From eco-friendly activewear to ethical fashion fabrics made of bamboo, it is becoming easier for many of us to embrace our inner green goddess, thanks to advanced fashion technology in the material design space.
Innovation is The Name of the Game
In the last few years, we are witnessing brands like Lululemon and British label BAM embracing the latest innovation in textiles with enthusiasm, which in turn has led to a surge in the number of people jumping onto the wellness juggernaut.
As it continues to be fashionable to bop about in your workout gear, even when going to the gym is far from your mind, you can now choose to go eco from head to toe by wearing a top made of recycled tops, leggings composed of bamboo and high-end trainers made from plastic waste.
Also Read: Orange Fiber x H&M Conscious Exclusive, Reinventing Fashion in a Greener Way
The only hiccup in this eco-activewear trend is the price point. Not everyone can afford to upgrade their wellness status to premium. This means that (evil) polyester is a route that some of us are forced to take. That being said, here are 7 environmentally friendly brands that are worth saving your pennies for:
Pyrates
Pyrates first capsule collection was a merger between their technology and premium organic fabric. Designed to benefit the skin and body, the active components heal, soothe and care for your body. PYRATES’ unique technology is not injected nor added; it is embedded in the fabric and thus has no expiration date.
Their PYRATEX material is also fully biodegradable and produced in an environmentally friendly manner, using only products and techniques that are harmless for nature. Revolutionising everyday clothing through intelligent fabrics that care and protect your body and skin, PYRATEX fabrics have proved to be ideal for underwear, sportswear, loungewear and Activewear.
Davy J.
If you are more of a swimmer than a gym bunny, then Davy J swimwear could be right up your street. The brand that uses 100% regenerated nylon yarn from waste including spent and ghost fishing nets because for every ton of waste nets collected there is enough nylon regenerated to create more than 10,000 swimsuits. The brand is also building a closed-loop resource system within the company.
Besides doing their bit for the ocean, Davy J swimwear has been considered a worthwhile investment because they have been built to last. If they do wear down, the company encourages its customers to return them so they can find a way of reusing the resources. Their target is to achieve 60% closed-loop recycling by 2020.
Riley
Riley is a company that has sustainability at the core of its philosophy. Working towards becoming part of a circular economy Riley sources fabrics created from waste materials or natural, biodegradable fabrics. These include Q-Nova by Fulgar that is made up of waste materials and Econyl which is made from waste and is infinitely recyclable.
Dedicated to extensive research and development Riley is also playing its role in ing alleviate the plastic waste crisis by using fabrics such as rPET, made from PET packaging and industrial waste.
VIVOBAREFOOT
There is a new line of plant-based performance sneakers that we are dying to get on our feet, the VIVOBAREFOOT’s Primus Lite Bio shoes which will be available June 2019, priced £120.00. On a quest to use 90-per cent sustainable materials across their entire product range by 2020, the company which was behind shoes made of repurposed algae, is hoping to make a significant impact on the planet.
If we were to talk numbers, its worth noting that for every 50,000 pairs of shoes produced using sustainable materials equates to saving greenhouse gas emissions from 247,948 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle or reducing CO2 emissions from 11,286 gallons of gasoline consumed. In 2017, the company confirmed that they had diverted over 2 million plastic bottles from landfills into barefoot shoes.
Evveervital
London based Evveervital is an Athleisure Brand that believes in sustainability and social awareness. Taking a holistic approach, they continuously make the time to research new eco fabrics that have come about via sustainable processes.
Some of the materials they use include BR4 Fabrics, a knit fabric with 100% Bio-based polyamide that is super stretchy, comfortable, quick drying, antibacterial and chlorine and solvent resistant. It is also worth mentioning that the company also uses a recycled plastic element to some of its products. The 100% regenerated nylon yarn is derived from pre and post-industrial waste such as discarded fishing nets, carpet fluff and when it reaches the end of its life it is recovered and regenerated.
Peak+Flow
‘Sustainable clothing for thoughtful rebels’, Peak+Flow is an activewear brand that creates a collection made from recycled materials like Ocean Plastic and natural materials like Eucalyptus Pulp. In 2018, the startup ran a successful kickstarter campaign that raised £29,427.
Driven to design cross-functional clothes that last, and reduce how much we need in our wardrobe, Peak+Flow rejects the idea of ‘fast fashion’ and instead focuses on ensuring that their product lifecycle is better for the planet
BAM (also known as Bamboo Clothing)
British label BAM is all about Bamboo, a highly sustainable plant that is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to cotton. All about transparency, honesty and integrity, the material they use has fantastic properties that will be kind to you, the wearer.
They offer garments like their seam free yoga wear, an ultra stretch fine-knit bamboo fabric engineered without seams and chic chino shorts made of Tencel™ fabric, an Eco-friendly fibre that manages moisture to keep you feeling dry and comfortable.
Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.
