Conscious Consumption: Upcycling Brands
With the rise of sustainability, there are many more brands pivoting and looking towards a circular business model. Some of these conscious brands choose to use upcycled materials (such as dead stock) or innovative and sustainable materials. The rise of these niche brands has proven that sustainability can be fashionable and is a viable business strategy. Here, we will look at some of the most notable brands in the market now.
Rave Review
From the Scandinavian duo a brand was born with the idea that a label does not need to be at the peril of our environment and could contribute strategically to the uphill battle for sustainability. Rave Review’s signature grandma-chic aesthetic has grown in popularity in the last 2 years with the Y2K aesthetic on the rise.
Whenever you see patchwork clashing prints of what seems to be from a table cloth somewhere, it is a distinct element of the RR style. Their use of dead stock materials has garnered the brand enough coverage that Gucci has worked with them and contributed their dead stock pieces for upcycling.
Chopova Lowena
Another brand carving out its own sustainable path in the industry is yet another duo, this time from London. CSM alums Laura Lowena and Emma Chopova decided post graduate that they wanted to come together to start a womenswear brand. The kilts from their Bulgarian roots have been a core of their collection since conception and has allowed them to develop an icon for their fledgling label.
They focus on deadstock textiles and recycled materials as their main source of material and this has led to many unique pieces made and allowed for them to create their iconic kilts, usually made out of patchwork clashing prints and suspended from carabiners.
Marine Serre
An eponymous brand led by Marine Serre, the young French designer has an LVMH Prize and an impressive CV under her belt. Interning for the likes of Raf Simons, Matthieu Blazy and Sarah Burton before joining Demna at Balenciaga as a junior designer.
Her advocacy for sustainability is clear through the transparency her brand adopts when it comes to material sourcing. With clothing tags depicting a regenerated garment, indicating that the piece has been upcycled. Up to half of her existing collection is upcycled. Yet again proving the point that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Her shows are often filled with gowns of sporty nature, seamlessly melding 2 major elements of her creative vision.
She has transformed the niche of sustainable brands, being one of the pioneers moving out of the bland palettes other sustainable brands seemed to have adopted.
AGMES
NYC based jewellery brand started by the Solomon sisters uses only recycled materials and adopts a no waste production process. They also work with local artisans ensuring that their environmental footprint is kept to the minimum. With their sculptural designs and minimal aesthetic, they have managed to carve out a niche for generational jewellery and eschew trends and stay true to their design ethos.
Allowing them to maintain their ethos of sustainability, their entire supply chain is local within NYC, giving them visibility for each stage in their design and manufacturing process. With each piece made to order, there is also no overproduction and excess waste for their products.
Read More
Sick of your wardrobe, looking to offload and re-stock?
We understand the woes of having a full wardrobe but ironically "nothing to wear". A great way to re
Conscious Consumption: Buy Less, Buy Wise
With each new season, these new launches entice you to want to buy a boat load of things. Here’re
Post a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.