Sustainable Fashion in New Zealand

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With such a proliferation of fashion brands, certifications and claims out there it can be hard to know where to start shopping as a conscious consumer. Before I dive in with some recommendations, a few disclaimers. The first step should always be to use what you already have. We are not going to shop our way out of the climate crisis. Second, can you thrift, repurpose or swap with a friend? Reducing demand for new products while keeping good quality items circulating helps to reduce packaging, keep items out of the landfill and encourages buying high quality, long-lasting goods. But, if you are going to buy, with a little bit of research you can find some incredible local brands that have a sustainable ethos.

Clothing: Ruby

I don’t remember when I fell in love with Ruby as a brand, but I know it wasn’t because of their sustainability. I just love their style and the clothes they produce. However, they have made some big strides in terms of making their brand more sustainable. They recently partnered with some great New Zealand brands to create Mindful Fashion New Zealand, an organisation looking into supply chains, traceability and improving the sustainability of local brands. I really respect that they're taking the time to honestly look at their processes and make improvements.

Plus they make beautiful, practical clothes that are super wearable. As well as fun party dresses like this one I hired for a wedding.

Accessories: Velvet Heartbeat

A lot of big brands are now producing a single ethical line now — organic cotton denim, FSC certified yoga mats or a vegan bag. But this highlights that the rest of their range is clearly not made to these standards. Which is why I love Velvet Heartbeat. The ethical values are baked in. Everything is vegan, Suzy utilises dead stock and vintage materials and it’s made locally. I'm also excited to see all the new plant based fabrics made from things like pineapple and cactus waste products.

Shoes: Allbirds

Fashion can be a dirty business. I love Allbirds because they’re aware of this, they’re tracking their carbon footprint and then refining their system to reduce their impact. This is such a great method of making real change, rather than just buying carbon offsets. We need to redesign our systems and processes. They have also become a B Corp — recognising that companies need to balance profit and the planet. We need more businesses that are prioritising more than just making money at the expense of the environment.

Jewellery: Meadowlark

Meadowlark really caught my eye when with their Instagram story going to see a miner in Australia who produces some of their sapphires. Like most industrial processes, we don’t really think about where our precious metals and stones come from. Except for the week after we watched Blood Diamond. So seeing a man standing in the yellow dirt where beautiful blue jewels are pulled out of the earth really got me thinking.

What You Can Do

My biggest piece of advice is to go to a brand’s website and look to see if there’s some sort of sustainability section. Have a read of it. Does it sound like green-washing? Are there certifications and do these apply to the whole business or just certain product lines? Use your own judgement and if you’re not sure, feel free to send them a message and ask for more information. We won’t get it right with every purchase we make, but with each one, we can make a slightly better decision. 

Are there any New Zealand fashion brands I missed? Who else do you love wearing knowing that you're having a positive effect on the planet?