolution, says Roger Tredre, news editor of trend
analysis website wgsn.com. What the labels offer are not just ways of
curbing child labour or environmental damage, the article suggest, but ways of tackling
sustainable development, ethical commerce, environmental performance
and aesthetic innovation; all of these factors are a crucial part of
their brand and design manifesto.

Companies such as Nike and Marks and
Spencer have pledged that by 2010, 5 per cent of the cotton they use
will be organic; and how Armani’s jeans are made with hemp and organic cotton. The FT points out that it’s really the small-scale designers who are pushing through
change.

In LA, Linda Loudermilk is known for her luxury
eco women’s wear; Serfontaine’s ultra-stylish jeans are made with
environmentally-sound unbleached denim; Bamboosa makes clothing out of
bamboo fibres; Peruvian Giuliana Testino employs indigenous communities
to make her beautiful knitwear and Parisian Nathalie Hambro makes
jewellery out of beads made by indigenous African communities.

The
UK is also proving to be a hotbed for revolution. Howies makes
eco-urban clothes, Enamore offers bespoke kimono tops and duffel coats
made with organic textiles, Juste has dresses made of silks from
Bangladesh, and Sari makes saris donated by Indian women into couture
and accessories. Junky Styling even offers to take your old wardrobe
and restyle it in a workshop which only uses renewable energy.
Crucially all of them offer good design with the feel-good factor.

For Romp, a fur and leather accessories label, the key factor is
sourcing: all its skins are derived from food by-products. Greg Sturmer
of Romp says: "Ignorance is not to be confused with desire. People
don’t like what they are finding out about the production system and
the materials they are being offered. This is why all Romp products are
ethically manufactured and their production is fully traceable."

Galahad
Clark, of the Clark shoe dynasty, has also joined the ethical crusade.
His footwear label, United Nude, makes shoes that are "not just a
disposable item" - they use simple plastics and extreme moulding to
create designs. Terra Plana, another shoe brand, uses artisan
constructions and natural materials, but integral to both collections
is the idea of maximising energy efficiency and minimizing toxins and
glues.

FT Article

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