Almost every organization has started focusing on sustainable ways to design and create their products. In recent years, the fashion industry has been acknowledging the downside of fast fashion which has led brands and startups to introduce this sustainable concept. In this blog, we have compiled a list of the best sustainable fashion startups for your wardrobe to help you go green.
Best Sustainable Fashion Startups
The fashion industry is known for its substantial carbon footprint which also includes water wastage, landfills, and water pollution. However, times are changing, and many brands are stepping up to block harmful practices of fast fashion. Let’s explore how the sustainable fashion startups listed in this article are producing high-quality eco-friendly products without affecting the environment in any manner.
1. Dropel
Dropel Fabrics is a New York-based ethical fashion startup that aims to protect the ocean from microplastic waste by producing a wide range of high-performance cotton-based fabrics that are ocean-friendly. Moreover, they have combined fashion and technology to design life-proof garments that are breathable, stain-proof, spill-proof, durable, and eliminate microfiber shedding.
Key Features:
- Their fabric is naturally water and stain-resistant.
- The clothes have improved airflow to keep you fresh with zero compromise.
- They are constantly working towards the prevention of millions of microplastic fibers that pollute the oceans.
2. Kintra Fibers
Kintra Fibers is another amazing Brooklyn-based sustainable clothing startup that makes high-performing and 100% bio-based polymers for textile use, which help keep microfiber out of the oceans. The polyester produced by Kintra is created by harnessing the power of nature, chemistry, and cutting-edge materials science. It has been observed that Kintra’s raw material production processes reduced 95% of emissions as compared to those of PET.
Key Features:
- Kintra Fiber products are 10X softer than PET.
- This sustainable fashion startup has around 10-15% stretch recovery.
- The products are biodegradable in aerobic environments.
3. Vividye
Vividye is a Swedish startup that aims to bring print sustainability to the textile industry by offering a responsible alternative to fast fashion. The brand has been able to blend chemistry and mechanics to develop a pre-treatment to respond to their removal solution chemically. Its printing and print removal processes increase resource efficiency in terms of water expenditure without harming both humans and the environment in any manner. This is why the brand is considered one of the best ethical sustainable fashion startups.
Key Features:
- They produce solutions for both print and removal in-house.
- Their technology can be integrated into customers’ existing printing machines.
- Vividye collaborates on the new sustainability initiative with multiple brands.
Also See: 14 Sustainable Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper Alternatives
4. FINESSE
FINESSE is a brand that has the power to change the game of the fashion industry in terms of sustainability, trends, or technology. The brand believes in strictly avoiding overproduction and wasteful sampling practices by leveraging artificial intelligence. It uses AI algorithms coupled with its customers’ weekly votes to calculate the production amount of its products.
Key Features:
- The sustainability startup is here to break beauty standards and gender norms.
- It has a variety of stylish clothes that stand out from other ethical clothing brands.
- They work keeping the feedback of their customers in mind.
5. Hurr Collective
Hurr Collective is a London-based sustainable clothing startup whose CEOs Vicotira Pew and Matthew Geleta took a stand against fast fashion in 2017 as they observed that the idea of newness is destroying the environment. That’s when they launched Hurr Collective which is a secure, peer-to-peer fashion rental marketplace where women can rent and lend luxury dresses from other women’s wardrobes which ultimately reduces the fast fashion waste.
Key Features:
- Hurr is giving lenders the chance to monetize their pieces.
- The idea of renting is empowering women to extend the lifespan of their wardrobes.
- It also saves renters from spending a high amount on retail.
Also Read: 10 Sustainable Fashion Business Ideas
6. DyeCoo
DyeCoo is the only company located in Weesp, Netherlands that has been successful at scaling up to CO2-based textiles through the help of technology. Their technology utilizes reclaimed CO2 as the technology uses reclaimed CO2 as a dyeing medium in a closed-loop process.
The process starts with pressurizing CO2 to make it supercritical SC-CO2, which has a very high solvent power to dissolve dyes easily which are later transported into fibers, creating vibrant colors.
Key Features:
- There is no water wastage as DyeCoo does not use any process chemicals or water in their processes.
- Its great results on an industrial scale are attracting commercial endorsements from both textile mills and end users.
- Their technology offers unlimited beautiful and vibrant colors.
7. Owen Stitch
Owen Stitch is an ethical fashion startup located in Prague and builds an essential zero-compromise collection made with the purest natural materials that last longer. The brand identifies the downside of fast fashion and urges people to avoid the pattern of buying more, and using less as it is contributing to the harmful process of filling landfills and fuelling incinerators.
Key Features:
- They produce zero-compromise clothes and accessories.
- They ensure direct-trade practices and safe working conditions.
- Their vision is to see a world without fast consumption.
8. Rifò
Rifò is a brand from Italy that produces high-quality garments and accessories, using recycled and recyclable textile fibers. It is one of the recommended sustainable clothing startups that select their materials by choosing natural, biodegradable materials composed of at least 50% recycled fibers.
Key Features:
- Rifò produces garments and accessories for women, men, and kids.
- They only work with producers who follow supply chain sustainability.
- Their production process uses more CO2 and less water and energy.
- They don’t do over-production to avoid wastage of natural materials.
Also See: 24 Sustainable Bathroom Upgrade Ideas
9. Organic Basics
Organic Basics is a sustainability startup located in Denmark that believes everything we produce whether it’s good or bad contributes to the system. We should take responsibility for our environmental actions and not dispose tons of fashion waste to our lands and oceans. That is why the brand has opted to use recycled, recyclable, plant-based, and organic materials for creating their garments.
Key Features:
- They offer innerwear, casual wear, and accessories for both men and women.
- Their products have a playful style and long-life durability.
- They are determined toward their aim and collaborate only with people who share the same idea of sustainability.
Also, check out the 55 Best Sustainable Clothing Brands.
10. No Nasties
Located in India, No Nasties is one of the best sustainable fashion startups that is better for the planet. It focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of fashion waste by using 100% organic cotton and local supply chains. Moreover, the brand measures the remaining carbon footprint of each piece of clothing. It compensates for this by investing in eco-friendly projects such as solar power, wind energy, and reforestation.
Key Features:
- They plant 3 trees for every product you buy from them.
- They sell their products in plastic-free packaging.
- The brand follows vegan principles.
Also Read: 40 Sustainable Packaging Manufacturers
11. B Label
B Label is another ethical fashion startup from India that aspires towards an all-natural culture. The brand uses hemp to create strong fibers so that it can deliver long-lasting products and create a source-to-consumer ecosystem that is good for both humans and the environment. Additionally, they dye their fabrics with reactive dyes that do not consist of nitrogen-based compounds as these compounds fuel the growth of algae in water bodies which causes harm to aquatic ecosystems.
Key Features:
- They partner with suppliers that ethically source and manufacture buttons.
- They have 100% plastic-free packaging.
- They prioritize the welfare of their workers.
12. Ruby Moon
Jo-Anne Godden, the founder of Ruby Moon, understands the impact of fast fashion waste on our planet and is constantly working to create sustainable alternatives. This sustainable clothing startup focuses on cleaning up the oceans and empowering businesswomen and entrepreneurs around the world by transforming ocean waste into amazing Gym and Swim clothing. Moreover, it donates 100% of its profits into micro-loans for businesswomen worldwide, which is beyond amazing and remarkable.
Key Features:
- Ruby Moon has helped over 1200 women entrepreneurs.
- This ethical fashion startup collaborates with NGOs to clean and protect ocean water.
- Their long-lasting gym wear eliminates the idea of buying more and wearing less, ultimately reducing fashion waste.
The above-mentioned sustainable fashion startups chose to go green as they acknowledged how fashion is making a huge impact on the environment. It has the power to transform people’s mindsets which can also help in reducing non-biodegradable waste from the planet. However, it is our responsibility to prioritize sustainable fashion instead of seeing it just as a fashion trend.
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