Masters Of… Driving Change
The year is 2022, and the mood is all about cultivating style with a conscience. Advised by Good On You - our partner and source for all sustainable fashion brand ratings - we’re getting you better acquainted with the fashionable tastemakers who are not only having a positive impact on our wardrobes, but on the planet too. Read on to discover the sustainably-minded SS22 collections that should be on your radar…
STORY mfg.
Whetting your appetite for conscious fashion that doesn’t sacrifice style, STORY mfg. present their SS22 collection - “Sandwich Friends”. Fusing old classics with new techniques (the bread and the filling, if you will), artistic shirts and jackets meet statement-making tops, all crafted out of organic linen. Showcasing 1970s style finishes, pieces are accented with natural dyes and decorated with hand-knit and crocheted techniques, as well as artistic embroideries.
“We make stuff from scratch. We cook at home, using our own recipes so to speak,” the East End label’s co-founder Saeed Al-Rubeyi says. “We go slow because if we want something (a fabric, a trim, packaging) we generally have to make it ourselves.”
Renowned for their earth-friendly approach to clothing, Saeed founded STORY mfg. with his wife Katy to help change the fashion industry for the better. “We have to grow our own, in other words. A little garden of things,” Saeed continues. “It takes time, hard work and help from nature, but the result is bendy, wobbly, textured and unique - and more rich too.” Rest assured you’ll want to take a big, metaphorical bite out of this brand’s work if you haven’t already.
Organic Basics
“I became a boy scout when I was five years old, which taught me many great things about nature. From a very young age, I realised that we need to take care of the planet that we call home,” Christoffer Immanuer explains in conversation with the remake.world movement. Along with fellow co-founders Mads Fibiger and Alexander Christiansen, they are setting the bar higher for sustainability in the fashion industry via their Mother Nature-approved brand, Organic Basics.
How exactly are they improving their environmental and social footprints? “We go far to minimise our waste, and the resources that we use from fibre to finished products. We only work with organic and recycled materials, and all of our packaging is made from post-consumer waste,” Christoffer explains.
Having all grown up in Denmark, each co-founder is inspired by simple Scandinavian design, which forms the basis of all collections. Staple jumpers, hoodies, T-shirts, track pants and underpinnings are realised in sustainable materials; showcasing timelessly understated colourways and comfortable, yet stylish, silhouettes. We’re talking about the ultimate essential wardrobe that you’ll feel good in season after season.
SMR Days
We’re forecasting some sunshine for your wardrobe, brought to you by SMR Days. Born out of the desire to deliver effortless summer style, the luxury sustainable resortwear brand was conceived in 2020 by three fashion industry friends. Adam Shapiro, Gautam Rajani and Dan May noticed a gap in the market for effortless, warm-weather menswear staples and decided to fill it.
Tapping into an eternal summer mood, laid-back staples transcend the usual beachside attire. The founders are supporting artisan communities in India who are keeping traditional artisanal techniques alive. Smart-yet-easy-wearing (and, most importantly, comfortable) wardrobe essentials - including effortless jackets, easy-breezy shirts, relaxed Bermuda shorts and trousers - are all finished by hand with block prints and kantha embroidery.
We recommend having a sartorial spring clean of your warm-weather (and WFH) wardrobe now to make room for a selection of new vacation-ready pieces. (Our luxury donation service Thrift+ For Browns can help with that…) They’ll look as good at home as they do away.
White:Space
Introducing the extra padding that your outerwear repertoire really wants. Coat yourself in White:Space. Designed in Oslo, the brand’s name refers to the fuss-free design principle of “negative space”. Allowing designs to breathe by muting any unnecessary noise. Hence why the brand has focused on one thing only since 2020 - creating premium recycled down products.
Realised in a vibrant spectrum of colour, go-to jackets, coats and gilets are meticulously crafted from 100% recycled plastic bottles and industrial waste. All treatments and specialised down washes are in full compliance with European, USA and Asia standards.
White:Space not only plants a tree for every product sold in partnership with One Tree Planted, a nonprofit committed to global reforestation. They also encourage you to nurture your own greenery as each piece comes with a plantable hang tag made of seeds to reduce waste.
By Walid
The past meets the present at Walid Damirji’s namesake label, where fragments of history are woven into modern silhouettes, allowing an intergenerational collaboration between craftsmen and artisans from different eras. Through his one-off masterpieces, By Walid brings a whole new meaning to the old adage of ‘history repeats itself’, bringing you wardrobe heirlooms with rich heritages to pass down for generations to come.
Renowned for his use of repurposed textiles, the former Creative Director of Joseph creates sustainable couture pieces from patchworks of rescued antique fabrics sewn together. This season you’ll find jackets meticulously handcrafted from intricately embroidered Chinese silk, as well as hats made up of patchworks of repurposed shirting and bags showcasing 19th-century embroidery.
This season also sees the brand launching homeware . Decorative pouffes and cushions showcase 17th, 18th and 19th-century Victorian and Flemish tapestries, and chairs echo the intricate patchwork designs that the brand is renowned for. Whilst we’re all spending a little more time at home, there’s no better time to invest in By Walid’s soft furnishings and furniture.
Echoing the words of STORY mfg.’s Saeed Al-Rubeyi: “We have quite a harvest to pick from, but we still like to try new things, and for that we always look inwards.” Whilst we’re making strides on our path to sustainability at Browns, we’re always looking for new ways to do even better. Join us on our journey and follow in the environmentally and socially responsible footprints of our driving forces of change.
Words by Sophy Davis Russell
Related Reading:
Conscious At Browns
Conscious Delivery
Restory For Browns
Masters Of… Effortless Entertaining
See All Stories: