These designers are making conscious choices to be traceable, recycled, and sustainable at New York Fashion Week 2023.
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Models are once again strutting down the catwalks of New York Fashion Week. Yet, this year is slightly different from seasons past. Designers aren’t only debuting their talent. They’re showing off their sustainable ethos too. That means reclaimed and repurposed fabrics are being used over virgin materials in an effort to reduce waste. Small batches made locally in America are being emphasized as ways to reduce CO2 emissions and ensure that collections are ethically made. And, the fashion industry as a whole is beginning to rethink its impact.
Here’s What To Know About New York’s Sustainable Fashion Act
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As New York Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2024 hits full swing, it’s worth giving a shout-out to the new faces. While these designers aren’t new to fashion (many have been honing their craft for years) they are making their fashion week debut. And, they are also debuting new ways of designing and thinking about fashion in an effort to be more sustainable. While these designers aren’t wholly focused on being a sustainable brand, they are making small steps to design and produce their collections in ways that are better for people and the environment. So, for now, we’ll say “congrats” to these designers for their sustainable and fashionable debut.
Rentrayage
This New York label is the brainchild of designer Erin Beatty. The brand focuses on creating cool designs from upcycled and recycled fabrics to reduce waste.
Environmental Impact: Reduce. Reuse. Rentrayage. In 2019, the label teamed up with a sustainability consultant to push forward sustainable initiatives such as using recycled or organic materials and 100% recycled boxes, reducing fabric waste during the design process, and vetting partner factories in person.
Collina Strada
More of a ‘platform for climate and social awareness’ than simply a design label, Collina Strada’s bubblegum-colored world of fashion, wellness, and accessories for your home are all carefully curated to help you shop sustainably.
Environmental Impact: Each collection is produced using an array of sustainable fabrics- deadstock materials, organic or recycled cotton, and vegan silk made from plant-based cellulose. The marketplace features items like solid laundry detergent, bamboo toothbrushes, soy candles, and clean skincare packaged in glass and recyclable paper containers.
Khiry Fine
The Brooklyn-based brand was founded by CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Grant 2021 recipient Jameel Mohammed in 2016. Since then, the jewels have been featured in Savage X Fenty campaigns and worn by the likes of Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Alicia Keys.
Environmental Impact: People and environmental responsibility are put first in Khiry’s latest collection. QR codes allow customers to trace the origins of the 18k gold pieces for a new take on transparent fashion. The Khiry Fine collection is made with gold that meets the rigorous standards set by the ‘Single Mine Origin’. That means no child labor, fair wages, and environmental impacts kept to a minimum. And customers can verify that their jewelry was made and sourced responsibly.
Junny
Junny is a Harlem-based brand that focuses on kaftans for men and women. The vibrant pieces made to be worn and loved for a lifetime are hallmarks of the Junny brand. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and handcrafted with love in NYC.
Environmental Impact: Working towards a more sustainable future means that the brand has recently created a collection of caftans made from repurposed and upcycled fabrics.
Marrisa Wilson
Cool girls womenswear gets the sustainable treatment with Marrisa Wilson’s namesake brand. The aesthetic is firmly rooted in bold textures and colors that celebrate a woman’s multi-faceted personality.
Environmental Impact: Since 2016 Marrisa Wilson has been working with deadstock fabrics as part of a collaboration with RE/ UP jeans and making her pieces in small batches in an effort to reduce waste.
A–Company
In 2018 Sara Lopez founded her luxury womenswear collection, A–Company. Founded on the idea of re-imagining classic garments, the brand takes classic shapes and silhouettes and tailors them for the modern woman.
Environmental Impact: Materials like tencel and cotton are carefully chosen for their environmental impact. Each piece is handmade in NY to reduce its carbon footprint from travel.
House of Aama
The mother-and-daughter brand has a whimsical take on timeless garments that also tell the beauty of Black history.
Environmental Impact: It wasn’t that long ago that the brand made design decisions to craft each piece to be more sustainable. The ‘Nude’ collection featured organic cotton pieces made-to-order. Keeping in line with this sustainable trend, the brand also hand-makes each piece in Los Angeles to reduce carbon emissions and enforce fair wage standards.