Sustainable Streetwear Brands - The 2022 Ultimate Guide
Discover the 2022 latest Sustainable Streetwear Brands and sustainable ethical streetwear brands that are leading the way in sustainable streetwear, ‘street-style’ ethical fashion and sustainable accessories that will ultimately make a better future for all.
“Sustainable Streetwear is trending in 2021!”
Yes that’s a bold statement to make, isn’t it! I know that you’re probably thinking she’s gone mad! Especially saying that sustainable streetwear is a hot topic right now in 2022 when in real life does anyone even know what sustainable streetwear is?
Before we begin , I think its best that we start with explaining the most common term used within this statement — Streetwear. Streetwear is a style of casual clothing that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. Mixing together the hip-hop fashion of New York, the surf-skate culture of California, and Japanese street fashion.
Well, know we know that. Let’s look at what the fuss is all about and why I even joined in by saying this powerful statement!
With the UN holding a special sustainable streetwear conference in 2018, due to the concern with the fashion industry’s sustainability especially within streetwear. The negative effects on the environment and the economic costs due to the fast-fashion landfill processes are posing a serious threat to the health of the future of our world. Sustainability has, therefore, had to become a key topic discussed throughout the fashion industry.
(Want to see the list? If you don’t have time to read please scroll down)
Looking back just a mere five years ago, the word sustainable when putting it next to fashion, might have evoked a picture of something made of rough-hewn hemp. Today, sustainable fashion has metamorphised into a wardrobe favored by Royals, A-Listers and the minimalist ‘brunch’ types who thrive off earth tones, plain white clothes and being green as matcha tea.
This is indeed a step in the right direction and ultimately highlights that famous consumers are indeed wanting real change. However, there are many people who are fashion conscious but who don’t want to be style ruled in a minimalistic ‘floaty’ type of way.
So, for all the fashion conscious trendsetters who get weak at the latest weekly drops from the likes of Supreme or who got overjoyed by Virgil Abloh’s new position at Louis Vuitton. The change and introduction of sustainable streetwear was inevitable and therefore had to happen.
That all being said, in order to understand why this all even matters we have to take a moment and look back at history at the two common denominators, sustainable fashion, and streetwear…
Streetwear
Streetwear has been around for over a decade, yes that’s a long time! It originated from Los Angeles, California surf culture between the 1970s and early 1980s. Early streetwear brands then developed this surf-culture style further by taking inspiration from the DIY aesthetic of punk, new wave, heavy metal, and the most prevalent hip hop culture.
Some might say that streetwear became commercially recognisable once famous sportswear and fashion brands such as Kangol and Adidas attached themselves to the early 1980s hip hop scene and streetwear style.
Since its conception, streetwear has become virally popular and has taken a course of its own. It now plays homage to influence from fast-growing Japanese street fashion and haute-couture elements from around the world.
Streetwear was normally a mix of casual wear like t-shirts, baseball caps, jeans, and sneakers. However, influential luxury streetwear brands have now even jumped on the bandwagon by adopting this popular style due to recognising that this was a way to connect with their younger audience.
Overtime streetwear has created ‘legends’ and trendsetting individuals who believe that streetwear is not just clothing but a culture. One of these ‘legends’ like Bobby from the Hundreds has openly spoken about this.
Fast forward to the present day where luxury brands like Hobie, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci have now even adopted these types of garments and style within their collections.
With streetwear already becoming a multibillion-dollar movement and with Gen Z’s currently, contributing around $830/£638 billion in retail purchases according to figures published by Fung Global Retail & Technology. Streetwear will continue to rise as it hasn’t yet reached its full potential due to more people preferring to dress less formal.
Unfortunately, the popular rise and demand for streetwear hasn’t been good for the environment. The amount of garments produced has resulted in large amounts of waste in oceans and on land. Due to the increasing rise of such demand in production. Streetwear is now a big part of the fashion industry’s sustainability problem.
73% of the world ‘s apparel ultimately ends up in landfills. Every second a garbage truck full of textiles is tossed away. More than $200 billion in unsold product remains on shop floors and warehouses around the globe.
The fashion industry is the world’s second-biggest pollutant after oil.
The fashion industry whose main demand is streetwear is the second largest industry polluting the earth as a whole. Due to all of these poor production processes and with consumers being more fashion conscious the demand now for “sustainable fashion” has therefore risen.
According to a report from Pulse of the Fashion Industry, an annual assessment of the environmental and social performance of the fashion industry created by BCG and the Global Fashion Agenda. More than 50 per cent of consumers say they plan to switch brands in the future if another brand is more environmentally and socially friendly than their preferred one.
To truly know and understand why sustainable streetwear is now a hot topic let’s look at what this ‘sustainable’ label is all about and why it has become a necessary fashion movement.
Sustainable Fashion - What’s it all about?
Sustainable clothing simply refers to clothing fabrics derived from eco-friendly resources. Sustainably grown fiber crops or recycled materials are typically used in sustainable clothing. The way these fabrics are made is what sets them apart from other clothing.
In the past, being an environmentally conscious shopper meant buying clothes usually from thrift stores or any shops that sell second-hand clothing. Another sustainable way to shop would be to donate used clothes to these shops of shops, for reuse or resale.
Fast forward to modern times and with the current trend towards sustainability and being ‘green’. Sustainable clothing has now expanded towards reducing the amount of clothing discarded to landfills. Whilst also decreasing the environmental impact of agro-chemicals in producing high demand fiber crops like cotton.
The “three pillars” of sustainability bounded by the environment (earth, life)
Under the accordance of sustainability, recycled clothing upholds the principle of the “Three R’s of the Environment”: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, as well as the “Three Legs of Sustainability”: Economics, Ecology, and Social Equity.
To combat, these effects 2019 has seen more sustainable streetwear brands rise and take the forefront in bringing change. Sustainable fashion is now turning into the new ‘norm’ and is trending due to media attention.
Sustainable Streetwear — Who's fresh?
Sustainable streetwear plays an important part in changing the approach to how sustainable fashion is seen, especially as the power now lies in the millennial and Gen Z shopper. Streetwear is not going anywhere, so making sustainable clothing more readily available plays an important part in protecting the environment and our planet’s future.
Thankfully there a range of independent sustainable streetwear brands across the globe. These brands are actively taking the lead on producing eco-friendly products and following sustainable production practices to cater to the ever-growing conscious customer.
To learn more about who’s in this fashion game of sustainable manufacturing processes and therefore are sourcing more ethically and better sustainable choices. Let’s take a look at a few brands making the change in the sustainable streetwear space.
Within the list of sustainable streetwear brands below. These stylish and on-trend sustainable streetwear brands use, or apply some or most of these better environmental practices.
- Sustainable manufacturing processes
- Small scale productions
- Recycled fabrics
- Up-cycling methods
- Lower environmental footprint
- Lower carbon footprint
- Use of fair trade suppliers
- Use of natural fabrics or natural fibers
- Use of recycled plastics
- Traceability
- Sustainable alternatives
Discover 13 on-trend sustainable streetwear brands that are leading the way…
HOMIE
HoMie — envisions an Australian society free of homelessness. Its primary mission is to build confidence and provide job skills for young people, and, in doing so, create unique pathways out of homelessness and hardship.
An ethical and sustainable Australian-made brand, with a flagship store in Fitzroy. They are the creators and pioneers of Australia’s first retail clothing store and fashion label to provide brand-new clothing and occupational training to young people experiencing homelessness.
They have announced that as of September 2018, all their garments are accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia.
More info: HoMie
NOAH NYC
Noah — An an American men ‘s apparel company created by Brendon Babenzien, headquartered in its flagship store at 195 Mulberry St. in Soho, New York City. Brendon’s free-thinking dream has long been at the core of a trend that blends the defiant energy of skate, surf and music traditions with an creative interpretation of modern menswear.
Noah was created to truly realise this dream through an uncompromising embrace of excellence, honesty, and originality. Babenzien makes no secret of the values that he want to represent throughout his brand. He has even recently released a product to support # BlackLivesMatter.
More info: NOAH NYC
VEJA
Veja — This brand epitomises contemporary streetwear style. Their recognisable V logo and super cool sneakers have graced the feet of many A-Listers to the pages of top editorial magazines.
VEJA offers a different vision which combines fair trade, ecology, and links together economy, social initiatives, and the environment. They use organic or recycled and fairly traded cotton for the canvas of the shoes and wild & fairly traded rubber for the soles.
What is unique about Veja is their use of natural materials like Acacia tanned leather; which is leather tanned using a natural process in the traditional way; and Amazonian rubber. Those attributes make their clothes distinctive, unique, and as environmentally friendly as possible.
More info: Veja-store
CATCHING A FISH IN NORWAY (CAFIN)
Catching A Fish In Norway — Established in 2014 there were a group of young people who are committed to transforming the apparel industry. The multinational apparel business is without a doubt unregulated, exploitative, socially destructive and urgently in search of transformative reform.
More info: CATCHING A FISH IN NORWAY
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney - We are agents of change. We challenge and push boundaries to make luxurious products in a way that is fit for the world we live in today and the future: beautiful and sustainable. No compromises.
Each decision we make is a symbol of our commitment to defining what the future of fashion looks like. From never using leather or fur and pioneering new alternative materials to utilising cutting edge technologies, pushing towards circularity, protecting ancient and endangered forests and measuring our impact with ground-breaking tools.
More info: Stella Mccartney
Basti Basti
Basti Basti — The team behind are two creative thinkers that have combined their vegan way of life, their preference for alternative lifestyles, dark designs and urban clothing into this unique German fashion label.
Next to fashion itself, a strictly vegan and fairly traded production without compromise — is paramount.
More info: BASTIBASTI
Save the duck
Save the Duck - A moral and savvy USA organization. Every one of their articles of clothing is 100% creature free and don’t permit the utilization of quills, cowhide, calfskin or hide. They cherish their splendid shaded puffer coats that are excessively warm, taking advantage of the larger than average outerwear patterns and are totally in this season.
More info: Save The Duck
Christopher Raeburn
Christopher Raeburn — Established in 2010, this eponymous East London-based brand offers sustainable and intelligent fashion design for a global audience, working with surplus fabrics and garments to create its distinctive, military-inspired designs.
Every decision with Christopher Raeburn’s business is underpinned by the 4 Rs: RÆMADE, RÆDUCED, RÆCYCLED and RÆBURN. Every RÆMADE piece is a limited edition, proudly cut and reconstructed in England.
More info: RÆBURN
Satta
Satta — Launched its first small collection of graphic tee’s with hand-drawn illustrations hand screen-printed onto their own signature organic cotton tees. Since then the collection has continued to evolve organically season by season.
Founder & designer, Joe Lauder’s past time profession as a landscaper & woodworker, wanted to apply functionally focused, centered on the notions of utility, simplicity & comfort within all of his garments.
With a minimal palette reminiscent of the outdoors, their online store represents their brand’s ethos and connection to a positive approach towards how they produce their clothing.
More info: Satta
Pangaia
Pangaia clothing are based from natural products such as seaweed and also treated with peppermint oil, or they are also made with organic cotton and filled with wildflowers. Others are colored with lab-made pigments and produced using processes called high-tech naturalism.
The clothing material from Pangaia is made from a responsibly sourced, recycled and organic cotton blend, while using environmentally friendly dyes and a recycled water system.
More info: Pangaia
Nudie Jeans
Nudi Jeans — The Swedish denim company founded in Gothenburg in 2001, has been recognized for its environmental and social sustainability work. With a range of denim made from 100 percent organic cotton and transparent processing. Nudie Jeans Co is at the forefront of the industry’s work towards a more sustainable life and existence.
More info: Nudie Jeans®
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“Let’s make a difference” Ashlea x
More Reads: #Inspired about ethical brands and their movements towards changing the future of fashion for the better? Check out the next article 10 Vegan Streetwear Brands-You need to know
