Latest news with #sustainablefashion
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Shop Another Tomorrow's Modern Essentials at 20% Off
Photo: Courtesy of Another Tomorrow If it feels like you never have anything to wear, you don't have to look too far to find mindful additions that'll make your wardrobe work that much harder. For Vogue editors, it's Another Tomorrow. The New York-based label focuses on consciously crafted staples rooted in a sustainable design ethos. Creative director Elizabeth Giardina joined Another Tomorrow in 2020, emphasizing raw material choices that reflect her own edited wardrobe of not just owning fewer but better items, but rather, the best versions of those pieces—and then holding onto them for as long as she can. At Another Tomorrow, you'll find everything from a silk cocoon blouse that can be cinched at the hem or worn loose as a tunic to elegant dresses that can be dressed up or down to organic denim that only gets better with wear. Like Giardina previously told Vogue, she is 'designing for the life that I'm trying to lead, which is a life that's fairly effortless, that leaves time for other things.' Shop a few editor-favorites from the latest collection for less as an Insider, below.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scientists make concerning discovery about hidden dangers lurking in popular clothing material: 'A one-way ticket to … disposal'
Scientists make concerning discovery about hidden dangers lurking in popular clothing material: 'A one-way ticket to … disposal' As consumer demand for eco-friendly fashion options rises, the retail side sees dollar signs — and a new Wired piece about the role of recycled polyester illustrates why making sustainable choices is a quagmire of confusion even when shoppers do their due diligence. What's happening? Market research shared by CapitalOne in March indicated an impressive 89% of consumers worldwide "have changed their shopping habits to be more eco-friendly." Polyester, a synthetic, petroleum-derived form of plastic common in textiles, is in almost everything when it comes to apparel. A 2021 editorial in the Guardian estimated polyester is in "two-thirds of our clothing," a presence often concealed by its versatility. Sustainability can be difficult to define and quantify — particularly at a time when temptingly cheap fast fashion is everywhere — and Wired's deep dive into myriad concerns about recycled polyester encapsulates that conundrum. The outlet visited North Carolina-based textile manufacturer Unifi, known in part for turning recycled plastic bottles into desirable name-brand products. On the surface, that sounds like a step in the right direction, but the details are more complicated. Critics of recycled polyester have deemed that the entire practice is greenwashing — when businesses or corporations leverage sustainability for marketing purposes without real action behind it. The issues raised in the piece hint at the intricate nuances shoppers encounter when trying to buy sustainably. It stands to reason that recycling is necessarily good, but one advocate for sustainable fashion explained that it isn't always the case, particularly with recycled polyester. "If you're using plastic bottles, you're actually taking bottles out of a potentially closed-loop recycling system, and then giving them a one-way ticket to a landfill disposal," said George Harding-Rolls. "We're awash in a sea of green claims that are incredibly difficult to decipher," he observed. Why does it matter? As Harding-Rolls pointed out, even consumers who do their best to support eco-friendly brands have a hard time evaluating claims about a product's environmental impact. Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back Letting me trade for new stuff Making it as easy as possible Keeping my stuff out of landfills Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. There's not necessarily a clear line in logic from "recycled polyester" to "microplastics" — Harding-Rolls said he didn't think most consumers understood the link — and some experts say the problem goes deeper. Much of Wired's coverage focused on the North Carolina facility itself, citing "legitimate questions" about exposure to microplastics for workers and nearby residents. What can shoppers do about it? Retail demand for sustainable apparel options has created a marketing feedback loop of sorts, and it's harder than ever for shoppers to identify true eco-conscious options. Identifying brands with verified environmentally-friendly practices in advance is a good strategy. In addition to reducing confusion at the register, it rewards conscientious retailers with repeat business. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
From landfill to luxury: how a designer uses scraps from Hermès and Chanel to make leather goods
After more than a decade as a fashion designer, Dana Cohen was disillusioned. Excessive waste was rampant in every part of the industry – from surplus samples, to manufacturing scraps, to retail stores with 'a disheveled mountain of garments that nobody wanted', she said. 'I was like, 'I just don't want to be a part of it any more.'' Then Cohen, who had designed for brands including Banana Republic, Club Monaco and J Crew, had a chance encounter with a manufacturer that changed her course. Drishti Lifestyle, based in India, had a container full of leather scraps it didn't want to discard. Together they experimented, and made some wallets and a handbag, all of which sold out. That was the very start of Cohen's sustainable leather accessories company – and her mission to make a dent in the industry's immense waste problem. Launched in November 2019, Hyer Goods sells bags, wallets and other accessories made entirely from deadstocks: leftover scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills. Specifically, it uses luxury leather leftovers, retrieved from designer heavyweights like Hermès, Chanel, and Valentino. Deadstocks are sourced both directly from Italian factories – such as a tannery in the outskirts of Naples, Russo di Casandrino – and via 'people on the ground' in Italy who have longstanding relationships with those brands. The scraps are then transported to family-run factories in Italy's Marche region, on the Adriatic coast: a mother-daughter-run factory produces the bags, and down the road, a father-son-run factory assembles the wallets. 'We literally load the scraps from the bags in a little car and drive it to the wallet factory,' Cohen said. Designer brands typically only use the very highest grades of leather, so Hyer takes the 'off-cuts' that are still above par, but may have blemishes like tick bites or stretch marks, and cuts around them. Given the reliance on whatever is available, the Hyer collection is inherently small-batch, and a single line of bags might comprise a mix of different leathers. 'We have never made 500 pieces of anything,' Cohen said. The unpredictable supply can be hard. 'It's not for the faint of heart,' Cohen said. But she estimates this model has kept approximately 7,000 pounds of leather in circulation – and out of landfills – over the last six years of operation. It's a start in healing an industry that sends about 92m tonnes of textiles to landfills every year, producing between 4% and 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 'I appreciate any company that's really trying to work towards the circular economy,' said Ann Cantrell, associate professor of fashion business management at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), 'which is trying to keep things in the loop as long as we can and not go to landfill.' She said Hyer Goods's model followed the 'triple bottom line': operating not only for profitability, but also for improving conditions for people and for the planet. If more businesses operate with such models, they can 'continue to challenge the status quo' around issues like the overuse of virgin materials, she said. Leather is particularly troublesome for its connection to cattle ranching, which is linked to deforestation, mass water use and the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Tanning also uses toxic chemicals that can contaminate waterways. On the other hand, leather is an extremely durable product, sometimes lasting decades. 'So from that perspective, it is a sustainable material,' said Cantrell. Sustainability is nuanced. 'There's no perfectly sustainable material,' said Elizabeth Cline, an author and expert on fast fashion and sustainability. But Cline said repurposing genuine leather is better than producing so-called vegan leather, or faux leather, which is made of plastics, even when it also contains some plant-based materials like cork or apple peels. 'You're eliminating the animal welfare issue, but creating new environmental problems,' she said. The reality is that high-end consumers are still buying genuine leather. While Hyer's average customer is the sustainable-minded person looking for greener alternatives, Cohen said she is starting to see more luxury-driven customers. Hyer's bestselling Ring Bag, made from lambskin Nappa, a premium leather known for its softness, typically sells for $465 – nothing to sneeze at but still a far cry from luxury brands that retail for several thousand dollars. Cohen launched Hyer Goods just months before the pandemic. People weren't buying fancy handbags during lockdowns so she briefly pivoted to sewing masks with leftover fabrics – even curtains – that she crowdsourced on social media. Consulting followers for opinions has continued to be a strategy. 'I think people really like being a part of the process,' she says. 'Not only is it a great way to connect with community, but it's a really good way to make smart decisions.' Soon, the bags gained the attention of influential figures like Katie Couric and the internet chef Alison Roman. When Roman recommended the bags to her followers: 'That was one of the best days for us, ever,' Cohen said. Major brands like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Madewell now sell Hyer Goods bags, and in 2024, Cohen opened a brick-and-mortar store in New York's West Village after winning a grant from the non-profit ChaShaMa, which supports women and minority artists by providing them with subsidized real estate spaces. Beginning April, the Trump administration imposed 10% tariffs on goods from Italy, leaving Cohen little choice but to raise prices. The price bumps initially led to a 'huge dip' in sales, she said. Volumes seem back to normal now, though that's hard to parse out due to seasonal shifts. 'I'm not sure if the customer has gotten used to it, but I certainly haven't,' she said. (In July, Trump announced additional tariffs on European goods, which European trade officials said would make continuing US-EU trade ''almost impossible'.) Cohen said she had no plans to move operations to the US; many factories that she had considered weren't capable of details like edge painting (to protect leather edges from fraying), which would sacrifice quality. 'The craftsmanship that you can get in Italy just doesn't compare,' she said. ''Made in USA was just not an option.' Cohen, who has five part-time employees, said she'd like to expand products into belts and shoes, start sourcing deadstock Italian cottons, and open a second store, perhaps in Brooklyn. She'd like to be fully circular, including hardware like zippers, which are not made from scraps. But economic volatility – and simply the nature of a bootstrapped business that depends on a fluctuating supply – have delayed some of those plans. 'Any dreams I had, I've put on hold,' she said. 'Right now it's just: how can we stay afloat?' But nothing has changed her mission, which comes before any growth ambitions, she said. 'My goal was never to be a behemoth organization,' Cohen said. 'I just want to have a nice, small business for people who care.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
From landfill to luxury: how a designer uses scraps from Hermes and Chanel to make leather goods
After more than a decade as a fashion designer, Dana Cohen was disillusioned. Excessive waste was rampant in every part of the industry – from surplus samples, to manufacturing scraps, to retail stores with 'a disheveled mountain of garments that nobody wanted', she said. 'I was like, 'I just don't want to be a part of it any more.'' Then Cohen, who had designed for brands including Banana Republic, Club Monaco and J Crew, had a chance encounter with a manufacturer that changed her course. Drishti Lifestyle, based in India, had a container full of leather scraps it didn't want to discard. Together they experimented, and made some wallets and a handbag, all of which sold out. That was the very start of Cohen's sustainable leather accessories company – and her mission to make a dent in the industry's immense waste problem. Launched in November 2019, Hyer Goods sells bags, wallets and other accessories made entirely from deadstocks: leftover scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills. Specifically, it uses luxury leather leftovers, retrieved from designer heavyweights like Hermes, Chanel, and Valentino. Deadstocks are sourced both directly from Italian factories – such as a tannery in the outskirts of Naples, Russo di Casandrino – and via 'people on the ground' in Italy who have longstanding relationships with those brands. The scraps are then transported to family-run factories in Italy's Marche region, on the Adriatic coast: a mother-daughter-run factory produces the bags, and down the road, a father-son-run-factory assembles the wallets. 'We literally load the scraps from the bags in a little car and drive it to the wallet factory,' Cohen said. Designer brands typically only use the very highest grades of leather, so Hyer takes the 'off-cuts' that are still above par, but may have blemishes like tick bites or stretch marks, and cuts around them. Given the reliance on whatever is available, the Hyer collection is inherently small-batch, and a single line of bags might comprise a mix of different leathers. 'We have never made 500 pieces of anything,' Cohen said. The unpredictable supply can be hard. 'It's not for the faint of heart,' Cohen said. But she estimates this model has kept approximately 7,000 pounds of leather in circulation – and out of landfills – over the last six years of operation. It's a start in healing an industry that sends some 92m tonnes of textiles to landfills every year, producing between 4% and 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 'I appreciate any company that's really trying to work towards the circular economy,' said Ann Cantrell, associate professor of fashion business management at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), 'which is trying to keep things in the loop as long as we can and not go to landfill.' She said Hyer Goods's model follows the 'triple bottom line': operating not only for profitability, but also for improving conditions for people and for the planet. If more businesses operate with such models, they can 'continue to challenge the status quo' around issues like the overuse of virgin materials, she said. Leather is particularly troublesome for its connection to cattle ranching, which is linked to deforestation, mass water use, and the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Tanning also uses toxic chemicals that can contaminate waterways. On the other hand, leather is an extremely durable product, sometimes lasting decades. 'So from that perspective, it is a sustainable material,' said Cantrell. Sustainability is nuanced. 'There's no perfectly sustainable material,' said Elizabeth Cline, an author and expert on fast fashion and sustainability. But Cline said repurposing genuine leather is better than producing so-called vegan leather, or faux leather, which is made of plastics, even when it also contains some plant-based materials like cork or apple peels. 'You're eliminating the animal welfare issue, but creating new environmental problems,' she said. The reality is that high-end consumers are still buying genuine leather. While Hyer's average customer is the sustainable-minded person looking for greener alternatives, Cohen said she is starting to see more luxury-driven customers. Hyer's bestselling Ring Bag, made from lambskin Nappa, a premium leather known for its softness, typically sells for $465 – nothing to sneeze at but still a far cry from luxury brands that retail for several thousand dollars. Cohen launched Hyer Goods just months before the pandemic. People weren't buying fancy handbags during lockdowns so she briefly pivoted to sewing masks with leftover fabrics – even curtains – that she crowdsourced on social media. Consulting followers for opinions has continued to be a strategy. 'I think people really like being a part of the process,' she says. 'Not only is it a great way to connect with community, but it's a really good way to make smart decisions.' Soon, the bags gained the attention of influential figures like Katie Couric and internet chef Alison Roman. When Roman recommended the bags to her followers: 'That was one of the best days for us, ever,' Cohen said. Major brands like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Madewell now sell Hyer Goods bags, and in 2024, Cohen opened a brick-and-mortar store in New York's West Village after winning a grant from the nonprofit ChaShaMa, which supports women and minority artists by providing them with subsidized real estate spaces. Beginning April, the Trump administration imposed 10% tariffs on goods from Italy, leaving Cohen little choice but to raise prices. The price bumps initially led to a 'huge dip' in sales, she said. Volumes seem back to normal now, though that's hard to parse out due to seasonal shifts. 'I'm not sure if the customer has gotten used to it, but I certainly haven't,' she said. (In July, Trump announced additional tariffs on European goods, which European trade officials said would make continuing US-EU trade ''almost impossible'.) Cohen said she has no plans to move operations to the US; many factories that she had considered weren't capable of details like edge painting (to protect leather edges from fraying), which would sacrifice quality. 'The craftsmanship that you can get in Italy just doesn't compare,' she said. ''Made in USA was just not an option.' Cohen, who has five part-time employees, said she'd like to expand products into belts and shoes, start sourcing deadstock Italian cottons, and open a second store, perhaps in Brooklyn. She'd like to be fully circular, including hardware like zippers, which are not made from scraps. But economic volatility – and simply the nature of a bootstrapped business that depends on a fluctuating supply – have delayed some of those plans. 'Any dreams I had, I've put on hold,' she said. 'Right now it's just: how can we stay afloat?' But nothing has changed her mission, which comes before any growth ambitions, she said. 'My goal was never to be a behemoth organization,' Cohen said. 'I just want to have a nice, small business for people who care.'
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
This designer dressed Chappell Roan and Reneé Rapp with biomaterials
At her kitchen stove, fashion designer Caroline Zimbalist looks like an alchemist at work as she stirs a pot full of corn starch and a thickener made from seaweed. The peppermint-scented mixture glitters as she carefully pours it into silicone moulds of hearts and leaves. When the material hardens, Zimbalist will stitch it into unique, made-to-order dresses that she sells on her website. She hopes her designs, which have been worn by celebrities including Chappell Roan, will put a spotlight on materials that are not sourced from planet-polluting fossil fuels such as oil. 'It's almost like a vessel to show the world,' she says. Fashion designer Caroline Zimbalist poses in her studio in New York. Photo: AP Other small-scale designers are testing out tapioca, gelatin and other kitchen-shelf ingredients. Meanwhile, big names such as Adidas and Hermès have experimented with mushroom leather, while the Lycra brand is incorporating a new, largely corn-based material into stretch fabric.
