Has a sustainable outlook become one of the most crucial practices in the fashion industry in a quest to cultivate a landscape of conscious consumption? Taking stock of what drives their commitment to a more considered fashion economy, seven change-makers share their philosophies and designs for a buy-less-buy-better future. By Jackie Burger
“Shopping second-hand or vintage is a solution to meet fast fashion demands in a sense. This is such an important role to be playing, since fashion is the second biggest contributor to environmental damage. It also satisfies our conscience, in the current economy, to buy recycled clothes instead of throw-away fashion. These include the well-cut designs and quality fabrics that we find more in our older, vintage garments.” – Afraid of Mice
“I’ve integrated a sustainable approach by CREATING original and extraordinary designs in a conscious way, being mindful of every step of my creative process and limiting waste by designing only what is needed. My designs are bespoke, slow fashion garments made from unusual, thought-provoking textures and fabrics – either natural or recycled, upcycled and re-fabricated materials – that spark curiosity and an appreciation of design and the craft of fabric and fashion.” – Lara Klawikowski
“I try to incorporate sustainability into my collection at every point. I am wary of saying something is 100% sustainable (as some brands claim), but I believe if that is the goal, it can be achieved over time. This season we collaborated with the master artisans of Barrydale Hand Weavers, who create by hand with no electricity, producing a textile that has sustainability at its core.” – Luke Radloff
“As a slow fashion label, our vision is to equip our clients with the knowledge and platform to be stylish with a conscience, because we believe making sustainable choices is an investment in your future and ours and in the well-being of our planet.” – Françoise Jeanne de Villiers
“The H&M Fall Fashion 2021 collection is an exploration of the beauty and innovation behind recycled materials and is yet another step towards H&M’s goal to use only recycled and sustainably sourced materials by 2030. The whole collection is proudly built around more sustainably sourced materials – the recycled polyester, recycled nylon and recycled wool come from textile waste, plastic waste or a mix between them – giving new life to old PET bottles, old garments or textile off-cuts.” – H&M
“Our fabrics are all sourced locally in South Africa, supporting local cotton mills and in effect also saving on our carbon footprint because they’re not imported. All our garments are made by small-batch manufacturers nearby or at our small studio atelier. Compared to many international manufacturers, South Africa is surely pricier but we are more than happy to support our local market and pay our way for quality garments and fair trade. The way we look at the world has shifted and therefore what and how we choose to consume has shifted, too.” – Nico Nigrini
“As the Country Road Group, we aim to embed sustainability into everything we do, from our relationship with suppliers and sourcing of raw materials to energy efficiency and waste reduction within our stores, head office and fulfilment centre. There are a number of initiatives we include in our commitment to be a more sustainable business, including Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Leather Working Group and our mills.” – Country Road Group
Fashion team
Editor: Jackie Burger
Photography: Damon Fourie, Supernova Creative Management
Model: Maddy A, FANJAM Management
Make-up: Algria with vegan beauty products from ARC
Hair: Jeanette Genis
Shot on location: Johannesdal 1207, +27 (0)82 729 1402
Fashion directory
- Afraid of Mice, +27 (0)21 423 7353
- Studio Çoise, +27 (0)83 601 0464
- Lara Klawikowski, +27 (0)82 573 6700
- UniformZA, +27 (0)82 040 2845
- H&M, info.za@hm.com
- Stiebeuel, +27 (0)61 401 6911
- Country Road, 0860 022 002, custserv@woolworths.co.za