Coinciding with Earth Day and Earth Month, several brands and retailers have committed to advancing sustainable collections and material usage, or have produced targeted marketing campaigns focused on the issue.
Banana Republic
Banana Republic has introduced Better Republic, a concept that underscores the company’s sustainability goals and commitment to do better for people and the planet. Better Republic launches alongside the brand’s April marketing creative, innovated by creative director Len Peltier, including still photography and a film.
“In these uncertain times and as members of this global community, it is more clear than ever that we are all connected and we have a shared responsibility to protect each other,” Mary Alderete, chief marketing officer of Banana Republic, said. “Since we all share this planet and its resources, Banana Republic also remains committed to our sustainability goals that reduce our impact on the planet.”
Natural materials and earth-inspired colors, textures and prints play across organic silhouettes, bringing to light the elements in nature in a film that celebrates Mother Earth and her environments, including plant life, sunlight and water.
Banana Republic’s sustainable efforts include recycled fabrics such as nylon, polyester, cotton and wool, and man-made cellulosics sourced from suppliers that are Canopy compliant. This includes Tencel Lyocell, Modal, Lenzing Ecovero Viscose and denim crafted via water-savings initiatives like the men’s Dry Indigo Traveler collection.
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“Better Republic is our commitment to goals that evaluate every touchpoint across our supply chain to ensure sustainable practices in developing products that are better for people and the planet,” Alderete said. “From supporting our factory employees to innovations in manufacturing and responsible fabrics, we are committed to doing better every day.”
Banana Republic also reaffirmed its sustainability goals introduced last year, such as increased use of sustainable fabrics, including using 100 percent sustainable cotton such as organic and recycled, and 50 percent sustainable fibers by 2023.
As part of more responsible retail, Banana Republic is partnering with vintage online marketplace Thrilling on its first brand collaboration. Thrilling offers an environmentally friendly way to shop vintage Banana Republic goods, while supporting local small businesses across the country. Iconic Banana Republic pieces will be sourced from top vintage stores nationwide and available for purchase on brxthrilling.com with all proceeds going back to the vintage stores themselves.
“To uphold our commitment to sustainability with Better Republic, we are also expanding ways for our customer to shop relevantly and responsibly,” Alderete added. “With our clothing rental program, Style Passport, and a new vintage resale partnership with Thrilling, we are creating a better path for customers to make informed, responsible decisions to live and shop more sustainably.”
Burberry
Burberry is launching a curated edit of 26 styles from the Spring-Summer 2020 collection crafted from the latest sustainable materials used across its product range.
The introduction of the ReBurberry Edit coincides with the global roll-out of dedicated sustainability labeling across all key-product categories. The labels will, for the first time, provide customers with insight into the environmental and social credentials of the Burberry program.
New pistachio-colored sustainability labels inform the customer how a product meets a range of externally assured stringent criteria. These include the amount of organic content or recycled natural fibers used in materials, delivery against carbon emissions standards at production facilities, or social initiatives, such as workers being paid the living wage or supported through well-being programs.
Two-thirds of Burberry products currently bear more than one “positive attribute,” with a goal for all products achieving this distinction by 2022. Each product in the ReBurberry Edit, along with others across men’s wear, women’s wear and accessories bear the pistachio labels. The ReBurberry Edit features a range of eyewear crafted from pioneering bio-based acetate, and trench coats, parkas, capes and accessories created from Econyl, a recycled nylon made from regenerated fishing nets, fabric scraps and industrial plastic. These parkas and capes are also made at facilities associated with energy and water reduction, textile recycling and chemical management programs. Additional outerwear pieces in the Edit are made using a new nylon that has been developed from renewable resources such as castor oil, and a polyester yarn made from recycled plastic bottles.
“At the half-way point of our Responsibility Strategy to 2022, we remain dedicated to delivering tangible progress against our social and environmental targets, and our holistic, product-focused sustainability programs are central to this,” Pam Batty, vice president of corporate responsibility at Burberry, said. “By inviting customers to learn more about the sustainable credentials of our products through our labelling program, we are helping them to better understand our initiatives and the breadth of the ambition of our Responsibility Agenda. We strongly believe that driving positive change through all of our products at every stage of the value chain is crucial to building a more sustainable future for our whole industry.”
Tencel
Lenzing Tencel’s Earth Month campaign features a partnership with 20-plus brands to promote its sustainable collaborations across social media channels. Each day during Earth Month, Tencel highlights one brand’s work to support environmental responsibility.
Tencel’s Earth Month brand partners include: Bella Dahl, Bearaby, Bleusalt, BN3TH, Boyish, Calitas Intimates, Closed, Eileen Fisher, Farm to Home, Guess, Hanky Panky, Kings of Indigo, Lucky Brand, Mara Hoffman, Mavi, Metawear, MeUndies, Molecule, Orvis, Paperlabel, Patagonia, QE Home, The Company Store, Triarchy, West Elm and Yes.
Each of these brands is focused on working to decrease its environmental impact and use of Tencel fibers is just one of the many ways that they accomplish this goal.
Asos
Asos launched the latest Asos Made in Kenya collection with SOKO Kenya, an ethical clothing manufacturer that seeks to improve the lives of members of their local community in the African country.
This year, Asos is working with the SOKO Kenya team to fund the production of 20,000 cloth masks, now a legal requirement in Kenya amid the coronavirus pandemic, which will be donated to local communities.
The limited-edition Made in Kenya unisex collection features prints by Kenyan artist Wini Awuondo. The initiative seeks to improve the lives of members of the local community, offering skills and support to drive sustainable development and help build a global community through fashion.
Italic
Italic introduced the Conscious Cotton collection, its first sustainable capsule of 100 percent recycled T-shirts and sweats made locally in Los Angeles.
Every piece in the Conscious Cotton collection is made of 60 percent polyester derived from recycled plastic bottles and 40 percent locally sourced post-industrial cotton.
The Conscious Cotton collection is the latest sustainability effort for Italic, which has included planting 100,000 trees, candles created out of reclaimed sea glass and a manufacturing process that encourages efficient production runs and limits product waste.