Page 80 - Tracy Anderson Magazine – Summer 2020

when we shop. However well-intentioned this creation of endocrine and hormone disrupters. But “reincarnation is her current Spring/Summer 2020 collection at New York
a merit of distinction may be, in practice it only makes us
feel better about our choices and purchases, without ever
requiring us to do the actual homework. We’re simply
asked to casually look, but never dared to actually see.
Never challenged to actually learn. In truth, the root of
all that sustainability is lies in consciousness. So are you
awake? And no, not just “woke” but truly awake? Let’s find
out.
Seal of Sustainability
Just what defines sustainable fashion? Ethical production
practices? A low carbon footprint? Use of repurposed
materials? It can be confusing to navigate the sea of fashion
sustainability, an entirely mixed bag, deep and vast in
its claims and declaratory zeal for that seal of sustainable
approval. But what is actually good? Good for our health?
Good for the globe? Or at the very least better than bad?
Who out there is doing it well?
Sustainability Explained
The framework of a brand that has truly invested in its
sustainability can be judged by how it measures its prac-
tices, production, emissions, and ethical standards, and
then engages in reworking, recycling, repurposing, and
reimagining the brand entirely. The goal doesn’t stop at
a reduction, as in carbon emissions and use of synthetics,
but rather at zero or neutrality, motivating some brands to
offset any and all carbon they do emit with a personally
imposed tax or to fund programs that help other businesses
in their carbon neutrality quest. This is an incredible and
insightful step forward.
When it comes to beauty brands, clean, nontoxic, vegan,
and cruelty-free products feel easier to absorb and readily
understand their immediate value and importance; after
all, the creams, serums, and polishes we use sit directly on
our hair, skin, and nails, and our body soaks them all up.
But somehow when we think about clothing, footwear,
SUSTAINABLE and accessories, the importance of the sustainability factor
wanes a bit. Here we have collected some of our favorite
SUMMER fashion brands that are keeping the spotlight on sustain-
ability while giving us everything we want to live, love,
and find joy this summer.
STYLES Sustainability Stars
The environment thanks you, by Darcy Fogg. Taking the leap from that sneaker brand you’ve always
worn to work out in to a smaller sustainable brand, where
soles and laces are made without synthetics from recycled
materials—like the incredible footwear produced by
Everywhere we look the seal of sustainability is visibly carbon-neutral brand Allbirds—is a step ahead for your
stamped on brands. We see it highlighted in brand Insta- own health, not just the health of the world. You might
gram bios, plastered on big box retailer sites as a form of not be aware of how many traditional sneaker brands
distinction, and proclaimed in storefronts, stamped with a have historically used a synthetic petroleum derivative to
glossy green check of “clean” approval. All this, done in an create their soles, and how the production of these soles
effort to provide us with a seemingly more sentient filter generates by-products that act as irritants, carcinogens, and
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a beautiful thing,” and especially so when one recycled Fashion Week this past September. A sizable percentage
plastic bottle provides one pair of Allbird sneaker laces. of her collections are made with dead stock, materials and
With a goal of finding new ways to use materials that fabrics that previously would have ended up in a landfill,
are plentifully and naturally right in front of us, the New and she uses only certified natural fiber in all her design
Zealand-American brand uses merino wool from a sheep’s work. In 2017, Hearst even introduced a unique silver
haircut to craft its shoes, creating a naturally tempera- fabric to the fashion world, lining all her coats and jackets
ture-regulating, breathable, and moisture-repellent shoe with this silver textile that blocks cell phone radiation from
fabric that is nonirritating, lightweight, and soft. reaching women’s reproductive organs. She also works
with Manos del Uruguay, a nonprofit women’s cooper-
When it comes to summer accessories, we all love pieces ative whose 600 women across rural Uruguay make her
that seem to go with everything and always make an outfit collection by hand.
shine. Lark & Berry produce fine jewelry using sustain-
ably sourced diamonds grown via lab technology, known Sustainability in summertime also means we turn our gaze
as cultured diamonds. Using 100 percent renewable to the great outdoors. We appreciate nature and our planet
energy, this process allows manufacturers to circumvent by getting out there and in it. Whether on the water, up
the environmentally devastating and exploitative practices a mountain, by the beach, and beyond, here are two im-
of traditional diamond mining, and in fact results in a pressive sustainable sport-centric fashion brands that will
more perfect, conflict-free stone. And its jewelry is just help you get there without leaving a trace. Away That
that—“clean, cool, cultured.” Day is a swimwear brand cleaning up our oceans with
every bikini and one-piece it produces. Made with a revo-
Dresses that can take you through the day and into the lutionary soft yet strong fabric called Econyl that is created
night have become a necessary summer staple. A brand from fishing nets, nylon scraps, and plastics found in our
known for making dresses that are perfect for packing and waters. Away That Day’s use of this regenerated nylon has
easy to travel with and in is Reformation. By focusing in turn supported and incentivized increasing the removal
on its sustainable mission, Reformation has made itself of marine debris. The suits are all manufactured in Bali by
one of the only water-neutral fashion brands out there. By a small family-owned studio, and even the packaging is
meticulously sourcing fabrics that are less water intensive entirely compostable.
to make, and partnering with Bonneville Environmental
Foundation, a nonprofit water restoration program, the And if your summer adventure takes you on the water
brand has been able to restore the water it does use and rather than in it, Swedish sustainable brand Tretorn has
therefore balance out its entire water footprint. an impressive collection of water and foul-weatherproof
jackets made from Tretorn’s own Eco Essentials fabric.
As the rock of our warm weather wardrobe, you can Called Ocean Shell, this three-layer fabric is made up of
never have too many sustainable summer dresses. And recycled polyester and PET bottles found in the coastal
we highly recommend adding a Mirth caftan dress to waters of Taiwan. The Arch Jacket, “responsible rainwear
your closet this season. Mirth is a sister-owned and -led made for urban exploration,” is specifically made to last
sustainable fashion brand designed with purpose to allow long but also to be recycled again after use. Any Tretorn
tives and organizations across India to feature handmade dition to your hiking, biking, and boating kit. As a brand
you to dress with purpose. The brand works with collec-
outerwear is the perfect sustainable strong and sleek ad-
with a near 130-year-old history, it’s constantly looking for
textiles produced by artisans, weavers, printers, and their
families. This commitment to helping sustain the heritage ways to create materials for outerwear that aid in the fight
to preserve the planet and combat climate change.
of these crafts in turn provides ethical employment for
entire communities that produce each stage of the textile
traditionally, meaning mostly made in the artisans’ homes, If there’s one thing our summer stars of sustainability com-
monly show us, it’s that the new paradigm for sustainabil-
including hanging the printed cloth to dry in the heat and
sun of the fields. Soft colors and breathable fabrics make ity in fashion seems to have moved beyond the necessary
goal of reducing impact to a goal of generating positive
Mirth caftans and dresses perfect for every minute of
summer. impact. These leading sustainable fashion designers and
brands have not just looked at the problem and reacted,
If Stella McCartney is the godmother of sustainable but rather have seen it, and seen the need for proactive
luxury fashion, then Gabriela Hearst is its pioneer. When action. The new goal for sustainable fashion? To complete-
it comes to looking our best, Hearst’s extraordinarily ly eliminate fashion’s footprint and render the concept of
elegant designs are always on our must-have list. An waste extinct in the industry. The thought being that with
innovator in every sense of fashion sustainability, she restriction comes an even greater opportunity to ignite
created the first-ever carbon-neutral show when unveiling innovation and exponential creativity.
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