Five Sustainable Fashion Companies Leading the Fight
Sustainable fashion is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of environmental and social sustainability. Many fashion designers are making the conscientious decision to make products that are not only beautiful and appealing to consumers, but also friendly to the earth. Here are five companies that are making a change by promoting fair trade, opportunity and of course, eco-friendly products.
1. KALLIO
Image Credit: Factory 45.
Kallio is a consciously-created children's clothing brand based in Brooklyn, New York that “makes old clothes young again." Founded by Karina Kallio, a fashion industry veteran with an entrepreneurial flair, the brand re-purposes men’s dress shirts into stylish, modern classics for kids. Setting themselves apart, this brand upcycles, a process that uses existing materials and repurposes them. The process requires a considerable amount of creativity and vision, as well as a foundation of thriftiness and environmental consciousness. The end result is an item that is one-of-a-kind, handmade, and sustainable.
Founders of The Little Market, Lauren Conrad (left) and Hanna Skvarla (second to right) in Guatemala with local artisans. Image Credit: Lauren Conrad.
The Little Market was founded by business partners and former Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) classmates, Lauren Conrad and Hanna Skvarla. At FIDM the duo quickly connected over their shared love of design, wanderlust and desire to empower women. They created The Little Market, which is an online marketplace where customers can purchase beautiful products that are handmade by artisans around the world, from South America to India. The site provides artisans a platform to showcase their work and the techniques that go into crafting each product.
3. SARI BARI
Image Credit: Huffington Post.
Sari Bari was founded in the red light district of Kolkata, India, by Sarah Lance to help former sex trafficking victims find a safe place to work. The word "sari" is a traditional Indian garment, and “bari” in Bengali means "home." The company employs over 80 former sex trafficking victims who make t-shirts, scarves, baby blankets and bags for a living. Women at Sari Bari start out in a six-month stipended training program where they learn how to sew, read, write and budget their earnings. In addition to fair wages, they also receive healthcare and retirement benefits, paid holidays, and education for dependent children.
4. SUDARA
Image Credit: Sudara.
Sudara, formely known as The International Princess Project, has been transforming the lives of former sex traffic victims since 2005. Founder Shannon Keith started her company as a six-women sewing project and has turned it into a 150-employee business providing opportunities for women who would otherwise be stuck in the sex trade. Punjammies, colorful pajama sets, are one of their most popular products. "We are passionate about India, where some of the highest estimates of slavery and sex-trafficking anywhere in the world are reported," reads Sudara's website. "And while it may seem overwhelming, we are hopeful because we are seeing how safe, sustainable jobs are making a way for women to make their way out of the trade — and stay out."
5. TRMTAB
TRMTAB takes leather scraps from factories around the world to create leather goods for tech devices. Its founders named the brand after a trimtab, which is a small surface at the end of a rudder that can completely change the direction of a ship: "An individual can be a trimtab by making small changes that lead to a big impact." Instead of letting the waste from leather factories to end up in landfills, TRMTAB salvages the scraps and creates accessories for phones, tablets, and laptops.
