Sustainability-wise, swimwear can have a seriously detrimental effect on the environment. When it comes to our wardrobe, we all know that we need to shop more sustainably, but it’s especially crucial when it comes to swimwear. Why?, Swimsuits are made from synthetic materials such as nylon and polyurethane (a mix of Lycra, Spandex, or Elastane), whose production depletes natural resources.

These synthetic materials are all derived from petroleum oil which is problematic for several reasons. It produces environmental pollution during extraction and fibre production, harms natural resources and wildlands, and is non-biodegradable.

Another reason swimsuits tend to be less sustainable than other clothing is because synthetic material often doesn’t last long, losing its shape quickly – which leads to many replacements. Furthermore, swimwear is currently extremely difficult to recycle, resulting in polluted landfills and harmful microplastics released into the environment.

Taking care of our wardrobes is more critical than ever – and eco-conscious dressing shouldn’t be overlooked during the holidays. These days, there are numerous sustainable swimwear brands to discover, each offering stylish silhouettes and environmentally friendly production methods.

In a world where fast fashion is on the rise, we know we need to change how we shop. We can eschew fast fashion by renting or buying second-hand, where possible. If you are looking for something new for an upcoming holiday, consider shopping with brands that place sustainability first- after all, renting out swimwear is hardly realistic. 

Shop these sustainable swimwear brands for a guilt-free summer.

Matteau

Made in Australia, Matteau supports Australian textile manufacturing however it can. Matteau’s swimwear is made out of eco-friendly materials like Repreve, ECONYL, and yarn spun from fishing nets, fabric scraps, and industrial plastics.  With its efforts to offset carbon emissions and trace materials back to their original sources, Matteau is always striving to be as green as possible. In addition, Matteau is a brand that appreciates the uniqueness of everybody. Founders of the company Ilona Hamer and Peta Heinsen embrace all different body sizes and designed swimwear that would accommodate and empower all their customers. It’s no surprise that models and fashionistas, Jeanne Damas and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, are fans of the brand. 

Shop here: https://int.matteau-store.com/collections/swimwear

Fisch 

It is well worth checking out Fisch’s vibrantly coloured and printed Eighties-inspired poolside styles if you want to make a statement. Fisch is committed to “ocean upcycling”, transforming harmful ocean plastics into contemporary swimwear. Fisch is also a partner of Healthy Seas – a team of skilled divers that safely remove ghost nets from the ocean floor, which later make Fisch’s fabric. Each piece is crafted from econyl, and woven in a mill in Italy just two hours from their factory, minimising its carbon footprint, therefore reducing its environmental impact. As well as being eco-friendly, Fisch promises its customers that the swimsuits are long-lasting.

Shop here: https://fischswim.com

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a California-based swimwear and beachwear brand that believes style and sustainability go hand-in-hand. As one of the first brands to introduce eco swim fabrics in 2010 with EcoLuxTM- a piece of ultrafine matte jersey fabric and EcoRib, which is a stretchy ribbed fabric made from recycled nylon and plant fibres, Vitamin A is still staying ahead of the curve by combining feminine design with sustainable innovation two decades later. The brand’s swimwear prints are inspired by ‘70s beach glamour. Water-saving digital technology is used to create the prints, while recyclable and biodegradable packaging boxes are used for packaging them. A variety of options are available- each one as eye-catching as the next. Vitamin A’s bikinis and bodysuits are designed and manufactured locally in California, significantly reducing shipping and transportation emissions. All dyeing and knitting of the fabrics are done in one place, further reducing their carbon footprint.  

Shop here: https://www.vitaminaswim.com

Peony 

The brand says its designs are “the first bloom of peony flowers”. 

Taking its name from the flowering plant that signals summer’s arrival, peony is the sustainable swimwear label encouraging us to live life fully. The brand combines classic shapes with soft colour palettes to create confident pieces, a reflection of Australian designer Becky Morton’s deep love of the ocean. 

Swimwear label Peony uses fabrics made from recycled polyester and specially developed linings in order to reduce waste to create sustainable pieces that are durable and strong. The brand aims to ensure that all processes and chemicals are environmentally friendly. The packaging also is biodegradable and compostable.

Shop here: https://us.peonyswimwear.com

Vanessa Sposi

Inspired by the rich culture and sunny settings of Ibiza, Vanessa creates a tableau of pastels and neutral tones reminiscent of the rising and setting sun.

Designing swimwear that is infused with natural antioxidants, aloe vera and vitamin E that soothes and nourishes the skin, Vanessa Sposi is a brand that is ethically made and eco-conscious. Placing sustainability at the heart of its mission, Vanessa Sposi uses oeko-tex certified fabrics, free of harmful substances and econyl- recycled yarn from ocean plastic waste. Resulting in cleaner oceans and swimwear that is good for your body. 

This brand is a member of ‘1% for the Planet’, which commits to donating 1% of sales to environmental non-profits annually.

Shop here: https://vanessasposi.com/en/ete-03/

Words by Chanelle Jassim

^{Header image: @vanessasposi_paris}

The post Sun, Swim and Sustainability appeared first on Voir Fashion.

After 2 years of research and development, Gucci has just unveiled “Demetra”, a new and innovative primarily bio-based material that can be used in place of leather — and which mixes luxury, strength, and softness with eco-friendly sustainability. 

Produced fully in Italy, the vegan-friendly material is primarily made from a variety of bio-based and renewable raw items, including wood pulp, viscose, and renewable polyurethane. The finished material is also made with tanning processes and expertise that gives it both pliability and durability, along with a supple finish. 

Gucci also notes that Demetra does not have any limitations to scalability, nor restrictions on volume. Even the scraps of the material can be preserved and reused for extra sustainability, with leftover pieces being upcycled and reused for the future — all in support of the house’s efforts to support a circular economy.

“In our 100th anniversary year, Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future,” said Marco Bizzarri, the president and CEO of Gucci. “Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions.” 

Demetra is one amongst many admirable things the famed fashion house has done to be eco-friendly. According to their recently released Gucci Equilibrium Impact Report, the brand has also reduced their footprint by -44% since 2015, and runs of 93% renewable energy worldwide. Gucci has also already met their 2025 reduction target, four years ahead of the original planned goal. 

“It is our mission to be part of the solution for a better tomorrow and we will continue to build authentic value across our business and in the wider world – value for people, value for climate and value for nature,” said CEO Marco Bizzarri. 

Gucci pieces made from Demetra are already available to purchase, in the form of several of the brand’s trainer models: The New Ace, The Basket, and The Rhyton. Other products made from the customisable material are planned to be made available soon as well. 

The availability of Demetra will also be going beyond Gucci, with the brand offering the material first to companies owned by its parent company, and then to the wider fashion industry in 2022.

£ 695

Gucci Demetra Women’s Basket sneaker in Pink

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£ 695

Gucci Demetra Basket sneaker

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£ 695

Gucci Demetra Women’s Basket sneaker in Grey

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Words By Victoria Arrington

The post Gucci Has Created A New Amazing Sustainable And Vegan-friendly Material appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Vintage shopping has been popular for ages. Many people do it rightfully for environmental reasons, others because it’s cheaper and some because they are chasing the aesthetic. But what is truly buzzing right now, and for good reasons, is the art of reworked clothing. Not only is it good for the planet, but by wearing reworked clothes you’ll elevate your style in ways you never experienced before, as the creativity behind the reconstruction of garments is unique for each piece, and you’re guaranteed to be the only person rocking your outfit. Here are some Instagram based brands you need to follow asap:

@Expensivethebrand

Expensivethebrand is the quintessential reworked clothing brand. It proves that vintage doesn’t necessarily have to look old, and it can elevate even the most contemporary style. By incorporating sexy and high-fashion details into streetwear, it certainly claims the spot as one of the most attractive brands of the moment.

@Lois1xblue

The Manchester graduate designer is making football merch sexy, and that says a lot about the creativity behind their garments. Every reworked look is simply stunning, and the barely-there bodysuits have become a staple for the brand, even worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian. Their clothes are innovative, trendy and truly out of the box, and curated in such an avant-garde way that is impossible to resist.

@Matacomplex

Patchwork has always been trendy, but this British designer can be considered the queen. Using vibrant electrified hues of blue/ pink and green and yellow, the cropped asymmetrical patchwork designs are simply divine. Fabrics can be knit, nylon or even lycra. For every creation it’s like looking at a messy nuclear kaleidoscope made to be adored.

@ai_mei__li

This designer’s brand makes hippy, deconstructed clothing fashionable again. The inventiveness of their designs is astounding, and every single look seems to have come out of a fantasy world.

@Randomaffects

The NYC based brand has some of the most unique and edgy pieces you’ve ever seen. If you’re looking for a real authentic streetwear vibe or simply to be inspired, take a look at their stunning upcycled creations.

@urban.reworks

This edgy and unique brand plays on the duality of dressing down as a way to dress up, using ‘fashionable’ humour to attract customers. The fabrics are from brands such as Nike and other sportswear designers, and the logos are reminiscent to the original brands but with a twist of humour. It is a beautiful mélange of colorful, original and comfortable clothes that will surely make you stand out.

Words By Tommaso Donati

The post Reuse, Rework and Re-Love: Upcycling Brands To Follow ASAP appeared first on Voir Fashion.

It’s been one year and five months since I decided to stop buying fast fashion. I’d always been partial to a quick peruse around a vintage market or charity shop, but I’d never really thought about the morals behind shopping this way, or its positive impact on the planet. It’s probably horribly clichéd to watch one documentary and suddenly dramatically alter your lifestyle (I’m referring to the part of my lifestyle that involved blowing my student loan on weekly ASOS parcels), but that’s essentially what happened.

I told myself that my decision to write about ‘sustainable fashion’ for my final year dissertation was purely observational – I’d be looking in on the increasingly popular buzzword as an impartial bystander. After all, the term was so vague and overused. I had a reusable coffee cup, I always carried a spare tote bag around with me in case of an impromptu trip to Tesco Metro – but there was no way I’d be giving up my love of fun, experimental fashion in lieu of linen tunics and organic cotton basics. I don’t do basics. But here’s the inside scoop: fun and experimental fashion doesn’t have to cost the earth, nor the quality of life of some of its most vulnerable inhabitants. 

So, in October 2019, I sat down with a cup of tea and pressed play on Andrew Morgan’s seminal documentary The True Cost (2015). The documentary’s main case study was the tragic collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory called Rana Plaza in 2013, in which employees had expressed concern about the building’s safety only hours before. Over 1,000 garment workers were killed in the incident. There are plenty of other reasons to cut down on your fashion habits, fast or otherwise, including the fact that it takes an estimated 2,000 litres of water to produce one pair of jeans (UN Environment Programme, 2019). Morgan’s documentary includes a plethora of similarly shocking facts, and I implore anybody who hasn’t already watched it to do so. It’s important. 

But the thing that surprised me the most after my eye-opening viewing of The True Cost (after successfully retrieving my jaw from the floor, that is) was the ease at which I could stop buying the poor quality clothing and plastic jewellery I so loved. I deleted my shopping apps, avoided the websites and unsubscribed to the emails of what had been my favourite fast fashion retailers, and that was that. No more ‘Hey Bae! Want 20% off?’, ‘We miss you! Here’s a cheeky discount on us!’ or ‘Buy this piece of plastic cloth for £0.36p in the Black Friday sale!’ flooding my inbox. What I didn’t do, however, was stop shopping. I needed to fill the gaping hole in my life that fast fashion had left, and I did so by regularly hitting the parade of charity shops that sat conveniently between my university and my house. I’d wander home from a lecture and just ‘quickly’ pop into Scope or The British Heart Foundation. These ‘quick’ trips usually ended up taking around an hour and whilst this was miles better than my previous habits – it still wasn’t great.

 I was contributing money to charities, and giving clothes that would otherwise be in landfill a new life. So what was the problem? Here’s the problem: I was still consuming a mass of poor quality clothing and plastic jewellery – just secondhand. Having convinced myself ‘if it’s from a charity shop, it’s fine’, I continued to consume. And consume. And consume some more. 

Gradually, I’ve reined it in a little with the impulse thrifting. The pandemic helped (not a sentence I would utter in ANY other area of life), but I was still able to access my favourite online secondhand platforms. Scrolling Vinted became a habit (read: addiction) during lockdown, but I now limit myself to one or two visits to the app per week, which rarely result in actual purchases. I also had to avoid Facebook for a while after joining the Swap Family group and swapping out half my wardrobe for new pieces, a lot of which ended up back on the group once the novelty of *new things* had worn off. These are all great platforms, by the way, when used healthily. Whatever that means. 

No documentary was ever going to stop me from craving new things – that’s human nature. But the part of fashion I love most is being playful and trying new things, and I’ve learnt that it’s possible to do this without taking a huge, hypothetical crap on the planet. Shopping isn’t something you can get ‘right’, and I don’t expect everybody to stop buying fast fashion altogether. Hell, I know that’s not happening any time soon. But here are some simple tips for the budding conscious consumer: 

– If you see something you like/want/‘OMG NEEEED’, check Depop, Vinted, ASOS Marketplace, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Vestiaire Collective, etc. for similar styles or the exact piece. If you don’t find it the first time you look, don’t give up straight away. Sellers are uploading new things constantly. 

– Search for vintage alternatives! Fashion is cyclical. If there’s a trend you’re into at the minute, there’s a chance people were into it 20 years ago. Have a lookie. 

– If you’re going completely cold turkey on fast fashion, you don’t have to turn to expensive sustainable brands if you don’t have the budget. It is, however, a good idea to save for quality versions of the garments you love and wear most. For me, that’s underwear and jeans. 

– Scour Depop and Instagram for small businesses to buy from. There are quite literally thousands of them – and they’re fun! The cute thank-you-notes, the little bags of Haribo, the pretty tissue paper, the fact that you won’t pass multiple people in the street wearing the exact same thing. 

£ 785

Jean Vintage Chanel Monogram Tank

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£ 214

Gucci Vintage Criss Cross Sandals

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£ 11

Gemini Accessories Rae Earrings

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£ 70

Tommy Hilfiger Dungarees Denim Short

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£ 42

Xfemina Satin Knickers

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£ 80

Vintage Vivienne Westwood Tartan Handbag

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£ 6

Gilberrt Cocoa Gingham Oversized Scrunchie

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£ 235

Chanel CC Sunglasses

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£ 18

Lazy Disco Flirty Hearts

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£ 75

Jean Vintage D&G Spellout Bracelet

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I’m still far from a perfect consumer, but I’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing. I simply made the decision to start making more informed decisions about my purchases, and want people to know that it wasn’t as tricky as I’d suspected. Not to be cynical or anything, but I suppose that’s my little contribution to our crumbling world.

Here are links and lists for more help and starting points, so you can become a more concious consumer:

DOCUMENTARIES:
The True Cost
Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets

APPS:
Good On You
Whering

BOOKS:
Fashionopolis
Stitched Up – The Anti Capitalist Book of Fashion

SMALL/INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES:
@withloveevie
@geminiaccessories
@itsrooper
@milliejaneuk
@junkldn
@gilberrt.uk
@gingham_girls_studio
@lazy_disco
@xfeminadesigns
@soulandflare

Words By Pippa Simmonds

The post Why I Cut Ties with Fast Fashion appeared first on Voir Fashion.

With creativity being at the heart of the fashion industry, the CNMI Green Carpet Talent Competition presents an extravagant opportunity for emerging designers worldwide to showcase the importance of sustainable fashion, following in the footsteps of British designer Stella McCartney with her Sustainable AW 2017 campaign. “Young designers invested in sustainability are pushing the limits of fashion further every year.” Not only is it an innovative way to express passion, creativity and drive new materials it is also offering solutions to the global plastic pandemic and climate change.

Edward Enninful, Vogue’s first male Editor-in-Chief and one of the biggest names in the fashion industry (renowned for his proactive elegance and strong narrative of his creative zeitgeists, making him one of the most influential men within the fashion world) was asked to judge at the competition amongst several other influential names such as; Derek Blasberg, Petra Nemcova, Ellie Goulding to name a few.

“The designers we’ve seen are not only highlighting traditional Italian craftsmanship but also creating their own materials when they can’t find sustainable solutions on the market, the passion and creativity are setting a clear challenge to the wider industry.” Livia Firth, Founder and Creative Director, ECO-AGE.

With the finalists showcasing spectacular pieces, featuring innovative designs and materials, the judges were exposed to brand new sustainable techniques which added the wow factor to their pieces. Sequins laser cut from used plastic bottles; rhubarb tanned leather; graphite upcycled from the tech industry used as a substitute from chemical dyes; and a dress made from Jute bags purchased from Navigli market in Milan, were all key techniques used in the finalist’s pieces.

Not only are the designs making a sustainable statement, they are high-end pieces ready to pioneer a fashion revolution. The Green Carpet Fashion Awards are closing Milan Fashion Week on September 23rd, so why not make Milan your next environmental journey and witness creativity at its finest.

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The post Rolling out the Green Carpet: CNMI Fashion Awards appeared first on Voir Fashion.