Fashion brands are often thrown into the spotlight, and some companies are using this fame for the greater good. Stella McCartney announced that using the latest technology she is aiming to demonstrate how fashion can be sustainable. And she isn’t the only one making a difference to the world of fashion.
Sustainable fashion — Stella McCartney
Environmental fashion is synonymous with Stella McCartney’s brand. She continually makes a difference with regards to environmental fashion and sustainability. Using the latest in eco-friendly technology, she changes attitudes to sustainable fashion and demonstrates how eco-fashion can be done.
She is always looking for innovative new materials which have a lower impact on the environment. Take her latest swimwear range for example, in partnership with Adidas. The swimsuits are made from Lycra Xtra Lite fabric, which is resistant to chlorine and uses recycled Parley Ocean Plastic yarn.
Stella McCartney partnered with Colorifix to reduce environmental damage when dyeing garments. They do this through isolating the DNA that creates colour in nature and uses 10 times less water than the traditional process.
Save Our Species — Lacoste
Lacoste has been making waves with their Save Our Species campaign. You’ve probably heard of it! A part of this, they replaced their classic crocodile logo with images of endangered species on their classic polo shirts.
To represent the number of endangered species left in the world, Lacoste released limited editions of polo shirts of the same number. The new logos were designed using the same green colouring and style as the iconic crocodile.
How were the animals selected? The animals that were chosen were ten of the most threatened species on the planet; the Vaquita, Burmese Turtle, Northern Sportive Lemur, Javan Rhino, Kakapo, Cao-vit Gibbon, California Condor, Saola, Sumatran Tiger and the Anegada Ground Iguana.
Launching at Paris Fashion Week, they were an instant hit and sold out completely. The money from the shirts was donated towards the fight for wildlife conservation worldwide.
Watch Hunger Stop — Michael Kors
In 2013, handbag brand Michael Kors announced the start of their Watch Hunger Stop campaign. According to the Michael Kors website, they’ve helped the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) deliver 15 million meals to children in need.
Following five years of campaigning, Kate Hudson announced that she’d be joining the cause in 2018. There are many ways that people can donate — through the purchase of a timepiece, a Snapchat using a store geofilter or through posting a photo wearing a Watch Hunger Stop T-shirt. Each action donates a certain amount of money and corresponding meals to children in need — the programme supports 16 million children over 70 different countries.
Tighter gun control — Gucci
We have all heard of the problems with gun control in the US, and often wish we could do something to help. This is where fashion giant, Gucci has stepped in. They have taken a stand and are fighting for improved gun legislation, donating half a million dollars to the cause. “We stand with March For Our Lives and the fearless students across the country who demand that their lives and safety become a priority. We have all been directly or indirectly impacted by these senseless tragedies, and Gucci is proud to join this movement with a donation of $500,000” was one comment by Gucci at the time.
It’s possible that Gucci’s generous donation was motivated by the death of Gucci salesman, Javier Jorge-Reyes, and injury of Gucci store manager, Leonel Melendez Jr — both caused by gun violence.
The Prince’s Trust — Charles Tyrwhitt
Collaborations between companies and charities are also making positive movements. For example, slim fitting shirts retailer, Charles Tyrwhitt has worked regularly with Prince Charles’ charity — the Prince’s Trust. This is a charity in the United Kingdom, founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales. It focuses on helping vulnerable people get their lives back on track and find work.
In order to raise money for the cause, Charles Tyrwhitt designed and created custom scarves, ties and umbrellas which were sold on their website. Where each item in the collection is sold, £5 is donated to The Prince’s Trust.
Charles Tyrwhitt also encouraged their employees to get involved with fundraising. In fact, business founder, Nick Wheeler, raised over 100,000 when he completed an 874-mile bike ride from Land’s End to John O’ Groats in the UK. And, members of the company attend and recruit individuals through The Prince’s Trust ‘Get Hired’ Days. This is where young people who have been through The Trust’s programmes have found themselves ready to move into work and are actively looking for work.
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