Brand Showcase 2017: Directional Womenswear

DIRECTIONAL
WOMENSWEAR
BRAND SHOWCASE 2017 // LOOKBOOK 1 OF 6
IMAGE: BAV TAILOR

“Make
sustainability
sexy and every
woman will
want to buy it.”
ROLAND MOURET
ETHICAL FASHION FORUM // BRAND SHOWCASE 2017
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Welcome to the first lookbook for
the 2017 SOURCE Brand Showcase.
Since the Ethical Fashion Forum was launched 10 years ago we
have seen an ever-increasing number of brands marrying great
fashion-forward design with sustainable materials and
practices.
The SOURCE members showcased here offer a range of
womenswear – from luxurious knitwear to structured tailoring,
directional daywear to unique evening gowns. And much
more besides.
All have a story to tell. Which – as Fashion Revolution
co-founders Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers point out – is
something customers are increasingly interested in. See our
interview with them on pages 15-16.
Luxury fashion and goods are a strong trend, and sustainable
labels are perfectly poised to harness that interest. Read more
about each label’s ethics on the individual showcase pages
and about the sector in general on page 17.
This is the first of six exciting lookbooks – enjoy!
Clare Lissaman
Director, SOURCE Intelligence
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LUXURY KNITWEAR
WITH A GENTLER TOUCH
ALLY BEE KNITWEAR
HQ
London, UK
USP
Meticulously crafted British alpaca
knitwear with a unique supply chain
and luscious high quality touch and feel.
PRODUCTS
Sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves for
men and women.
ETHICS
Entirely sourced, woven, knitted, dyed
and made in the UK with small-scale,
family run producers.
WHOLESALE PRICES
£26-£100
STOCKISTS
Rtister, Graziashop.com
CONNECT
www.ally-bee.com
info@ally-bee.com
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PRODUCTS WITH HEART
MADE IN MALAWI
MAYAMIKO
HQ
UK & Malawi
USP
Unique Africa-made fabrics with
stunning prints in interesting, modern
silhouettes.
PRODUCTS
Womenswear, yoga wear,
home & gifts.
ETHICS
Made in Malawi in a zero-waste
workshop using locally sourced materials.
WHOLESALE PRICES
£15-£80
STOCKISTS
10+ Stockists including Fiercely Green,
Enrou & Fashion Compassion.
CONNECT
www.mayamiko.com
paola@mayamiko.com
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AEGEAN ADVENTURES
CELEBRATING TRADITION & CRAFTSMANSHIP
UMRAN AYSAN
HQ
UK
USP
Contemporary design combined
with artisan techniques from
different countries
PRODUCTS
Resortwear
ETHICS
Positive luxury butterfly mark,
eco-friendly materials, working in
collaboration with artisans and
craftsmen
RETAIL PRICES
£90-£500
STOCKISTS
Wolf & Badger
CONNECT
www.umranaysan.com
contact@umranaysan.com
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EVERYDAY ANTIPODEAN
INNOVATIVE LUXE KNITWEAR
UNTOUCHED
WORLD
HQ
New Zealand
USP
Clever designs and exquisite
knitwear using sumptuous natural
fibres that stand the test of time.
PRODUCTS
Luxury everyday knitwear for
women, mens, kids, and home.
ETHICS
Untouched World Charitable Trust
touching the lives of 1500 young
adults, full life cycle of products
embrace sustainability from design
to use of materials to end of life,
Child Labor free accredited.
WHOLESALE PRICES
Varies by country
STOCKISTS
Own webshop and stocked in retail
stores across Australia and New
Zealand.
CONNECT
www.untouchedworld.com
peri.drysdale@untouchedworld.com
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11

SPOTLIGHT ON STANDARDS
RESPONSIBLE WOOL
Did you know there is a Standard to ensure the
welfare of sheep and the land they graze on?
The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) was
launched in 2016 by Textile Exchange.
The RWS certifies at farm level that sheep are
treated well and that the land is farmed
progressively to benefit biodiversity. it also
provides a chain of custody system through to
the final product.
www.responsiblewool.org
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TAILORED ARCHITECTURE
PIECES THAT RESPECT THE BODY
BAV TAILOR
HQ
UK & Italy
USP
Sharp tailoring, geometrical forms
with a sartorial minimalist style,
Italian quality expert craftsmanship
PRODUCTS
Luxury jackets, tops, trousers,
dresses and gowns
ETHICS
Working with fair trade producers
in Northern India using natural and
organic materials.
WHOLESALE PRICES
Upon request
STOCKISTS
Yoox
CONNECT
www.bavtailor.com
press@bavtailor.com
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INTERVIEW
What the
Fashion Revolution
means for retailers
Carry Somers is the founder and Global Operations
Director of Fashion Revolution – a post which, as her
co-founder and Creative Director Orsola De Castro points
out with a laugh, shortens to GOD.
While not exactly omnipotent, there’s no doubting that
Fashion Revolution is making waves as a movement to
demand more transparency from brands and retailers. It
was set up after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory
building in 2013 which killed more than 1,000 garment
workers. In 2016, Fashion Revolution’s hashtag
#whomademyclothes appeared more than 156 million
times across social media feeds as consumers started
asking the brands they wear to talk about the people who
actually make the clothes.
Brands are beginning to respond. More than 1,200 replied
in 2016, up from a mere 250 in 2015. Clothing producers
are responding even more, with 3,500 replying directly via
#Imadeyourclothes.
What does this mean for fashion boutiques and retailers?
In advance of Fashion Revolution Week 2017 we spoke
with Carry and Orsola.
Fashion Revolution is a great consumer
movement. What can fashion boutiques and
shops, both on the high street or online,
learn from this?
C (Carry): Fashion Revolution shows that consumers are
really interested about where their clothes come from.
Last year on social media, 70,000 people asked ‘who made
my clothes?’. Retailers should see that people are looking
for accountability, and that their customers, particularly
millennials, are more engaged in sustainability issues.
O (Orsola): Boutiques should be looking at smaller
businesses that have embedded sustainability into
their processes from the start. They should also give
space to younger generations, to artisans, to different
projects.
What if these businesses and artisans,
however sustainable, seem too much of a
risk?
O: Taking a risk is what makes boutiques unique. It’s
only recently that there is no diversity in the fashion
industry, and people rely so much on known brands
with huge PR budgets. What boutiques and
independent retailers can do brilliantly is combine the
two – the smaller, lesser known labels and the more
established brands. 14

This is a risk worth taking. Just look at FarFetch –
some of their brands are quite unknown but being on a
platform alongside known brands works for both the
brand and the platform.
What can fashion boutiques and retailers
do in Fashion Revolution Week?
C: Download the Get Involved pack, full of fantastic
ideas and resources and it’s available in English, French
and German.
And why should they?
O: Because we are the revolution. This is the future.
C: Their customers are starting to expect it. More and
more brands are becoming more transparent. This is
going to filter down eventually. For example, we’ve
been working on the second Fashion Transparency
Index. We’ve seen a huge momentum towards
publishing factory lists since April 2016, so that
particular level of transparency will filter down and
increasingly boutiques and retailers will be asked about
the supply chains of the products they sell. Be ahead of
the game.
People are also looking for different fashion buying
experiences. Being able to tell the story about people
who make the clothes you sell gives a USP – it
personalises the buying experience in a landscape
where buying clothes has become impersonal, and that
makes the clothing sell better.
Which fashion retailers do you feel are
managing to be commercially successful
as well as socially and environmentally
responsible?
O: Hostem is a top London high fashion boutique that
comes instantly to mind. Their choice of fashion is
very eclectic, they take risks. For example, they took on
John Alexander Skelton – the new Christopher
Raeburn – he’s careful in his choice of fabrics and the
narrative behind his collections. They also have
Geoffrey B Small – the oldest up-cyclist in the ‘hood’.
Hostem is obviously a high-end boutique but they are
achieving renown and a unique clientele.
What advice would you give to a fashion
retailer that wants to join the Revolution
and be more sustainable?
C: They should be able to tell the stories of who made
their clothes.
O: And they can do that easily by supporting young
brands as they tend to know who makes all of their
clothes.
Fashion Revolution Week is 24–30 April
2017.
www.fashionrevolution.org
What challenges do you think fashion
boutiques and retailers face in stocking
sustainable fashion?
O: Sadly there is still a stigma about ethical fashion.
People’s perceptions of it may not be great. So shops
need to mix it up – don’t create exclusively branded
‘ethical fashion’ areas but mix it in with other fashion
labels. Because after all, ethical fashion is fashion.
C: It used to be difficult to source great ethical brands
but it’s so much easier now, there are many more
brands out there.
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CRAFT & CHARACTER
AS WORN BY EMMA WATSON
BEHNO
HQ
USA & India
USP
Intelligently designed in NYC, made
in India - chic, minimalist aesthetic
for the worldly woman
PRODUCTS
Advanced contemporary RTW
womenswear, minimalist dresses,
separates, knitwear and accessories.
ETHICS
The behno standard: six social and
environmental pillars; made in
ashram MSA ethos in rural Gujarat
WHOLESALE PRICES
$80-$700 USD
STOCKISTS
Bombay Electric, Elborne, Indelust,
Urban Outfitters, Yoox
CONNECT
www.behno.com
shivam@behno.com
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REPORT WATCH
A BURGEONING
OPPORTUNITY
The luxury sector is strong, growing
and attractive to investors. That’s the
message from the Deloitte Global
Fashion & Luxury Market 2016 report.
Sales in Fashion & Luxury reached
US$1.2 trillion in 2015 of which
Personal Luxury Goods totalled
around $5 billion.
Whilst the sector has been
dominated by large luxury houses
its growth signifies a trend in
market demand for fashion with
strong design, superb quality and a
compelling story.
A trend that directional
sustainable brands should be well
poised to take advantage of as
digital has smashed through the
previously high barriers to entry
enabling emerging labels to
compete with established players.
Also worth a read: Global Powers
of Luxury Goods 2016
17

ROMANTIC COUTURE
EVENINGWEAR WITH PURPOSE
DANIELLE LARA
HQ
UK
USP
Luxury eveningwear inspired by
dance, nature, love, and seduction.
PRODUCTS
Workwear, eveningwear, couture
wedding dresses.
ETHICS
Fairtrade and eco-friendly luxury
fabrics such as organic peace silk
hemp that is traceable back to
source, supporting artisan
communities
WHOLESALE PRICES
£250-£900
STOCKISTS
Made to Order, Own webshop
CONNECT
www.daniellelara.com
debbie.moorhouse4@gmail.com
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MORTAL FASHION
FOR THE CONSCIOUS FEMME FATALE
HENRICA LANGH
HQ
UK
USP
Fashion combines with art to create
directional ready-to-wear
PRODUCTS
RTW statement pieces, unique
prints
ETHICS
Pieces are ‘mortal’ meaning that once
the garment reaches the end of its
life it is easy to take apart and
dispose of with minimal harm to the
environment.
WHOLESALE PRICES
STOCKISTS
Own webshop
CONNECT
www.henricalangh.com
info@henricalang.com
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SUSTAINABLE FASHION INSIGHTS
DYEING
SYNTHETIC
● Chemical based - can include Azo and Azo-free dyes.
Azo-free produce fewer chemicals that are banned in
many markets
● Used in the vast majority of clothing
● Require a large volume of water
● Over 200,000 tons of dye, mostly unprocessed, enters
the global water system each year from the textile
industry
● Produces 568 million metric tons of greenhouse gases
annually (more than 94 million passenger vehicles)
NATURAL
● Made from plants, natural minerals, clay etc
● Require large volume of water
● Look for yarn & fabrics dyed without the use of heavy
metal mordants (used to fix the dye, less polluting
mordants are available)
● It can take up to 13 acres of land to produce enough
natural dye to dye one acre of cotton but that can also
be income generating for smallholder farmers.
AIR
●
●
Innovative new techniques* mean it is now possible to
dye without the use of water
Air dyeing can use up to 95% less water and 86% less
energy
See also: Introduction to Fashion’s Key Environmental Issues
*See references at end of lookbook
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SEXY WITH A SOUL
GET THAT CALI-VIBE
HAH | HOT AS HELL
HQ
USA
USP
Making sustainability sexy
PRODUCTS
Swimwear, lingerie and beach
lifestyle apparel
ETHICS
Investing in innovative eco fibres,
fabrics, and processes that are better
for the consumer and the life of the
garments
WHOLESALE PRICES
USD $14-$207
STOCKISTS
ASOS, own webshop
CONNECT
www.hot-as-hell.com
jilli@hot-as-hell.com
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INDUSTRY STATISTICS
“89% [of respondents] say
ethical sourcing and
sustainability issues are
more important in their
company's sourcing
decisions in 2016, compared
to five years ago.”
2016 Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study, United States Fashion
Industry Association
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STYLE WITH CONSCIENCE
CRUELTY-FREE OUTERWEAR
JAMES & CO
HQ
Australia & Hong Kong
USP
Quality faux leather in classic and
contemporary styles for animal
friendly ladies
PRODUCTS
Cruelty free classic and stylish
‘leather’ jackets
ETHICS
PETA-approved vegan faux leather,
excess stock donated to Good360 to
people in need.
WHOLESALE PRICES
£30-£75
STOCKISTS
Amazon, Modalyst, Wanelo. The
CrueltyfreeShop
CONNECT
www.jamesandco.boutique
anne@jamesandco.com.au
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PRINT TO THE FINISH LINE
BOLDLY QUIRKY
KOMANA
HQ
UK & India
USP
Unique prints that tell a story
combining contemporary designs
with traditional print techniques.
PRODUCTS
Womens RTW
ETHICS
Organic and fair trade materials, non
hazardous dyes, living wage,
supporting artisan based textile
crafts such as wood block printing.
WHOLESALE PRICES
£20-£100
STOCKISTS
Madefair, Fly9
House of Commons
CONNECT
www.komana-design.com
info@komana-design.com
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ONE MAN’S TRASH...
RECYCLED TREASURES BECOME FASHION
RE-CYCLE-STYLE
HQ
UK
USP
Inventive creations using unusual
upcycled materials.
PRODUCTS
Unique costumes and couture
dresses
ETHICS
Made from totally disused, recycled
materials like newspaper, plastic
bottles, sweets packaging,
supermarket shopping bags, old
fabric, and kimonos.
WHOLESALE PRICES
From £10 for small accessories
STOCKISTS
Made to order
CONNECT
www.re-cycle-style.com
info@re-cycle-style.com
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“Consumers approach
shopping and item selection
much differently than just a
decade ago. Shopping starts
well before a consumer walks
into a store or clicks on a
website.
Brands and retailers who
understand what their target
consumers want and figure
out how to engage both in
and out of a retail setting will
be the ones who thrive in this
new normal.”
Judith A. Russell, Global Marketing Strategist, Nilit - speaking
at Texworld USA, Jan 2017
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REFERENCES
Examples of waterless dyeing
● DyeCoo CO2 Dyeing
● AirDye
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