Fabric – The Fashion Consultants

Simplifying Sustainability

“Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last.”
Vivienne Westwood.

Almost every client we work with aspires to develop a sustainable brand. Equally, it’s a priority for us to support and enable that aspiration. Sustainability is a big topic…and realistically it’s a topic that can sometimes feel a little baffling, especially if you’re a start-up!

The sad truth is that we’ve witnessed clients shying away from their most ambitious sustainable aspirations because it feels too mammoth to master or achieve; sometimes due to budget, logistics or accessibility to the necessary resources.

We’re here to remind you that, when you break it down…sustainable practice is a little bit more achievable than you might think.

The responsibility doesn’t fall solely onto the shoulders of the production & manufacturing side of the industry. The truth is that we can all make responsible choices from the very start of our process, and we’ve realised that sometimes it’s easy to overlook these really simple sustainability solutions while developing your brand.

Here are five things to consider to inject a little bit more sustainability into your brand development;

Plan your range – do you really need to proceed with every item you’re considering developing?
Collaborate with your suppliers – they will most likely have some tips for a more sustainable development & manufacturing process. If you’re lucky they may also have a roll of fabric hiding in their warehouse which is perfect for you, which means that roll of fabric won’t go to landfill…that’s a big win-win!
Reduce the number of components – maybe you could share a fabric across several items? This could reduce your fabric costs as well, so why not!?
Design with multi-seasonality in mind – maybe then you can retail this season’s stock next season too, reducing the number of new developments you’ve got coming up!
Compromise! This can sometimes be a tricky one to exercise, but sometimes (for example) we need to accept that the ‘perfect’ colour can’t be achieved using an environmentally friendly dye-stuff…but a similar colour could be!

If we all design, develop and produce with simple sustainability steps in mind we will inevitably move towards a more sustainable future.

The Fashion Consultants can support you throughout your brand development journey, so let’s take on sustainability step by step and I’m pretty sure we will soon discover that we’ve made some pretty big leaps!

Get in touch to discuss these topics in more detail!

Simplifying Sustainable Fashion

We’re here to remind you that, when you break it down…sustainable fashion is a little bit more achievable than you might think.

“Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last.”
Vivienne Westwood.

We’ve witnessed clients shying away from their most ambitious sustainable aspirations because it feels too mammoth to master or achieve. Sometimes this is due to budget, logistics or accessibility to the necessary resources.

The responsibility doesn’t fall solely onto the shoulders of the production & manufacturing side of the industry. The truth is that we can all make responsible choices from the very start of our process. We’ve realised that sometimes it’s easy to overlook these really simple sustainability solutions while developing your brand.

Here are five things to consider to inject a little bit more sustainability into your brand development…

Plan your Range

Do you really need to proceed with every item you’re considering developing? Be honest and try to make logical decisions based on the results of your market research.

More items in the range = more time, more fabric, more money, more energy & more wastage. Wasting any of these resources isn’t sustainable, so range planning is vital in paving the way for a smooth and sustainable process.

Collaborate with your suppliers

Your suppliers and factories will most likely have some tips for a more sustainable development & manufacturing process. Not only will you be building more sustainable practice together. You’ll also be forging strong collaborative relationships with the people you’re investing in.

If you’re lucky the factory may also have a roll of fabric hiding in their warehouse which is perfect for you. That means that roll of fabric won’t go to landfill…so it’s a big win-win!

Reduce the number of components

More components per item means the product will take longer to make, use more raw materials and result in a higher cost price. Not only that, but the more separate components you have, the harder it will be to source sustainable options.

Maybe you could also share a fabric across several items? This could reduce your fabric costs too, so why not!?

Design with multi-seasonality in mind

If you’re strategic, you can plan and design your range so that a customer can buy it across several or all 4 seasons. For example, maybe your winter jacket has a removal lining so it can be worn in slightly warmer weather? Or, maybe you offer an essential sweatshirt in both bright Spring/Summer colours and darker Autumn/Winter colours?

If you’re clever with your decisions you can avoid being too seasonal and/or trend driven. Then, maybe you can re-retail this season’s stock next season too? This would reduce the number of new developments you’ve got coming up! You can then reduce fabric usage on sampling as well as saving time & money.

Compromise!

Compromise can sometimes be a tricky thing to exercise. Sometimes (for example) we need to accept that the ‘perfect’ colour can’t be achieved using an environmentally friendly dye-stuff. Maybe a similar colour could be, though! Or, it could be that your favourite fabric isn’t available in recycled fibres, but a slightly different fabric is recycled.

In these instances, try to be logical rather than emotional. Make decisions based upon your brand’s sustainable fashion values and end goal.

Try to be positive about the compromises that you need to make too, because sometimes they can be a blessing in disguise! Quite often the changes we make along the way simplify future tasks. In the end we are thankful for being pushed to make those decisions.

If we all design, develop and produce with simple sustainability steps in mind we will inevitably move towards a more sustainable future.

If you’re feeling inspired and want to learn more about the world of sustainable fashion, check out Fashion For Good. They’re a platform for sustainable innovation in the fashion industry and you’ll love what they have to say.

Get in touch to discuss how we can work with you to build your sustainable fashion brand!

The Future of Fast Fashion

At The Fashion Consultants we have been reading a very interesting and very important book ‘The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes’ by Dana Thomas and we feel that it’s something very important for us to know and have an understanding of. This book is all about sustainability and what we are doing to our planet by the way we are consuming fast fashion at such a fast pace.

Sustainability is such an important part of how we work with our manufacturers, our fabric mills and also our clients. It’s usually the first thing we discuss with all new clients as they all mention that they want to have a sustainable brand – and the first thing we always ask is what does that mean to you? What is your understanding of having a sustainable fashion brand? We go through the ways that you can contribute to doing this:

– Fair wages for all workers making your/our clothes

– Renting clothes & swapping rather than buying more new clothes

– Rightshoring & Local Production

– Slow fashion/timeless design

– Organic fabrics and using recycled fibres & fabrics to produce new fabrics

– Custom made clothes

– Repair, redesign and recycle

– Recyclable packaging

All of the above we try to incorporate in some way; we spend a lot of time in particular sourcing organic and recycled fabric. We also work with the right manufacturers who we trust and have worked with for a number of years, so we know treat their employees correctly.

The book highlights all of the above issues and really has an insight into fast fashion and what the future of our planet could look like if we continue to buy and consume clothes at the current rate.

It also gives us an insight into some of the amazing brands such as Stella McCartney, UnMade, Alabama Chanin & Reformation. We also get an insight behind the scenes to organic fibre & fabric producers such as Sally Fox, English Fine Cottons & John Spencer LTD (who is the UK’s last weaver of organic yarns) as well as organic dye houses such as Stony creek colours.

All of these awe-inspiring companies are are working to make a change to the fashion industry & the current model of how we produce clothes. Check them out for some inspiration!

We’re on the panel at the Lone Design Club store in Shoreditch at the LDC Accelerator: How to Create A Sustainable Brand on A Budget, 27/11 @ 6.30pm. We will be alongside sustainable accessory brand From Belo & Fashion Business Consultant Onwards & Up, so if you are a small brand that would like some more information on how to build a brand more sustainably we would love to welcome you and see you at this event.

…but in the meantime please read this book – it’s really good!