STRIVING FOR SLOW FASHION

By Amy Devon

With the fashion industry contributing 10% of global carbon emissions, slow fashion has never been more important, but what is it and how can you use it to help the environment? 

In 2021, it is hard to go 24 hours without seeing, reading or hearing something that does not include the topic of sustainability. With everyone trying to do better, sustainable practices are starting to become a part of daily life. Businesses are also starting to change their ways to become more sustainable and not contribute towards the looming climate crisis that we are, rightly so, reminded of so often. For us, it is interesting to see how the fashion industry is aligning itself with this crisis, contributing 10% of global carbon emissions and remains the second largest industrial polluter, only second to oil- there is obvious work to be done and conversations to be had about how the industry can do better.

The slow fashion movement has a massive part to play in how the fashion industry can reduce the quite frankly, terrifying numbers that contribute to global warming and environmental pollution. Slow fashion not only helps to reduce the vast amount of product that is pumped out but also allows for consumers to understand more about what they are buying. Providing consumers online resources, facts, figures and traceable stories to learn how their clothing decisions 

can have a large impact on the environment. Here are some facts, sourced from Forbes that illustrate fashions impact on the environment…  

• Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fibre, which is now the most commonly used fibre in our clothing. But it takes more than 200 years to decompose.
• More than 150 billion garments are produced annually, enough to provide 20 new garments to every person on the planet, every year.
• Fast fashion garments, which we wear less than 5 times and keep for 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item per year than garments worn 50 times and kept for a full year.
• The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet.

So what do you do now? It seems that education is key in understanding how we can change our shopping habits; understanding the impact and weight of a fast fashion purchase and throw away culture will help to make better decisions. Educating ourselves on traceability and the brands that we buy into is also a major way to feel more connected to your purchase, investing in designers stories will naturally result in keeping our purchases longer and wearing them more. 

At LDC our aim is to encourage transparent and meaningful purchases; We give you the opportunity to meet the designers in store and online and get to know the products and brand inside and out. We use our value symbols and club credentials proudly, to let you know what each brand is doing to be better and why they align with LDC’s core principles. You can join us for Shop the Club every Thursday for a face to face chat with designers, where they explain their sustainability story, talk through each of their products and give us a true insight into their brand. You can also read our sustainable material guidebook, that will give you an insight into all the different materials that are being used to strive towards a more sustainable fashion future. 

LDC wouldn't be able to support slow fashion if it was not for the brands we work with; brands who incorporate season-less collections, local manufacturing, recycled materials and ethical production. Here are some to name just a few, that contribute to slow and sustainable fashion...

Founded by Monika, Monika the Label was born after the designer left her job working in fast fashion, she created a brand to be the antithesis of everything she had previously experienced. Season-less garments use regenesis satin made from recycled plastic bottles and are produced locally in London to reduce her carbon footprint. She has successfully created a brand that adheres to ethical and sustainable production and creates garments that will last in your wardrobe forever. 

Another LDC favourite is Ketevanna, a mother daughter duo that factor in sustainability into every element of their brand and aim to create a circular business by 2025. Their products are all mindfully crafted using biodegradable, recycled or dead-stock material, designed with longevity in mind and with versatile fit to ensure they get more than 50 wears.

Colourful brand No Wallflower Project produce made to order items, all locally sourced and crafted in England. With a commitment to reducing waste and reducing the environmental impact of the company, founder and designer Henrietta has a zero waste policy, using any left over materials to create accessories. No Wallflower Project's core ethos is cemented in longevity, creating quality, timeless pieces that can be worn and cherished forever. 

Content Not Found is another LDC brand striving for a circular future; founder and designer Greta used her distain for the frivolous and unfair aspects of the fashion industry to create a brand that would change the narrative. Content Not Found use fair trade, responsibly sourced leather to create high quality bags that will last a lifetime. The leather is vegetable dyed, without the use of chemicals so it will biodegrade without harming the planet if disposed of.  

We encourage you not to just purchase, build a connection with the item and be mindful of why the purchase is positive, every brand on LDC has a story to tell and each product carries this story. You never know, maybe one day it'll mean so much that you'll pass it down through generations.