Our Favourite Sustainable Fashion Brands To Put On Your Shopping List Now (And Keep Forever)

Additional words: Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey

If World Earth Day hasn’t made it into your 2024 calendar, which this year falls on Monday (22nd April), you’re not alone. Whilst it has been celebrated since 1970, we're at a juncture where many (unfairly) decry it as a gimmick. The educational theme this year is Planet vs Plastics, calling for the widespread awareness on the health risks associated with plastic, the phasing out of all single-use plastics, an urgent push for a UN treaty on plastic pollution and, finally, a demand for an end to fast fashion.

That last entry is not designed to shame people who shop from fast fashion brands, often because they don't have an alternative. Instead, World Earth Day is as good a day as any to start a shift in mindset, away from treating clothes as something disposable and towards a much slower approach to shopping where you prioritise looking after what you already own. (Andrea Cheong's book Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear?, which carries the very pertinent strapline, 'Spend Less. Shop Smarter. Revolutionise Your Wardrobe,' is an excellent place to start if you want to read more about the subject in a way that feels accessible. Her Instagram Reels, where she deep-dives into brands, also making for addictive viewing.)

As well as a change in attitude, when you do shop, it's important to think about how kind your clothes are to the environment. If you need a white T-shirt, doesn't it make sense to buy one that's made by a brand who looks after its workers, uses sustainable materials and puts a premium on supply chain transparency?

Because the facts make for sober reading. The fashion and textiles industry is one of the world's most polluting. According to Climate Trade, it's the third biggest culprit, after fossil fuels and agriculture, which means that even the smallest changes, made by individuals, matter.

If you’re nodding along, but feeling a little at sea when it comes to hopping on the sustainable bandwagon, here’s a list of some brands who are already taking huge leaps and bounds in the slow fashion sphere. Because whether or not you choose to celebrate Earth Day, supporting fashion brands that operate from a sustainable start-point is an important step. For the good they do, these names are ones to have on your radar – on Earth Day, and every day.

Etnodim

Shining a light on Ukrainian design, even in the midst of war, means Etnodim’s message is gathering pace, while linen, used to make its vyshyvanka, is one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics you can wear. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey

Love Brand

A British B Corp certified brand on a big mission, this is one for the boys. Swimwear and stylish separates for sundowners are on offer, with a drive to raise awareness and funds for endangered elephants and habitats via its campaign ‘Trunks for Trunks’. GCH

The Jacksons

A brand that is all about jute, a plant-based fibre that requires little water and few pesticides or fertilisation to grow. Founder Louise Jackson makes regular visits to Bangladesh, working directly with the women weaving the bags, ensuring that all in the supply chain are valued. GCH

O Pioneers

With a loyalty to Liberty prints, as well as North London-based production, and a direct relationship with every person in its supply chain, this brand is focused on the best of British talent. Expect small runs, whimsical designs and hands-on customer service from its co-founders, Tania and Clara. GCH

Laidback London

There's no formal head of design at Laidback London, which might be surprising for a fashion brand. Instead, its founder, Mohamed Daya, works collaboratively with the local artisans, mainly based in Kenya, to create the styles that make it into the considered collections. GCH

Elliot Organics

Originally from a menswear design background, Alex Elliot has now evolved the organic cotton underwear collections of her eponymous brand into classic loungewear separates. A personal battle with cancer has only made Elliot more determined, and her aesthetic is to be applauded. GCH

Cape Cove

Known for its hero product, a changing coat, Cape Cove also delivers brilliant jumpers, knitwear and dresses. With the brand’s female founders all previously holding roles at big name retailers, the collections are carefully sourced and fairly priced. On track to becoming a B Corp, Cape Cove is built on community with a clear commitment to donating to charities (including Surfers Against Sewage). GCH

Ninety Percent

Ninety Percent does exactly what it says on the tin, donating 90% of its profits between its people and the causes that are close to its heart. Its materials are strictly sourced from reputable suppliers, and features a lot of TENCEL™, a fabric made from renewable wood pulp in a closed loop system.

Mashu

Founded by Ioanna Topouzoglou, Mashu uses 100% vegan materials that prioritise the conservation of natural resources, like bio leathers, meaning its sleek shoulder bags are organic, plant-based, recycled, circular and cruelty-free - without compromising on style.

OMNES

A B Corp as of earlier this month, OMNES proves that it's possible to create affordable clothes that are responsibly made, with its cult slip dresses retailing for under £100. The refreshing mantra at OMNES, which means 'all', is quite literally that we're all in this together.

Monika The Label

Monika The Label is made in North London, producing the majority of its collection in organic cotton or Regenesis Light Satin (a material made out of recycled plastic bottles).

Sheep Inc.

Sheep Inc. is the shepherd's dream - the clue's in the name - a carbon-negative, 100% transparent sweater brand. Each wool jumper comes with a digital tag, meaning you can track its manufacturing journey all the way from New Zealand, and it's also diversified into hoodies, cardigans and T-shirts, all of which will stand the test of time in your wardrobe.

Shaina Mote

This minimalist brand, based in LA, is all about timeless staples with 'made locally' credentials (its mantra says it all: 'Be gentle with the present, intentional with the future'). With a dedication to simple clothing - with a pared-back kind of beauty that transcends trends - it keeps its imprint as small as possible with regenerative materials.

Rave Review

Specialising in 'high-end remake', Stockholm-based Rave Review continues to prove that second-hand doesn't mean second-best, using materials like upcycled bed linen, for example, to make something old, something new.

ESSĒN The Label

Glove-fit ballet pumps and chunky ankle-strap sandals – both of which are very 2024 – are present and correct in the latest collection from ESSĒN, the shoe brand with an 'on-demand' production model to reduce overproduction and waste of resources.

Veja

The Duchess of Sussex is a fan of Veja - and you will be too once you hear the roll call of this brand's sustainable credentials. Founded in 2005, it takes a different approach to creating sneakers, 'mixing social projects, economic justice, and ecological materials'. Its organic cotton for canvas and laces comes from Brazil, where its high-standard factories are based as well as Portugal, and Peru. The Amazonian rubber used for the soles, meanwhile, means that it has purchased 2,600 tonnes (at 3.5 times the market rate) since 2022.

AllBirds

New Zealand-based AllBirds is a B Corp. It's also a sneaker brand that harnesses the sustainable power of merino wool, which was virtually non-existent in the footwear industry, to make lightweight and logo-less trainers that are as timeless as they are comfortable. With some ambitious commitments in place for 2025, which together should result in a 50% reduction in carbon emissions, AllBirds treads as lightly as possible on the planet in the pursuit of the perfect sneaker.

Mother of Pearl

Amy Powney's Mother of Pearl was the focus of the fascinating documentary Fashion Reimagined, which followed the creative director as she and her team endeavoured to create a collection that was fully traceable from farm to finished product. Exhilarating in parts and emotional in others, it's a winding journey that shows just how difficult it can be to unravel a supply chain.

Peony

This Aussie brand has prettily printed bikinis and swimsuits that have been made, inside and out, from recycled content since 2019 using two regenerated fibres, REPREVE® and ECONYL®.

E.L.V. Denim

Handcrafted in east London, E.L.V. Denim makes one pair of new jeans out of two pairs of old ones. Its USP? 'Transforming loss into luxury', diverting garments into people's wardrobes that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Bassike

Now a B Corp, what started as supporting local businesses and working with organic cotton has turned into a culture of continuous improvment across design, production and operations at Bassike. With ambitious commitments by 2025 - including 'reducing excess raw materials by 50% and replacing all non-organic and non-certified fabrics' - and by 2030, including converting the brand's head office and distribution centre to 100% solar power and moving to 100% lower-impact materials, Bassike is constantly learning and evolving.

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).