Ethical clothing – Leading women in sustainable fashion

Sustainable fashion and ethical clothing are irrefutably invading the fashion industry all steam ahead and a lot of people are here for it! Why? Truth is, we have become more conscious of the effect of our actions on the safety of the environment. Sustainable fashion is redefining the concept of fashion as one of the most polluting industries in the world. Now we can indulge in our passion for fashion and put the planet first. But who is leading us into a sustainable future? Stella McCartney and Eva Kruse are leading women, in particular, who are dominating the sustainable frontier, bringing quality as well as eco-friendly clothes.

Stella McCartney:

Born in London, Stella McCartney has revolutionised sustainable fashion worldwide providing a platform upon which opens a conversation about fashion and its much-needed conversion to sustainability. As a lifelong vegetarian and animal activist, McCartney has continuously climbed the sustainable ladder never using leather, feathers, skin, or fur in any of her designs. In her fashion, she is proving to everyone that slow fashion can be beautiful, fashion forward and eco-friendly. From interning at Christian Lacroix and developing her skills at Edward Sexton, McCartney has gone on to showcasing her first collection in Paris in partnership with the Kering group; owning 51 stores in major cities including London, Manhattan, LA and Tokyo and pairing fashion with sportswear in her collaboration with adidas since 2005.

How ethical is Stella McCartney? If her position in the sustainable Apparel Coalition does not showcase her ethical stance, maybe it is her constant revision of the materials she uses in her fashion. In 2014, the Stella McCartney group changed from virgin cashmere to reengineered cashmere yarn. They were able to reduce their environmental impact by 11%. More of their sustainable changes can be found here.

Accordingly, during Covid-19 lockdown, McCartney pushed her environmental drive, spending the majority of it working on an A – Z Manifesto. She describes it as ‘a map of [her] DNA and a blueprint [their] future intentions’. These intentions include further minimizing their waste and use of raw materials and looking into vegan solutions to create more sustainable clothing while still maintaining a luxurious and desirable look.

A is for accountability according to Stella’s A – Z Manifesto and this leading woman is keeping herself and the rest of us accountable.

Eva Kruse:

The chief executive of Global Fashion Agenda, according to Business of Fashion, Eva Kruse is a recognised attribute to sustainable fashion. She is the face and voice behind the Copenhagen fashion scene as the director. Kruse also founded the Copenhagen Fashion summit, a large sustainable fashion event. Vogue describes this event to be ‘more critical than ever’ since covid-19 has exposed and forced the fashion industry to step back and rebuild its image more sustainably.

The Copenhagen fashion summit is steadily growing in importance being the gathering place for 1300 influential fashion directors and business owners. Eva Kruse created a foundation where like-minded individuals could congregate and discuss the future of sustainability and minimising the impact on people and the planet. Alongside the fashion week, she created the Danish Fashion Institute, taking sustainability across the ocean and putting Danish fashion on the map.

In her journey to sustainability, she recently announced that she will be rescinding her CEO position of Global Fashion Agenda to join Pangaia. She states that she aims to bring together her passion for material science and product design to create an impact.