Not only are European designs stylish and intelligent, there is also a strong dedication to the environment. I felt like I couldn't go half a day in Europe without stumbling across a new and innovative label working towards sustainable fashion.  Since settling back home, I've had a chance to collate the many examples of eco-chic, and have distilled a list of the most potent.

Danish label Noir was created in 2005 by Peter Ingwersen, with the aim to seamlessly integrate luxury and social responsibility. Noir are credited by many with making “corporate social responsibility sexy.”  I've read their sustainability statement and supplier code of conduct, and I'm pleased to say the commitment to sustainability and social responsibly appears to be deep. As for sexy, it's obvious from the press shots that Ingwersen pushes his avant guard aesthetic to the horizons of wearability, while still remaining firmly elegant and feminine. The label has also established new collaborations including: Illuminati II, a branded fabric collaboration between Noir and Ugandan organic cotton producers, supplying high-end houses with Illuminati II fair-traded materials. Noir are committed to transisiotning their clients to a slow fashion mindset, operating officer Egelund said recently: “There are more and more intelligent consumers who don’t want to be buying things all the time. They see fashion as a meaningful process and that’s a really good thing.”

I couldn't find much about Trippen Shoes on the internet, but their immediately obvious aesthetic was apparent on many stylish feet.  I was told that the German label only use plant based dyes to cure their ethically farmed leather, and ensure waste effluents are purified before being reused or released into the waterways.  They also have a repair systems which enable shoes to be worn for decades, contributing to the ideals of slow fashion.  Their website has a page that features all the makers, describing each step in the process of shoe construction which also suggests transparency in the supply chain. I love Trippen for working towards making covetable, zero harm, long lasting shoes.

Ada Zanditon from the United Kingdom uses a range of approaches towards sustainability. Her statement on the issue reads “Ada Zanditon pioneers in creating and evolving a high end womenswear business with a common sense approach to sustainability, a commitment to transparency and a belief in business that treats people, planet and profit with equal importance.” The application of that statement seems thorough; her collections use organic and natural fabrics as well as waste reducing pattern cutting and energy conscious assembly. In her supply chain, Zanditon sources the fabrics from ethical manufacturers, using only non-carcinogenic AZO-free dyes. Keeping things small, she works with individual clothing makers, to ensure transparency and  her commitment to ethical working terms is felt at each level. Her studio is also an example of working towards sustainability with eco friendly light bulbs, eco friendly cleaning products and recycled stationary used where possible. Zanditon seems focused on being as ethical and eco and her commitment to continual improvement is commendable.

I've included From Somewhere as they have been in the sustainability arena since 1997, when they started remaking vintage cashmere sweaters, now expanding to make clothing out of reclaimed textiles and fashion industry waste.  With a multifaceted approach, designers Orsola de Castro and Fillipo Ricci use ends and bits from European textile mills, employing people in rehab in Italy as makers.  The retail space is also innovative, using all repurposed fittings to create an eclectic and inviting environment.

I was recommended JackPot as a case study in track and trace. Collaborating with Dutch MADE-BY, they are able to monitor the supply chain and guarantee socially responsible working conditions for everyone involved in making JackPot garments.  They are also committed to working with sustainable materials, and are experimenting with organic cotton, and other more high tech applications of developing materials. They have a robust certification system and are working towards continual improvement in sustainability.

After seeing the serious dedication towards working towards sustainability from these Europeans I'd love to write a sister piece on Australian sustainable designers, if you know anyone working towards sustainability send me a heads up.