A lot has happened in the field of women’s fashion – attempts to make it ecologically responsible have been around for a long time, but these have not always been successful and have long given women’s eco fashion a reputation for being unfashionable and perhaps even uncomfortable.
Times have changed and there are now a number of women’s fashion labels that leave nothing to be desired – fair production, sustainable materials, outstanding quality, durability, CO2 neutrality, environmentally friendly packaging and they also meet the highest fashion standards. FashionUnited presents five European women’s wear labels that have declared war on fast fashion.
Ekyog
Ekyog from France does not offer yoga clothing, but rather playful and durable women’s collections made from mostly natural (74 percent), new environmentally friendly (15 percent) or recycled materials (11 percent). All textiles are subject to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and are GOTS or wool garments RWL-certified.
Founded in 2003, the label designs in Paris and has its products manufactured in strictly controlled and ethical factories – such as denim in Turkey, recycled blended fabrics in Bulgaria, prints and embroidery in India, organic cotton in China and vegetable dyeing and manufacturing in Portugal and Morocco. Ekyog products are available through their own website, their own stores in France and e-commerce. Prices range from 65 to 150 euros.
Froy & Dind
The Belgian lifestyle label Froy & Dind has been around since 2008, but was initially limited to colorful and cheerful patterns on postcards, recycled paper, magnets and home textiles. However, the motifs were so successful that the two founders, Froya and Adinda, decided to print them on women’s fashion as well. Since 2011 they have specialized in high-quality, sustainable clothing that is designed in Antwerp and manufactured under fair conditions in Turkey. It is also low in pollutants and GOTS-certified.
The label is available from various online retailers and in numerous clothing stores in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and in over 20 selected stores throughout Germany. Prices range from around 35 to 100 euros.
Lanius
Lanius was founded in 1999 by Claudia Lanius with the aim of combining sustainable materials with sophisticated design and producing fairly. Accordingly, for the Cologne label, in addition to seals and certificates, personal contact and matching values play a central role in the selection of partners, who are visited regularly. These are generally GOTS-certified, follow the SA8000 standard, the BSCI Code of Conduct and are checked by the Fair Wear Foundation.
The label is not completely vegan, but offers PETA-certified products and attaches great importance to the fact that animal materials are purchased painlessly – i.e. mulesing-free wool, cashmere from controlled organic animal husbandry, alpaca wool from free-range alpacas in the Andes and yak Wool from traditionally sustainable pastoral communities in Inner Mongolia. Other natural raw materials are cotton, hemp, linen, Tencel, Lenzing EcoVero, Econyl and SeaCell – an algae-based cellulose fiber. In addition to its own website and stores, Lanius women’s fashion is available in over 400 shops across Europe. Prices range from 10 euros for socks to 360 euros for jackets.
People Tree
The London-based sustainable women’s fashion label People Tree is a pioneer of fair trade fashion. It was founded in 1991 by James and Safia Minney with the aim of making every product to the highest ethical and environmental standards from start to finish, using small artisan workshops from developing countries. People Tree has been a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) since 1996 and together with it created the “World Fair Trade Day” on May 14th, which is celebrated every year in over 70 countries.
The label’s focus is on contemporary, eclectic designs and playful, exclusive pieces made from organic cotton, Tencel Lyocell and responsibly sourced wool. People Tree covers all areas – from underwear, nightwear, activewear and socks to dresses, skirts, jackets and accessories. Prices range from 14 euros for briefs to 130 euros for trousers and 190 euros for knitted jumpers. People Tree is available through their website and ships within Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as through select retailers and online retailers.
SKFK
SKFK (formerly Skunkfunk) started out in 1996 with t-shirts that founder Mikel Feijoo Elzo sold at music festivals. The idea was initially to finance the concert visits, but soon the T-shirts were in such demand that a fashion label developed from them. Today the Spanish label offers not only T-shirts but also dresses, skirts, jackets and coats and attaches great importance to the fact that the fabrics are environmentally friendly and the production is CO2-neutral.
The collections designed in Bilbao focus on urban chic and are feminine, functional and casual. Prices range from 50 to 100 euros. The label sources organic cotton from the Chetna cooperative for Indian smallholders and has it manufactured in China, India and Portugal. The company operates its own web shop and physical stores in Europe and South America. SKFK is currently represented in 38 countries and also offers a rental service.