3 questions to ask all sustainable brands

Sustainability is a hot term right now, both in the fashion industry and everywhere else. But just like with other hot-button issues (like ‘organic’ or ‘fairtrade’ before it), there’s currently no real way to know if a fashion brand is truly sustainable. This means it’s up to you, the customer, to ask the hard questions before you commit to buying from a brand. To ensure your values align with the fashion labels you support, here are 3 questions to ask about the piece of clothing you’re purchasing.

What is it made from?

The first question involves understanding what materials a brand uses to produce its products. For fashion brands, this can often involve recyclable or renewable textiles like linen, Tencel/lyocell, or silk as their production does not harm the environment and they can be returned to the earth in non-harmful ways after use. Alternatively upcycled, vintage, or waste fabric (known as deadstock) signals a brand committed to diverting waste away from landfill and promoting a circular economy.

At Alyssa Lloyd, we prioritise the use of biodegradable fabrics (we love linen), as it means we can compost all our fabric scraps (the ones that don’t get used in other ways that is!) and that our clothes will eventually break down too (after you’ve worn them for years and years of course!). We use vintage or recycled fasteners like buttons or zips, as these items are often made out of plastic. We even go as far as to re-design many of our garments so they don't need these fasteners at all!

Where was it made?

The country where a brand chooses to base their productions can also help us to understand more about their priorities. While manufacturing overseas often gets a bad rap, it is not necessarily as synonymous with poor quality and underpaid labour as it once was. Countries like China, Vietnam or Bangladesh have long histories of garment manufacturing and skilled workers rely on international brands for job opportunities. But as the tragedy of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 shows, ethical manufacturing in these countries is still a work in progress, and it can be difficult for customers to know if the brand they want to support is working with a reputable garment factory.

For these reasons as well as many others, Alyssa Lloyd is committed to manufacturing in New Zealand. Not only can we stay close to our garment creation this way, but we can also support the important skills of sewing, drafting, and cutting that have almost disappeared from the New Zealand labour force.

Who made it?

Today, an estimated 25 million people are in forced labour (ILO and Walk Free 2016). Forced labour occurs when people are compelled to work, controlled by the use and threat of violence and by more subtle means, such as debt bondage. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to tell just how pervasive modern slavery is within the fashion industry, and how much the pandemic has effected this, but a 2016 study of Uk businesses revealed 77% believe there’s a likelihood of modern slavery at some stage in their supply chain (Ethical Trading Initiative 2016).

Keeping our manufacturing in New Zealand is the strongest way to ensure workers have access to protection from our strong labour laws and are never exploited. Additionally, supporting organisations like Fashion Revolution (and their annual #whomadeyourclothes campaign) who are activists in this area is the best way to bring these practices into the light and stop them.

While there are many facets to sustainability in the fashion industry, asking these simple questions is one way to assess whether a brand’s values and priorities match your own, next time you’re shopping.