Collina Strada, GmbH, and Bethany Williams usher in a new era at Browns

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re likely fully aware that the clock is ticking when it comes to planet earth, and we don’t have much time left to sort things out before the effects of climate change are irreversible. It’s also well known that the fashion industry is contributing massively to the ecological issues we are facing: issues which, over the course of the last few years, it has finally started facing up to. 

This summer, Kering launched the ‘Fashion Pact G7’, which saw luxury brands including Prada, Chanel, and Burberry vow to take into account their impact on the planet when creating their collections, and pay close attention to the ways in which they can improve their effect on climate, the ocean, and biodiversity in the coming years. Now, conceptual fashion destination Browns also steps up to do its part, with a new initiative which aims to shed light on the designers who see sustainability as an integral part of their brand. 

Alongside four exclusive capsule collections, created by Duran Lantink, Nanushka, By Walid, and Priya Ahluwalia of Ahluwalia Studio, the project also includes documentary series Be Conscious, which follows the designers’ creative processes. The first episode focuses on 2019 Dazed 100er Lantink, who fuses Miu Miu platforms with Nike Air Maxes, and floor-sweeping Calvin Klein skirts with Balenciaga bombers. In the short film, the Amsterdam-based LVMH Prize nominee discusses the beauty of repurposing old materials and how his brand adheres to a zero-waste policy. 

Elsewhere, Browns has also launched the ‘Conscious’ tag, allowing customers easier access to the designers who create their products ethically and are placing emphasis on change. With the likes of Marine Serre, Ganni, and Stella McCartney among them, there are also a number of emerging labels included within the edit. 

Here, we take a look at four of the labels incorporating ethical practices into their work. 

COLLINA STRADA

Launched just over ten years ago by founder Hillary Taymour, New York-based brand Collina Strada has never shied away from making a statement when it comes to the environment. At Taymour’s last show, during the SS20 season, the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist presented a collection made from almost entirely repurposed materials. The show also took place in the middle of a pop-up farmers market, which attendees of the show were able to shop from with the reusable bags provided. 

Afterwards, she explained: “Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. In this climate crisis, I am struggling to figure out how to build better business practices and design with consciousness. As the Amazon continues to burn, let’s today reflect on how we produce and consume our food. Unconventional fruit tastes even sweeter.”

The second episode of the Be Conscious series will follow Taymour’s design process, with the film set to be released in early 2020.

GMBH

Born out of Berlin’s nightlife scene, former Dazed 100 collective and brand GmbH was launched in 2016 by menswear designer Serhat Isik and photographer Benjamin Alexander Huseby. In only three years, the label has gone on to become a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize and show on-schedule at Paris Fashion Week. From the start of the label to now, GmbH has always had a strong focus on sustainability, sourcing materials from deadstock found in high-end Italian factories. These materials are then reused to create designs which embody Berlin’s club scene. 

Two years ago, Huseby told Dazed, “Ethical fashion is almost considered a bit uncool, or unsexy – you know? But for us it’s important.” The label’s successes in recent years and its techno-inspired aesthetic prove things are definitely changing. 

ROMBAUT

After leaving his hometown of Ghent, Belgium to study fashion design, designer Mats Rombaut worked in the men’s accessories department at Lanvin, where he honed his talent for shoe design. Five years later, Rombaut launched his eponymous label, which consists of one hundred per cent vegan shoes.

The shoes are produced in Portugal and take inspiration from natural and scientific processes. Using an eco-conscious procedure, Rombaut now incorporates natural fibres, such as potato starch, into the creation of his products. His famous lettuce sandals made rounds on social media and through his popular cowboy boots, he has found fans in everyone from Bella Hadid and Lil Nas X to Tommy Cash.

BETHANY WILLIAMS

Raised in Isle of Man, London College of Fashion graduate Bethany Williams has been making waves in the industry since she graduated in 2016. Her MA collection Breadline was made entirely out of waste materials, as created in partnership with supermarket Tesco, which donated recycled cardboards which she then reworked into garments. 

Since then, the NEWGEN designer has used her collections to make social-commentary on topics such as domestic abuse, homelessness, and sustainability. She is also part of Fashion Revolution’s Open Studio which aims to provoke conversations surrounding ethical fashion, whilst also hosting a number of designers who celebrate the cause.

Shop the Conscious edit of menswear and womenswear.