The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve stopped to give thought as to how the clothing that hangs in my wardrobe was made and how it is affecting the planet.
It’s great to see in recent year’s high street retailers noticing the consumers cries for ethical clothing that doesn’t use up our worlds resources and exploit other human beings. We’ve seen the introduction of H&M’s “Conscious Collection” which is 100% ethically made, although it would be great if we could see this concept rolled across all of H&M’s departments.
There is an array of brands at the forefront of charitable and ethical models of working. These are brands that aren’t just in it for the profit—they care about the planet. They want to support ethical clothing and they want to support those in need.
These are just some of the philanthropic brands worth noting.
It’s great to see a major player of online retail trying out something different and offering their customers the chance to buy ethically made clothing that can make a difference to other people’s lives. The ASOS Africa range supports sustainable working in Kenya in partnership SOKO, a workshop which supports the development of solving Kenya’s economic problems.
Proceeds from the Asos Africa collection are used to support and boost the predominantly female work force enabling them to send their children to school.
Miki Moko are a newly launched eyewear brand that sell fashion forward frames with a catch, a good catch though! They have a unique business model where the consumer chooses the price they wish to pay for their frames. From this chosen amount, 50% is then donated straight to charity, the brand are very transparent with their donations and even show proof of the Paypal transaction. Miki Moko currently support the Nepal Youth Foundation which focusses on rescuing indentured girls and returning them to their families.
Sevenly is a brand that is based firmly on charitable values and ‘exists to bring funding and awareness to the world’s greatest causes’. Each week the brand focusses on a new worthy cause to donate proceeds to, with 7% or $7 going straight to that cause when the product is purchased. It sounds like it’s time to buy a new tee!
A brand that sells cute apparel and works hard to raise funds for savetheelephants.org is a brand you need to know about! Hello, you’re on Elephant Journal after all! Having raised over $135,000 so far the brand has made a considerable impact to saving the elephants. At the moment, delivery is exclusively to the US but the brand have plans to expand into international orders soon, yay!
You may have already heard of this amazing handbag brand but if not you should definitely check them out. They’re hugely successful and have currently supplied over 90 million meals to school children in Kenya, hence the brand name of “Feed.” Just one of their bags can provide up to a staggering 370 meals for Kenyan school children, isn’t that amazing?
There’s never been a better time to treat yourself to a new bag, not to mention all the designs are super stylish and come in a variety of styles with prices ranging from $25 for a simple tote and up to $250 for more intricate designs with beading and embellishment.
It’s about time we start recognising these amazing philanthropic brands using fashion for a good cause more widely. Fashion shouldn’t have to come at a cost to another human being’s or animals life. By buying into these brands you’re making a positive impact to someone else’s life, sure you might question what a $30 t shirt is doing to change the world but just imagine if 100 or 1000 people are all buying those $30 tees? It all adds up and hopefully more brands will begin to adopt this ethical outlook. Charitable fashion is the way forward.
Relephant:
10 Eco Fashion Companies You’ve Never Heard Of.
Author: Tilly-Jayne Kidman
Editor: Renée Picard
Image: Jason Hargrove at Flickr
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