Source: By Walid
The fashion industry is the world’s second biggest contributor to global warming.
For designers today, sustainable solutions are not just inventive but entirely necessary.
At The Next Cartel, we are constantly on the lookout for the most innovative and imaginative sustainable brands, whose pieces are a gift for both our creative sensibilities and our planet.
From the incorporation of found materials and natural production methods to sustainable fabrics, these five brands are all committed to conscious choices with their design. And here’s why we love each one.
Adam Jones: Local Trinkets, Rediscovered
Source: Icon
Commitment to sustainability: Logomania and pub nostalgia are at the heart of Welsh designer, Adam Jones’ collections. Found items incorporated into his work include tea-towels and blankets, beer mats, football scarves, Welsh flags, and Union Jacks. All locally collected from car boots, skips, and beyond.
They say: “I have always made things from nothing and whatever was lying around as a kid,” Jones said in an interview. His pieces which are laboured over, are intended to be kept, loved, and passed on, which Jones believes is “another kind of sustainability”.
His work proves that you don’t need to search far and wide to create high-fashion garments. In a beautiful, full-circle moment, Jones’ work often relies on collectors of ‘pub memorabilia’ and other British nostalgia. Others’ life-long commitment to collecting makes up the backbone of Jones’ own inspired, pub-core collections.
We say: Power to the pub! Sometimes the answers are right on our doorsteps. And Adam Jones’ collection proves that you don’t need to scour the globe to create re-purposed, durable masterpieces.
By Walid: Seasonally Transgressive, Zero Wasters
Source: By Walid
Commitment to sustainability: The exclusive use of antique textiles awards By Walid the status of both sustainable and completely zero-waste. This luxury brand uses all sorts of forgotten fancies from the past — from 19th-century Chinese silks to 1920s quilts. A long time collector of ancient textiles, designer Walid Al Darmijiri began creating clothes in 2011. Today, his couture, one-of-a-kind pieces have expanded into accessories and re-imagined homewares.
They say: Designer Walid Al Darmijiri notes that. “There is a lot of bloody tat floating around,” so why not “step back and appreciate what has already been created.” Rather than seasonal, trend-orientated pieces that are flung from the wardrobe after a season of heavy wear, By Walid’s luxury pieces are sure to remain with you for life, then passed down, and re-imaged once again.
We say: Seasonally transgressive is the future. Occasional, bespoke wardrobe additions are the perfect antidote to the “mockery” that is disposable fashion. If you’re looking for luxury zero-waste, By Walid is your best bet.
Eirinn Hayhow: A Duty To Mother Nature
Source: Eirinn Hayhow
Commitment to sustainability: Erin Hayhow’s entire brand seems to be a tribute to our beautiful earth. Her processes and concepts are always thought up with respect for nature in mind. All garments are handcrafted with sustainable and salvaged fibres and naturally dyed with foraged plants and berries.
They say: Eirinn Hayhow is more than just a brand, it’s a vehicle for solutions to our global waste crisis. As a talented, young creative, Hayhow feels a strong responsibility for helping put an end to fast-fashion. “As designers of the future, it is our duty to be sustainable,” the designer has said, “We need to find sustainable solutions to our waste problems. We need to re-think the fast fashion system.”
We say: Hayhow’s pieces are both studies of the natural world and efforts in protecting it. Exactly what we need to bring out our eco-warrior. Sustainable and thoughtful, these pieces are ideal for anyone trying to reconnect with nature while investing in plant-based, statement pieces.
COMMON Å COMMUNД’: For the Women, For the World
Source: COMMON Å COMMUNД’
Commitment to sustainability: COMMON Å COMMUNД’ takes the problem of oversized, excess male sportswear and up-cycles it into a solution that puts women first. The brand uses up-cycling and recycled materials to create thoughtful and detailed pieces.
They say: Up-cycling transforms ill-fitting sportswear into reclaimed, reconsidered pieces, allowing for both environmentally conscious and female-thoughtful garments. “My intention is to use design to create social dialogue around gender, community and sustainability,” founder and designer Azzari says.
We say: Ah. Clothing that considers both female proportions and the environment. COMMON Å COMMUNД’ makes this look easy. Other designers, take note!
Nojin: Durability and Wearable Scraps
Commitment to sustainability: Powered single-handedly by designer Ngoc-Hien, Nojin’s commitment to conscious and sustainable fashion is fierce. The brand’s clear vision from the outset has seen the use of 100% natural and organic fabrics and an up-cycling process that involves the conversion of any scraps into unbelievably intricate, one-of-a-kind pieces.
They say: In her interview with TNC, Nojin told us about the importance of durability and of her conscious move from seasonal fashion. With minimal waste and conscious fabric selection, Ngoc-Hien is keeping “Nojin’s environmental footprint to a minimum.”
We say: Nojin is the perfect reminder that sustainable clothes need not make technical or aesthetic compromises. The SCAPMONO, made with no less than 226 leftover scrap pieces in various shades of blue denim, is most definitely a welcome addition to our season-less wardrobe.
