Fashion Facts – Malin Viola Wennberg

No More Fur

Malin Viola Wennberg — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 08:27:38 +0000

Gucci faux fur A/W 17

This week Gucci joined the already large group of fashion brands who boycotts fur. During the 2017 Kering Talk at London Collage of Fashion last Wednesday CEO Marco Bizzarri introduced the company’s new fur-free policy. Bizzarri said: “Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals. With the help of HSUS and LAV, Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better.” This new policy will be implemented from the spring/summer 2018 collection. According to Business of Fashion Bizzarri says fur products are worth about €10 million annually and will be replaced with products made of faux-fur, wool and new fabric innovations. Creative director Alessandro Michele partook in the decision-making process and emphasized that fur is no longer modern.

With this action Gucci joins many other leading fashion brands and retailers in going fur-free including Armani, Calvin Klein, HUGO BOSS, Net-a-Porter, Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney. Stella McCartney even claims to be the fully vegetarian. “We are the world’s first and only vegetarian luxury brand. We do not think that any animal should give their life for the sake of fashion. We do not use and have never used leather, skins, feathers or fur in any of our products, collaborations or licensed products. This is a decision that we stand behind both ethically and environmentally.” Swedish fashion brand BACK, with creative director Ann-Sofie Back, is another example of a vegetarian fashion brand. No animal products are used in their collections and the office at Södermalm in Stockholm is completely meat free.

The reasons for going fur-free are not only linked to animal cruelty. The meat and leather industry is responsible for emitting 18% of manmade greenhouse gases in the world, which is even more than the share for all transportation. Moreover there’s the question about land and water usage in driving up cattle, as well as methane emission. In recent reports from United States Environmental Protection Agency., presented in documentary “Cowspiracy”, US methane emission from livestock is nearly equal to natural gas emission. To conclude, there are lots of reasons not to wear fur or leather. By banning fur the fashion houses and retailers are making the decision easier for consumers. A step in the right direction!

House of Dagmar Opens Online Vintage Store

Malin Viola Wennberg — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 19:54:03 +0000

Swedish Fashion brand House of Dagmar is about to open an online vintage store concept called “Dagmar Decades”. The initiative is another step in the brand’s efforts towards creating sustainable collections using environmentally friendly materials that feels relevant no matter the season. The store will offer carefully selected garments from the Dagmar sisters own closets, as well as samples and iconic pieces from old collections at a reduced price.

We get many emails and inquiries about the clothing from older collections. Fashion spins in rapid cycles these days, and we want to extend the life of each garment by making them accessible beyond the typical seasons.

– says Sophie Soop, E-commerce Manager at Dagmar.

The online store will open on the 22^nd of April, in conjunction with Earth Day to further highlight the importance of choosing sustainable alternatives.

We have a conscious consumer investing in a wardrobe that doesn’t go out of style. At the same time, we want to provide a shopping experience that is more appealing than the classic sample-sale, and it will be available globally.

– explains Dagmar sisters Karin Söderlind, Kristina Tjäder and Sofia Wallenstam.

When the care label reads 100% Cotton

Malin Viola Wennberg — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:14:53 +0000

I guess most people assume that 100% cotton equals a good product, maybe even a sustainable one. It is true in the sense that 100% of anything is easier to break down and thus recycle. However, what we might not be realizing is what impact cotton farming actually have on our environment. For example, It can take more than 20,000 liters of water to produce only 1kg of cotton. Furthermore can the chemicals and pesticides used in farming completely wipe out the existing eco-s stem and have severe health impacts on workers living on or close to the planting ground.

So what’s the alternative? What should we look for? For example there is an initiative called “Better Cotton”. Better Cotton is a not-for-profit organization stewarding the global standards and bringing together cotton’s complex supply chain, from the farmers to the retailers.

You can find Better Cotton in products from, amongst others, Levis, Marimekko and Tommy Hilfiger. On the Swedish market you can find Better Cotton at Stadium, Gina Tricot and Baby Björn to name a few.

Cotton is one of the world’s most important natural ﬁbres. It’s used by nearly everyone on Earth every day, and supports 250 million people’s livelihoods. It’s a renewable natural resource, but only if we manage it responsibly. In 2005, a group of visionary organisations came together to ﬁgure out what could be done to safeguard the future of cotton. “There has to be a better way”, they said. It turns out there is. It’s called Better Cotton.