Taking a View: LDC on Sustainability + Values
By Alice McAnulty, COO at Lone Design Club
This pandemic has shone a light on many of my beloved industry's pain points. Since 2015, conscious fashion has been the root of my passion and drive, however I am still waiting to witness true progress and change. As a 'non-essential' industry, this does not mean that fashion cannot drive innovation and progression within the realms of sustainability and ethics. Rather, fashion and all its associated industries, can be a catalyst for change; having a positive impact on people and the planet.
The past couple of months have hosted Fashion Revolution Week, seen Fashion Week change forever, celebrated World Environment Day and more. Throughout a pandemic and all these changes, the LDC team have had the honour of speaking to and collaborating with some of the industry’s most forward thinking minds in our community, include Tamara Cincik (Fashion Roundtable), Gordon Renouf (Good On You), Ilishio Lovejoy (Fashion Revolution), Patrick Duffy (Global Fashion Exchange), Sophie Slater (Birdsong) and Tamsin Lejeune (Common Objective), highlighting the importance of conversation, but more importantly, action, when it comes to rooting out the wrong in our industry. If you missed the instagram lives, you can listen to their podcasts here.
All of this has led the team to discuss, as individuals and as a company, what sustainability really means to us, and what the values we are promoting are. Part of what we do at LDC is support and promote independent brands, however it is more than that. We curate and build - we want to help customers discover the next generation of independent designers; brands who put an emphasis on sustainability, ethical production, conscious design, traceability and transparency.
Through our series of panel discussions, inspirational talks and an incredible selection of brands who are making a difference in the industry; we are bringing the conversation surrounding these attributes, to the forefront of what we do. From up-cycling fabrics into window displays to live podcasts that put everything on the table, we want to make sustainability more than just a buzzword.
We have created symbols for sustainable and ethical values that brands adhere to and stand for, to help customers make conscious choices and know how the products are made. We want to ensure that our values are reflected in every aspect of what and who we work with; including what a product has been made with, how it has been made and also what the brand itself stands for.
We work with our brands because they are trying to make a positive difference, not because they are perfect. However, we appreciate that sustainability comes with limitations and that it can be an overwhelming experience for brands to do everything 100% perfect, particularly in a world where government legislation and corporate action has yet to progress and make lasting legislative change.
We love to celebrate our brands for the incredible efforts. From water waste reduction to charity support to fair trade mining, our brands are taking incredible steps to positively change the industry.
At LDC, we want to help customers discover the next generation of independent designers; brands who put an emphasis on sustainability, ethical production, conscious design, traceability and transparency.
Here's a bit more info about some of the brands that are doing amazing things in this sphere!
Bentivoglio Paris offers luxury, ethical and timeless fashion accessories inspired by nature that respond to environmental issues using eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable fabrics. Through its creations, they seek to encourage consumers to consume differently and give new meaning to fashion. In doing so they are helping to demonstrate that fashion can be sustainable and have a positive impact on the world we live in.
Birdsong is another one of our brands that creates ethical and sustainable clothing staples. Their goal is to create clothes that women feel good about what they are wearing. Birdsong also aims to inspire and implement change in the fashion industry. Their designs are incredibly unique and feature original ink drawings of calendula, honeysuckle, and caraway plants used in spells to bring luck, happiness and protection. The use of bold florals in fluid strokes encourages a quiet confidence in the wearer.
Another great brand that we work with is Asmuss. Asmuss focuses on using sustainable fabrics that have technical innovations built-in that work with your body, feel good and look great. The designs are simple & stylish with a twist, so they can be worn across seasons and locations, and feature unique design and functional details. All garments are designed & ethically made in the UK in small volumes.
We at LDC believe that the conversation starts with transparency and then traceability, then responsibility and consciousness, leading to sustainable and ethical practice from start to finish in the production and consumption journey. I truly believe that this difficult time has given us an opportunity to slow down and consider the areas where we need to make a change...
...and one of these is shining a beacon of light on supporting independent, responsible brands.
Watch this space for more Op Ed pieces from the LDC Team on matters such as Modern Slavery, Retail Innovation, Conscious Consumerism and the future of the BFC and Fashion Week.
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