LVRSustainable Earth Day Special: Fashion Heroes

Designers Remix

Designers Remix was founded in 2002 by Creative Director Charlotte Eskildsen and her husband and CEO, Niels Eskildsen. The Danish fashion brand offers a collection of sustainably produced women’s ready-to-wear. Charlotte Eskildsen’s creativity stems from an architectural approach and her inspiration is deeply founded in the Danish design heritage, promoting reusing fabrics in an unusual and trendy way.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

For us a sustainable commitment is more important than ever. At Designers Remix we are part of a fantastic, but very pollution and resource-intensive industry. Instead of just accepting this, we are committed to doing something about it – we want to “Make fashion Better.” 

The unique aspect of Designers Remix is that the brand was originally based upon an idea of making full use of already existing resources by redesigning, remixing, and upcycling deadstock fabrics and garments from different brands, even before sustainability was a buzzword in the fashion industry. Making beautiful clothes responsibly is, therefore, not new to us.  

In our commitment to make fashion better, we work sustainably on several levels.
Every time we design a product, we always strive towards making it with as little environmental impact as possible, especially by using smart fabrics – our magic fabric – as the vast environmental impact of the production of each piece of clothing comes from the fabric. 

In addition, we are aware that any garment, no matter how it’s produced or which fabric we choose, always leaves behind a CO2 footprint. Therefore, we calculate the CO2 impact of each garment we produce throughout its production process by using the Higg Material Sustainability Index, right up to the point where we ship it to our customers. Based on the data collected, we consolidate how much CO2 our entire production emits, and we offset the corresponding amount through our climate partner, Choose.today. Through Choose.today, we have chosen three land-based climate projects to support — in Peru, Kenya and Cambodia. These projects simultaneously deliver compelling climate biodiversity and community benefits. By offsetting the equivalent amount, each garment represents a tangible way of combating climate change.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

For Designers Remix, encouraging customers to adopt a sustainable lifestyle is an important aspect of our mission to make fashion better. Therefore, our aim as a fashion brand is to clearly communicate the need for—and benefits of—sustainability, to help customers make responsible choices and embrace a conscious approach to fashion.

To do so, our priority is to inspire clients to buy essential, long-lasting pieces for their wardrobes. 

In addition, we work on the idea of making full use of already existing resources through our upcycling concept, Re-made. Our Re-made items are remixed, redesigned and repaired from deadstock, secondhand or vintage garments. The purpose of this concept is to show people how to extend the lifetime of existing styles and materials to reduce waste. To spread this responsible mindset, we chose to focus on slow fashion in an upcycled one-of-a-kind Re-made collection during the SS22 Copenhagen Fashion Week. We always hope to inspire our consumers to engage in the “waste to wardrobe” mentality – and thereby adopt a more sustainable lifestyle approach. This is also why we have created our take-back scheme, where consumers can send us back their preloved garments.

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

At Designers Remix we believe that people have the right to know where their clothes are made. Therefore, for each item, we openly share who the garment maker was, and who produced the fabric or yarn. We also provide information on our website about how much CO2 we offset for each individual garment. By taking this transparent approach, we give clients helpful information to inspire them to become aware of consuming more responsibly.  

We believe that, by communicating our work towards sustainability and sharing detailed information about it—what we as a brand are currently doing, what we can do together, and what consumers can do to make fashion better—will inspire and motivate the audience to do the same.

SAMI MIRO VINTAGE

Founded in 2016 by the influencer and designer after whom it is named, Sami Miró Vintage is a female-owned label with a heavy focus on sustainability. The brand specializes in limited-run collections made using only upcycled and vintage fabrics, minimizing waste. 

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

Sami Miro Vintage’s sustainable practices and operations are driven by two primary pillars: people and the planet. With specifics to our efforts in reducing environmental impact through our production practices and operations, we are focused on the following:

• Footprint: From design concept through fulfillment, Sami Miro’s Vintage’s operations are completed within a 25-mile radius. Our office, production partners, most materials partners, warehouse, and fulfillment is local.
  
• Materials: 80% of our materials are made sustainably. Our two highest volume fabrics are Tencel (we call it SMV Eucalyptus Rib, because it’s made from Eucalyptus) and Hemp (mixed with Organic Cotton to become our French Terry). The majority of our other products are made out of vintage denim and deadstock materials.
• Limited and on-demand production: We design and produce smaller production runs as well as on-demand production, to ensure 100% sell-through. We incorporate 1 of 1 designs in our brand which are upcycled and re-designed from vintage fabrics.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

We communicate our brand ethos by focusing on small footprint, small production runs, supporting local and smaller scale businesses, and supporting brands that use more sustainable materials. We have also approached our “Elevated Staples” designs and part of our business, as elevated basics that someone can incorporate into their wardrobe vs. fast fashion trends. We also are partnering for the second time with the non-profit organization Future Earth because we stand with those that are educating others and advocating for ways to be more planet positive.

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

We currently communicate our brand ethos through our website, email and social platforms. This is an area we are working to expand throughout 2022. We are launching a transparency portion on our website that will communicate our 2022 sustainability efforts and goals, and we will share benchmarks of our improvement journey.

Arrels Barcelona

Designer Javier Llaudet created Arrels Barcelona—a brand that represents warmth, color, and the vibrance of the Mediterranean lifestyle—with the utmost respect for our planet and its oceans. At Arrels Barcelona, summer is much more than a season: it’s a state of mind. Each AB swimsuit features unique prints designed by renowned illustrators such as Jean Jullien, Malika Favre, and Catalina Estrada and embodies Llaudet’s passion for art, love for the oceans, and joie de vivre.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

Arrels Barcelona was founded by Javier Llaudet. A few years ago Javier traveled to the many special places that stock Arrels Barcelona products. He had the chance to talk to people from different walks of life, countries, and cultures, and it became very clear to him that the damage we have inflicted on our planet is a real and urgent concern. The first thing he did when he got back to Barcelona was have long conversations with his team and with Arrels Barcelona’s collaborating artists. The discussions were invigorating and made him feel hopeful and proud. Not only was everyone on board with his ideas, but they had many of their own to contribute. So, as of April 2020, all Arrels Barcelona printed swim shorts have been made in Portugal out of recycled PET (polyester made using recycled plastic bottles). Our solid-color swim shorts are made out of polyamide, while we test alternative materials that respect our colors as well as the environment. We have also introduced eco-friendly packaging. This means Arrels Barcelona only uses recycled or biodegradable materials, aiming to drastically reduce our carbon footprint. Finally, because we want to ensure we are proactively contributing to the movement to cleaning up the mess we have all made, we donate 1€ for every pair of swim shorts we sell to Surfrider Foundation Europe, an international foundation that works to protect our oceans, preserve our coasts, ensure our beaches are clean and accessible, and keep plastic from polluting our waterways.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

We communicate the importance of sustainability through our actions: our swim shorts are made from recycled plastic bottles, and for every pair we sell, we donate 1€ to clean the oceans. But we still have a lot of work to do. We are working on a project which will be available in 2024 to create QR codes that will let customers see the traceability of our products from the start to the end of the production chain. 

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

We use social media to share all the actions that our partner Surfrider is undertaking for the environment. Surfrider Foundation Europe is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to protect and showcase the importance of lakes, rivers, the ocean, waves, and coastlines. It currently has over 13,000 members and is active across 9 countries through its volunteer-run branches. For more than 30 years, Surfrider Foundation Europe has been taking action as a recognized authority in the following areas of expertise: marine litter, water quality and public health, coastal management and climate change. 

From the outset, Surfrider Europe has firmly believed in the power of education and using educational methods to assist economic, social and environmental change in a meaningful way. So, to take a full part in this responsible and socially sustainable transition, the association has developed innovative educational programs dedicated to sustainable development that have one goal: to enable everyone to take stock of the complexity of current environmental issues to become a full agent of change. In addition to its actions aiming to raise awareness among citizens and change their behavior, Surfrider Europe also advocates for a better adaptation of the legal framework in accordance with the protection and preservation of oceans. Its objectives are to strengthen environmental policies, but also to transition from an economic model to an ecological one, focused on humanity, nature and preserving our climate. Surfrider Europe is in continuous contact with local, national, European and international institutions. Throughout these dialogues, many different topics are addressed, such as water quality, preservation of the coastal areas, prevention of pollution and aquatic waste, and the consequences of climate change.

Alighieri

Alighieri is a responsible jewelry brand that supports social causes, created by Rosh Mahtani and founded in 2014, and inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Each piece refers to one of Dante’s 100 poems and, just like his characters, is imperfect and battered –  besides being made of recycled materials, each piece tells a story and, just like an heirloom, will travel with you on your own adventures.

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

At Alighieri, our sustainability strategy is underpinned by eight sustainability pillars—all our decision-making comes back to these key values. We manufacture all our jewelry in the UK, just a stone’s throw away from our studio in Hatton Garden, the historic jewelry quarter of London known for its superior craftsmanship and production. We are proud to say that we use certified 100% recycled metals for all our pieces in gold and silver base. It is estimated that recycled silver reduces CO2 emissions by ⅔ versus mined silver. Since Alighieri was founded by Rosh Mahtani in 2014, she has produced locally using recycled silver and gold to create Modern Heirlooms designed to last multiple lifetimes. However, we believe there is always room to do more as a brand, so our aim is to reduce our carbon emissions to net zero, and as members of the RJC we are working towards certification by August 2022.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers?

When it comes to fashion consumption, our founder Rosh says, “I don’t think it’s about saying ‘let’s not ever buy anything anymore,’ because that’s not realistic, but let’s take care of the things that we buy, let’s love the things that we buy, and make them last forever.” 

Rosh founded Alighieri because she could never find jewelry that felt like forever heirlooms, with a focus on quality and craftsmanship, and at an accessible price point. Alighieri is all about creating heirlooms that are not trend-driven, but deeply personal talismans designed to accompany you on all your adventures before passing them on to the next generation. 

Each Modern Heirloom has a story and is an invitation for our customers to unlock their own. At every touch point we communicate narratives that allow our customers to create a personal connection to each piece they purchase, so that they can be handed down to the next generation laden with significance that goes beyond superficial beauty. 

At Alighieri, we also encourage our customers to take care of their pieces. To help them do so, we offer a lifetime repair and guarantee service free of charge for every piece purchased. 

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

Communicating the impact we have is something we feel very strongly about, and we are currently working towards making this aspect more accessible for our customers and amplifying our message. This year, for example, we will publish our first ever Alighieri Impact Report: this will provide full transparency for our consumers and hopefully inspire them to look at their personal environmental footprints. 

Our customers are also incredibly engaged with our deep commitment to supporting charity partnerships which we communicate through our newsletters and social media. For instance, we’ve supported Refuge—the UK’s largest charity supporting women and their children experiencing domestic abuse. With the help of our incredible customers, we’ve raised almost £100,000. We’re constantly trying to use our brand to do good—creating jobs for recent graduates, craftsmen in Hatton Garden, and engaging with important social and environmental challenges. In the month of March, we donated 20% of our Lion Club Talismans sales to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. We find that Alighieri’s narrative—finding strength and courage in difficult times—is an invitation and inspiration to our customers. They learn from us, and we learn from them. 

Mini Rodini

Mini Rodini is a Swedish brand founded by fashion illustrator Cassandra Rhodin as a tribute to all children, their imagination and their sense of everything being possible. With a focus on sustainability and quality, Mini Rodini creates clothes that parents want to dress their kids in and that kids love to wear. 

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

Ever since I started Mini Rodini, it’s been our mission to make sure that all the materials and production processes we choose reduce our environmental impact to a minimum. 

We carry one of the most sustainable product ranges in the market consisting of 99,5 % sustainable materials yearly. We have strict chemical controls and we produce garments in non-conventional materials only, like GOTS-certified organic cotton, recycled polyester and Tencel. We are also a proud member of Fairwear! We believe fashion should be fair for everyone. We never plan for airfreight of bulk production to our warehouse. Denim washes are made in a more sustainable way, and the next challenge is to reduce the impact for all material processing. We are against mass consumption of mass-produced conventional clothing and we believe in consuming less, and choosing sustainable, timeless designs with lasting quality. We recycle prints and characters and we use recycled materials such as collected ocean waste. We launch multiple upcycling collections every year, where instead of throwing away or burning fabric leftovers, we reuse them to produce new clothes with a new purpose.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

We always try to educate our customers and followers in every way possible about the many issues that the industry is facing through our social media channels, newsletters, website, and stores. We inform them that our daily choices matter, what we buy matters and how we produce matters. Our industry is the second largest polluter in the world. We use more water than any other (apart from agriculture) and are responsible for the unjust working conditions of millions of people. As long as we produce a better product than what’s on the conventional market I feel that what we do is important. What we can do is to minimize our waste and take better care of it. I think we have come a long way in our sustainability work, and always aim to choose better options. We try to inspire our customers to do the same. 

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

We try to provide detailed information about the materials we use in our products and production processes in all our communications so our customers are informed that what they are buying reduces environmental impact and is a better alternative to most conventional products on the market today. Also, every year we release a sustainability report which we publish on our website.  

—Cassandra Rhodin, Founder & Creative director

Alessi

Founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, Italian BCorp company Alessi has developed a policy of design excellence which has made it one of the leading internationally renowned Italian Design Factories. Alessi has reconciled its industrial needs with its tendency to consider itself a “research laboratory in the field of the applied arts.”

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

Aware of the effect that any production and distribution activity has on the environment, Alessi has long been committed to measuring and continuously improving its environmental performance. For many years now, the company’s processes have been certified to verify the management of environmental impact in terms of raw materials, energy and water usage, biodiversity, emissions, and waste.

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

We communicate our belief in adopting sustainable habits through the creation of products that bring Art and Poetry into people’s everyday lives and paying the utmost attention to the choice of raw materials and the entire production cycle.

We are engaged in developing, producing and distributing products whose environmental impact is constantly reduced, during both the manufacturing stage and at the end of life. For example, through researching sustainable materials, Alessi selects those that do not involve high energy dispersion for the development of long-lasting products, an approach that coincides with our idea of good design practice and high quality standards. Furthermore, the percentage of recyclable components in our products has now reached 95%. Alessi’s packaging is 100% eco-friendly or recyclable, and limited in size to allow for minimal transport requirements.

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

Alessi has become a Benefit Company, a legal qualification which identifies brands whose statutes seek one or more purposes for the common good, in a responsible, sustainable, and transparent manner. With the its transformation into a Benefit Corporation, Alessi has gone through a development process that in 2017 earned it the B Corporation certification. Alessi was the first among Italy’s Design Factories to receive this important recognition, one that is reserved for companies that utilize business not just for profit, but as a regenerative force for society and the wellbeing of our planet.

Seed to Skin

In its state-of-the-art lab in Tuscany, the eco-friendly brand Seed to Skin has developed a line of entirely natural skincare fused with cutting-edge science to truly regenerate and transform your skin. Founder and naturalist Jeanette Thottrup and leading Italian scientist Anna Buonocore have united their knowledge to produce a range of innovative skincare that takes a 360° approach to beauty and wellness. 

This year, in honor of Earth Day, we would like to engage in conversation with LVRSustainable brands about their commitment to the planet and people. How is your brand actively involved in reducing its environmental impact? 

We’ve eliminated plastic as much as possible, and we’ve reduced packaging for our products and shipping to a minimum, favoring the use of recycled and recyclable materials. At Seed to Skin we create highly effective, nutrient-rich skincare using only the purest botanicals and raw ingredients found in nature. Throughout our product line we incorporate herbs, honey and sheep’s milk sourced directly from our certified organic farm in Borgo Santo Pietro, in the heart of Tuscany. What we don’t grow ourselves we source from a highly selective group of environmentally conscious micro-producers and wild foragers on land and at sea. Healthy soil and clean water are non-negotiables, as they guarantee the superlative quality of Seed to Skin’s products and represent the foundation of our brand’s integrity. 

How do you communicate the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle in regard to fashion consumption to customers? On its journey towards sustainability, how far along is your brand? 

We continuously seek out and develop more sustainable packaging solutions, whilst maintaining product and brand integrity. By growing, processing, formulating and packaging onsite, we minimize our environmental footprint. At our laboratory in Borgo Santo Pietro (near Siena), we combine pure, natural ingredients with advanced molecular science to harness the true power of nature. Here, through relentless research, expertise in the field, and trial-and-error experimentation, we have created our remarkably regenerative skincare collection. Each Seed to Skin formula has been methodically developed and tested to the highest standards. To ensure uncompromised quality control, not a single step of our production is outsourced to third parties. Instead, all of our products are individually handmade onsite and assigned their own batch numbers, guaranteeing the utmost transparency, traceability and integrity.

How do you communicate your sustainable efforts so that consumers are inspired by your actions and motivated to do the same? 

Education is key. We educate clients in-store and business partners on our ethical sourcing and production practices. From sourcing to formulation, production to packaging, we make no compromises when it comes to sustainability. Our skincare ingredients either come directly from our local organic farm or are ethically sourced abroad, and our entire line is cruelty-free. We don’t use any synthetic fillers or preservatives in our products, nor do they contain artificial colors or fragrances, parabens or GMOs. Outsourcing is not an option. To use nature and work alongside nature, you must first respect it.