7 Companies in Sustainable Fashion

1. Patagonia

American outdoor clothing brand  Patagonia made headlines not so long ago by saying it would donate all of its profits to a non-profit organization fighting climate change.

Yvon Chouinard, the owner of Patagonia, has said that this comes down to around $100 million per year:  “If we have any hope of a thriving planet 50 years from now, it demands all of us doing all we can with the resources we have . Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth, we are using the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source.”

Patagonia is also committed to ensuring its customers get the most out of their clothing. The brand offers a lifelong guarantee for repairing damaged items. If these can’t be fixed, the clothing will be recycled and used to make new products.

Patagonia is setting the example of what big companies can do to inspire others to make a change for the better. We sure hope to see that other clothing brands will follow soon.

2. Levi’s

Founded in San Francisco, California,  Levi’s is most famous for its iconic jeans. The production of denim is usually very wasteful. However, Levi’s is making severe efforts to change this. For example, the company wants to have 100% renewable energy and use 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025.

However, using more organic materials is not the only way to be more sustainable. Innovation plays a big part in this as well. Levi’s is making its clothing by using durable fabrics, which require fewer resources to produce, as well as leaving less waste. This is something we definitely like to see!

Sustainability does not just cover everything that has to do with materials, waste, and emissions. It also applies to human beings, such as workers. Levi’s has set up its  Worker Well-being program . According to Levi’s it  “partners with suppliers and local organizations to implement programs focused on financial empowerment, health and family well-being, and equality and acceptance.” Today, 80% of its workers are part of the program.

3. Girlfriend Collective

“We believe in ethical manufacturing and recycled materials. Because old water bottles and fishing nets look better on you than they do clogging landfills and polluting oceans.”

That’s a statement everybody will agree on, right? Athleisure clothing brand  Girlfriend Collective is taking Sustainable Fashion to a whole other level. All of its clothing is made from recycled materials, which are generally seen as waste. On their website, you can find exactly what each product is made of, very cool!

Girlfriend Collective also provides eco-friendly packaging by ensuring it’s 100% recycled and recyclable. The brand chooses its partners wisely:  “We look for partners who share our values ​​— people who believe in sustainability, ethical manufacturing, and making the very best product you’ll love for years to come.” 

The factory is SA8000 certified. Right… what does this mean? This is a certification that has been developed by Social Accountability International (SAI) in order to protect workers all around the world. They offer standardized guidelines in order to make sure that working conditions are good and wages are fair.

4.Episode

Dutch vintage clothing store  Episode sets the tone when it comes to giving clothing a second life. With locations in The Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Belgium, the company focuses on providing products to its customers with the best quality at the best price.

So how does Episode make sure its clothing ends up in the store? First of all, the products arrive at the warehouse, where employees check the quality of the items and make repairs if needed. Next up, the clothing gets washed, after which the final quality check is performed before it gets shipped to the stores.

Reselling clothing and shoes has become very popular, but not always with the best intentions. Premium and exclusive items are being bought by resellers, who therefore sell the clothing for a much higher price, which eventually hurts the customer. Episode makes sure to prevent this as well as they can: “ To prevent the trade in our clothing, our employees are specifically instructed to refuse the transaction in case of suspicion of possible resale. Therefore, our policy states that we cannot sell more than two items of the same product, and when we suspect someone is buying our clothes with the intention of re-selling them, we will refuse the purchase.”

5. VEJA

Let’s focus on sneakers for a little bit, shall we? French sneaker company  VEJA is dedicated to making shoes that look great and are way less harmful to the environment.

The company really knows what it’s doing when it comes to the production chain. VEJA has partnered with cotton suppliers in Peru and Brazil. The Transparency page on VEJA’s website gives a better understanding of how much the company believes in paying a fair price to its suppliers. Organic cotton’s market price was around 15 Brazilian reals in 2022. VEJA almost doubles this amount.

They also state that their production costs would be over three times less in China than in Brazil,  “but they wouldn’t be made with socially and environmentally responsible materials and processes.” This really shows how much VEJA cares about its products being produced with the health of the earth in mind.

6. SAMARA

This all-female company, which started with just $500, creates eco-friendly bags and accessories which are made without causing harm to animals. SAMARA  focuses on making simplistic luxury items with sustainability in mind.

The use of sustainable materials can make a massive difference when it comes down to the carbon footprint of a company. SAMARA makes products of vegan leather with the use of water-based PU and Microfiber, which are less toxic in their production compared to PVC. They even take their process one step further by making products out of plant-based materials such as  Apple Leather . Yeah right, don’t tell me you knew about its existence…

Salima, who started SAMARA, grew up in Kenya and wanted to give back to the country she has lived in for the first 18 years of her life. She has created  The Soul Backpack , which provides children in East Africa with a backpack outfitted with a solar panel. “As children walk to school every day, the backpack charges a light, so they can do their homework without Kerosene.”

7. Project Cece

Unlike the companies listed above,  Project Cece is not its own clothing brand, but a website that gives its customers an overview of eco-friendly brands and products they can purchase. Customers can choose from 5 sustainability filters:  environmentally friendly, fair trade, vegan, locally produced,  and a good cause . According to Project Cece, this ensures customers can shop for products that fit their values.

The products listed on Project Cece must meet specific criteria to be shown on its website. For example, only brands who at least have fair trade and environmentally friendly labels are allowed on Project Cece. They also make brands fill out extensive questionnaires for them to become visible on the website.

Project Cece makes it a lot easier for people like you and me to find eco-friendly clothing, and we’ll definitely make sure to keep watching them in the future.

Conclusion

It is very interesting to see how companies deal with Sustainable Fashion Do you want to work in the sustainable fashion industry? Click here to check out our vacancies of fashion brands that care about our Planet. Each has its unique way of contributing towards making its products as eco-friendly as possible. If we all start making small changes in the way we consume and treat our clothing today, the world will be a better place tomorrow.