TTM Top 20 In 2020: Sustainable Fashion Brands In Europe
Share
What is a sustainable fashion brand?
It is a brand that develops products using ethical and environmentally responsible processes and materials. These brands also generally have integrated sustainability into their business model. They do this by using more eco-friendly methods like on-demand manufacturing, which reduces unnecessary waste and the overall carbon footprint of the business.
Sustainable Fashion in Europe
Europe is a global leader when it comes to ethical and sustainable fashion, and there are so many brands who are defining their business and style through their values. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for brands, both because of the environmental and economic benefits, and because more customers than ever are demanding it.
A McKinsey study has shown that engagement in sustainability has deepened during the COVID-19 crisis, with European consumers wanting fashion players to act responsibly and consider the social and environmental impacts of their businesses. This type of conscious consumerism is exactly what TO THE MARKET aims to facilitate - connecting brands and retailers with ethical and environmental suppliers, so that there are more opportunities for us to harness our purchasing power for good.
We are so excited to connect with new European clients and makers to continue our mission in a market that is already evolving fast!
The List: Top 20 in 2020
The brands we have chosen for our list are those who identify themselves as sustainable and who have shown innovation in their approach to promoting the triple bottom line - people, the planet, and profit.
This list includes large and small companies, from across many countries in Europe. The list features some brands that are new and some that have been leading sustainable fashion for decades.
We hope that you love reading about these brands as much as we love celebrating them! The more that each of us encourages sustainability in the brands we love, the better off we will all be in the future!
The TTM Top 20 in 2020 - Sustainable Fashion Brands, Europe are as follows:
Stella's name and brand are synonymous with the sustainable fashion revolution. Stella’s collections use eco-friendly materials including recycled polyester, organic cotton, vegan leather and regenerated cashmere. Stella McCartney stands as an inspiration for how luxury brands can be more ethical and sustainable.
Marine Serre is an acclaimed French brand focused on innovation and sustainability. The brand experiments with new fabrics and the use of old fabrics - with a minimum of 50% of recent collections consisting of upcycled material, such as old lace tablecloths and vintage silk scarves.
Originally from Denmark, OrganicBasics puts sustainable thinking at the center of everything they do. From underwear to activewear to essentials, OrganicBasics makes everything ethically in Europe, with Portugal serving as one of its main countries of production. The organic cotton, TENCEL™, and recycled materials used in the brand's products ensure that sustainability is the only way to act.
This Swedish-owned brand has one mission at its core: mindful consumption. Filipa K encourages consumers to invest in fewer pieces of higher quality that will be worn and loved for many years. Filipa K follows the four Rs - Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle - to help lower the impact of fashion on our planet.
TALA was founded in 2019 by young British entrepreneur Grace Beverley with a slow fashion approach to 'sustainable style that doesn’t break the bank or our planet.' Its high-performance pieces and flattering fits have conquered a strong position in the sustainable fashion industry and all products are made ethically and sustainably, including in Portuguese factories.
Founded in 2001, Swedish denim company Nudie Jeans Co has been recognized for their work in sustainability, both environmental and social. With a denim selection made of 100% organic cotton and transparent production processes, Nudie Jeans Co is an industry leader in sustainable fashion.
This German brand has been in sustainable fashion for 13 years. With a focus on eco and fair products, it is Armedangels’ mission to combine fair working conditions and sustainable, high quality materials with beautiful design. Instead of chasing the latest trends, they focus on modern, contemporary collections. They're all about fair fashion instead of fast fashion.
The Spanish Ecoalf team is convinced that our planet is facing a critical time, and that there is a need to take action NOW! Sustainability, quality, and timeless design are essential for Ecoalf to ensure durability and style.
Know The Origin is an online retailer that aims to be a home for the richest choice of certified sustainable brands - including its own brand, Know The Origin, which consists of sustainable apparel and lifestyle products. They have built a robust set of sustainability standards which we award to each of their brands. Their goal is to raise a new standard of sustainability and make ethical products the norm for everyone.
Parisienne et Alors, led by designer Laury Thilleman, defends a more sustainable and ethical vision of the world. Thilleman was keen for collections to be both eco-friendly and trendy. Parisienne et Alors products are designed and manufactured from natural fibres, and the collections are made almost entirely in France with different styles manufactured in limited edition.
French shoe brand VEJA produces sneakers using ethical and sustainable materials. Their social responsibility and environmental friendly approach has granted them a leading position in the sustainable footwear industry. They use fair trade methods and organic materials sourced from farms and ecological agriculture. VEJA also avoids chemicals and polluting processes in their production.Dear Frances was founded with the clear objective of offering luxury, designer classics to modern women. The brand focuses on bringing the highest level of design and craftsmanship while slowing the fashion cycle and leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Dear Frances works closely with a team of artisan shoemakers, utilising sustainable materials and processes to develop a new kind of luxury that helps to increase the integrity of our fashion choices.
L’Envers strives to design fewer pieces, made in a better way. They believe that quality is an investment in the future and that clothing ought to be made with the vision of mindful, careful, and slow consumption. To reduce waste and pollution. L'Envers aims to create seasonless pieces. Since 2015, all of their pieces have been knitted in local, small family workshops in Spain.
Hund Hund is a Berlin creative studio dedicated to crafting clothes with an environmental and social focus. The two designers make their clothes together with small European ateliers who treat their workers fairly, and they source textiles through innovative fabric methods in order to reduce their environmental impact.
The Spanish brand SKFK works to be an active part of the change they want to see in the world by enabling conscious and responsible consumption. Their fashion is slow; made with attention and care. To rescue waste, they only design two collections a year with exclusive garments and prints using sustainable materials such as TENCEL™.
Bird Song is a UK based brand that is ‘more than a fashion brand, it is a fashion statement.’ Bird Song works with skilled female makers in the UK who face barriers to employment and pays them a fair wage. The company creates clothing for women who "dress in protest" against the fast nature of the fashion industry, the obsessive pursuit of trends, and the systemic abuse of women in the production line.
'Love fashion, think organic, be responsible' – these are the maxims of LANIUS. Based on these principles, the vision of German founder Claudia Lanius is to combine eco-friendly materials with fair working conditions, feminine silhouettes, and the perfect fit.
Portuguese ethical and sustainable apparel brand Isto is transparently made in Portugal with a focus on slow fashion. Isto has a growing collection of organic and natural materials that are made to look amazing, fit perfectly, and last longer, for both men and women.
Since their launch in 2008, Beaumont Organic has been working to pave the way for a more sustainable fashion future. They only work with factories in the EU that pay fair wages and provide good working conditions for their staff. As their name suggests, they use organic and natural materials, featuring GOTS certified organic cotton, linen, and lyocell.Noumenon was founded on the idea of combining ethics with aesthetics. Inspired by the Noumenal world of the philosopher Kant, the founder’s vision was to create cruelty-free fashion that is ethically produced and sophisticated. The brand's timeless garments are composed for the conscious woman who wants to feel beautiful and comfortable, from the inside and out.