This Earth Day, we sat down with some of our favorite LVRSustainable brands to discuss why the slow fashion movement is essential now more than ever and spotlight how they stay committed to protecting the planet and its people. Get to know Aya Muse, Miaou, Matteau, Nanushka, Veja and CDLP, the coveted conscious brands making waves in the fashion industry. Get inspired and join the movement toward a more sustainable future!
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
Our designs are manufactured in Georgia and China in small ethical factories. All our factories are BSCI certified and are single-use plastic free. We work with carefully chosen manufacturers, depending on the supplier’s expertise and supply of materials. We work closely with our manufacturers each season to learn more about how to be more sustainable and better ourselves.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
The slow fashion movement is more important now than ever because of the current ever-changing fashion industry that has the potential to have lasting impacts on the environment. With increasingly slow fashion practices, we can create a foundation for healthy, environmentally friendly alternatives to introduce to the fashion industry.
Tell us about your brand and what led you to take more of a sustainable approach to fashion.
Founded in 2016 by Alexia Elkaim, Miaou is a womenswear brand based in Los Angeles. We have always felt that as a contemporary brand in today’s world, it is our responsibility to make our collections as mindfully as possible. From the inception of the brand, we have done our best to incorporate responsible manufacturing practices where possible.
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
From the inception of the brand, we have used deadstock fabric instead of milling new fabrics. We also use digital printing techniques on our fabrics to avoid excessive water waste and toxic chemicals.
Additionally, all of our brand packaging is biodegradable or can be recycled.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
It seems that the world is finally catching on to the importance of responsibility in fashion as it relates to manufacturing, raw materials, and the full product lifecycle. If we all pitch in and commit to buying products that are responsibly made, even if just a little bit, we can make a huge difference.
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
It’s important to us that every part of our business asks, “How can we do this more sustainably and thoughtfully to lessen our impact?” from our packaging right through to our fabrics and manufacturing.
We endeavour to produce everything we can in Australia and we are committed to supporting the Australian textile industry, engaging with our community of stakeholders and sharing our learnings and progress for the benefit of all. Where we can’t manufacture onshore, we ensure we minimize our carbon footprint by sourcing fabric and manufacturing close to each other.
We seek partners that meet our Code of Conduct, share our vision and are committed to their social and environmental responsibilities.
Our materials sourcing focuses on regenerative, organic, renewable and recycled sources. We understand that every fibre has its pros and cons in terms of impact on the environment and that there is no fix-all solution. However, we ensure that we assess the environmental impact of all fabrics we use and the sustainability of that material’s production is paramount, in addition to consideration of the lifecycle of those materials.
We are currently working on finalizing our carbon emissions offset project with Climate Active, in partnership with the Australian Government, so that our business’ carbon emissions are 100% offset each year.
Since 2019 we have produced only two collections per year to slow things down and reduce our output.
Our path to sustainability is a journey of learning and discovery. We don’t claim to have all the answers or capabilities to tick every box, but we are doing everything in our power to reduce our impact on the planet.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
There is no denying our earth is crying out for help, we are seeing this in climate change and natural disasters globally. The fashion industry is a large contributor to carbon emissions and to landfills. Slowing fashion down is hugely important in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint; alongside this, a focus on quality, durability, longevity and timeless design will also ensure we keep garments out of landfills. We all need to do our part, including educating our customers on mindful consumption for a better future for our planet and children.
Tell us about your brand and what led you to take more of a sustainable approach to fashion.
Our industry is the second most polluting one in the world, and every stakeholder should be committed to partaking in the paradigm shift in order to reverse the negative impacts of our practices before it’s too late.
From its creation, Nanushka has had the ambition to create beautifully crafted products that are functional and durable, with an authentic and consistent consideration of responsible production. With clothing designed in Budapest and produced primarily in Europe (in 2021, almost 90% of our finished goods), Nanushka’s collections showcase the finest technique and materials across the continent.
We want to be perceived by our customers as an authentic brand, a brand that has a story to tell – and the story we want to tell is a story of respect for the people, the land, and our ecosystems, inclusivity, and justice. Through sustainability and circularity, we can once again explore the value of slowness, crafts, and heritage and the positive impacts they have on people, their well-being, and the environment.
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
The fibers and materials the fashion industry uses put huge pressure on natural resources such as water, energy, and land. At least two-thirds of a brand’s environmental footprint can be attributed to its choice of raw materials, and that is why we committed to source 100% of responsible materials by 2025 (in 2021, around 50% of the raw materials used were responsible and aligned with our Sourcing Policy) and to continue researching innovative and alternative materials to be introduced in our collections and packaging (i.e., we are using RePack that offers reusable and returnable packaging alternative made from recycled materials).
In 2021, we became a signatory of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action to support the industry in accelerating the transformative change needed to reach greenhouse gas emission neutrality, and we committed to reducing our environmental footprint and set Science Based Targets by the end of 2023.
Currently, the fashion industry relies on a linear business model but is a model that puts undue stress on natural resources and lacks long-term resilience to disruption. We recognize that moving to new circular business models can allow the industry to decouple economic growth from the use of natural resources, and that is why we partnered with EON to create digital product identities accessible through QR Code to share essential information about a garment’s product lifecycle to its owner and support proper repair, resale, rental, and recycling practices.
We also want to continue working with our partners to drive positive social and economic development for the people it employs, their families, and their communities by upholding human rights, creating secure working conditions, paying fair wages, and promoting well-being, and we are proud that we have 70% of our products within 300 km of the brand’s Budapest headquarters to support the local economy.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
A company can be prosperous if it has available the resources needed to support its growth – a sustainable organization in the 21st is one that takes an active role in shaping the course of change needed to create a net-positive fashion industry that puts back more into society, the environment, and the global economy than it takes out. So it is and will be even more essential to move and explore new circular business models and put back at the center of the conversation values such as longevity, functionality, and versatility.
At Nanushka, we are committed to designing clothing that is versatile that can be used on multiple occasions and we do design with the intention of bringing something on the market that will be passed down from generation to generation, as we believe that if we think of design only from a ‘beauty, trend and aesthetics’ perspective without taking into consideration the other aspects – we are definitely designing to fail eco-systems. Slow fashion means re-thinking the way products are produced but also what system they belong to – because they are strictly interdependent.
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
According to us, the most ecological sneakers are the ones we already wear. This idea is at the core of our “Clean, Repair, Collect” project. Its goal is to propose to clients to clean and fix their shoes and sneakers to make them last longer and increase the emotional durability of the product or to collect them for a recycling project if they are not fixable. Through repairing services, we strengthen the physical durability of the pair compared to its original state. Since we started this program, we’ve repaired 12 000 pairs.
Since 2004, VEJA has entrusted its logistics to vulnerable, disabled and sometimes socially excluded people. VEJA grew so much in the past few years, and we realized that the team had to grow and we decided to set up our new logistics warehouse at Log’ins (Logistics & Insertion). This organization works with lightly disabled people and takes care of their social inclusion. From production to the operators themselves, the company adapts and supports every single individual of their teams for them to find a professional future.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
A slow time to act differently, with more consciousness. I think wellness starts here. Since 2005, VEJA is growing organically, step by step, without investors. As we source and control every raw material and process of our production chain, it takes time, but we are sure that’s the best way to create a positive impact.
We spend months and months in the factories we produce our sneakers, and we have a team in Brazil that is visiting them every day. We’ve built a strong relationship with our suppliers.
This is why we can say that ecology is not a burden for a company but a strength. Sustainability is not a Powerpoint. You need to meet people, spend time with them to understand their difficulties, and find solutions together.
Tell us about your brand and what led you to take more of a sustainable approach to fashion.
At the core of CDLP exists a devotion to purpose, innovation, and sustainability. Launched in 2016 by Christian Larson and Andreas Palm as a passion project after noting a lack of sartorial options for their base layer in an industry dominated by mass production, licenses, and subpar materials.
What began with a simple mission to bring quality, intelligence, and taste to a product that lacked all three has since grown into something larger. CDLP is no longer just underwear—it is an ever-expanding line of luxury essentials, tailor-made for an intelligent, contemporary aesthetic; it is a lifestyle built on a foundation of functional simplicity and sustainable design.
What responsible business and production practices have you incorporated to better respect people and the environment?
Our garments are hand-crafted from sustainable, future-oriented fabrics—every fiber is sourced from the forefront of textile innovation. The TENCEL® Lyocell in our underwear and the bamboo in our socks come from sustainably grown wood; the ECONYL® in our swimwear is derived from plastic waste that’s been removed from the ocean and remade into something beautiful.
Our products are designed in our Stockholm atelier, where form follows function and understated luxury is the litmus test of every style. Each design begins with premium fabric, takes shape through precision pattern-making, and comes to fruition through classical tailoring.
We champion small-scale European production to remedy obsolete products that mass manufacturing manifests. Our partners are carefully selected based on mutual values and building long-term, sustainable partnerships. We ensure our partners adhere to responsible social conduct and are committed to providing workers with safe, clean working conditions and living wages, and together we perform regular audits.
Our underwear, tee shirts, and sportswear are cut, sewn, and meticulously examined in a third-generation, family-owned fábrica in Portugal. Resting on a strong sartorial tradition, our team of highly skilled artisans hand-craft each individual piece with sincere attention to detail and enduring quality. Our swimwear and socks are made in Italy.
The design philosophy is driven by purpose, sustainability, and effortless style—providing longevity in both product and brand.
Why do you think the slow fashion movement is so important now more than ever?
Responsibility and sustainability are no longer a choice; it’s now expected of brands. “Responsibility” extends beyond sourcing and production; it encompasses every aspect of a brand: considered design made to last, cultivated relationships with business partners, and supportive company culture.
About LVRSustainable
LVRSustainable is the section of LUISAVIAROMA dedicated to offering a curated selection of the best conscious brands and items, as well as special collaborations with renowned non-profits, organizations, and brands to benefit social and environmental causes.
LVRSustainable aims to build a global sustainable community and to promote creativity by supporting conscious fashion: organic, vegan, ethical trade, low impact, women’s empowerment, community engagement, recycling & upcycling, and luxury craftsmanship products.
Shop LVRSustainable
A special thanks to Aya Muse, Miaou, Matteau, Nanushka, Veja and CDLP.
