As the world continues to navigate our current state of emergency, there’s never been a better, or more necessary time to reflect and plan for ways we can better protect the earth’s future. Which is why this year’s Earth Day celebrations are more extraordinary than ever. Not only does 2020 mark the movement’s 50th anniversary, but it has also presented a unique opportunity for brands and consumers to revaluate their relationship with the environment, during a time when we have been mostly confined to our homes.
It’s a topic that is clearly important to us Australians. The 2020 Conscious Fashion Report, released by global fashion search platform Lyst, revealed that Australian consumers are leading the way in ethical and eco-conscious shopping, with online searches for ‘sustainable shopping’ up by 110% and ‘ethical clothing’ up by 67% in the first three months of 2020.
More so than ever, Australian shoppers are looking to shop the right way, and our favourite international and local designers are providing us with the means to do so. To celebrate this year’s landmark day, fashion brands are doing their part to create a deeper conversation about the role that fashion plays in preserving the planet.
From sustainable edits to utilising recycled materials, here are the fashion initiatives pledging to help save the planet this World Earth Day.
Ralph Lauren
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day, Ralph Lauren have launched the Ralph Lauren Earth Polo, offering a new blended material to reinforce the brand’s commitment to protecting the environment. Made from recycled plastic bottled and dyed with a waterless treatment process, Ralph Lauren have pledged to remove 170 million plastic bottles from oceans and landfills by 2025 through this approach.
KITX
Homegrown Australian brand KITX has always been known for its transparency and dedication towards sustainability. For Earth Day, the brand has developed their signature Activism Tees into a long-sleeve variant, with $5 from every piece in the range being donated to Carbon Neutral – a carbon solutions provider and reforestation offset developer.
Vestiaire Collective
Luxury pre-loved fashion platform Vestiaire Collective is encouraging consumers to rethink the environmental impact of their wardrobe choices with the ‘Wardrobe Reality Check.’ Developed to coincide with the 50th anniversary, the initiative is part of the brand’s broader “Fashion Should Feel Good” campaign which considers how we can all act more sustainably during the month of April and beyond. The challenge asks fashion lovers around the world follow a simple 4-step check process to assess the impact of their wardrobes while offering practical insights on how to act now and start making a difference.
Maggie Marilyn
‘It-girl’ fashion brand Maggie Marilyn launched its first sustainability strategy in 2019 and has now released its latest Sustainability Strategy Update to celebrate their commitment this Earth Day. In addition, the brand will also be hosting a Q&A on Instagram lead by Maggie herself on the day (Wednesday, 8am NZST) to answer questions from their community around the strategy and sustainability as a whole.
Pangaia
Spread an important message this Earth Day with Pangaia’s ‘Earth Day Every Day’ t-shirt. Made from 20% saltwater seaweed fibre and 80% GOTS-certified organic cotton, the brand is also planting one mangrove tree, in collaboration with SeaTrees, for every product sold.
Frame
Cult denim brand Frame has curated an exclusive sustainable edit for Earth Day, featuring cashmere jumpers respun from vintage cashmere and factory leftovers in Northern Italy, and jeans made from organic cotton and recycled polyester that comes from post-consumer plastic bottles.
Depop
Sustainable marketplace Depop is inviting their customers to change their consumption habits by highlighting sellers that fulfill its sustainability criteria in ‘Meet The Sellers,’ as well as asking their community to spread the message using the #RethinkReuseRenew hashtag.
Outland
After an encounter with the reality of human trafficking in the streets of Thailand, James Bartle founded Outland Denim, with the aim of starting a company where victims of such abuse could learn new skills, start afresh and support their families without fear. The company is headquartered in Australia and has a training and production facility in Cambodia, where it invests in the personal development and well-being of its employees while innovating on ethical and environmentally responsible production practices. (Outland has an A+ score in an external audit by the World Aid Ethical Fashion Report, a feat not many other brands can attest to).
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