Going Green: Five local sustainable fashion brands to start following
Sustainable fashion is a movement that has become increasingly supported by high-end fashion brands and luxury houses. To bridge the connection between high fashion and sustainability, whether through practices that reduce waste or ensure fair trade, these are the local Hong Kong sustainable fashion brands to know…
1. PHVLO
A fashion brand with aims to promote sustainability and fair trade through their practice of up-cycling materials, reducing waste and using technology to develop functional and ‘season-less’ active wear that are functional yet fashionable . Occupying an old three-storey textile shop in Sham Shui Po which now houses their workshop and exhibition floor where they also train underprivileged women and youth from the local community.
Location: Sham Shui Po
Price: $$$ – $,$$$
2. Sau Lee
Just releasing their new summer capsule in time for the beach and yachting season, this PMQ-set fashion label is a brand with strong values of female empowerment and sustainability. Encompassing the city’s unique East-meets-West appeal, the brand’s line of party dresses and evening gowns are created to be worn season after season using natural and biodegradable materials and a minimal waste production practices.
Location: PMQ, Central
Price: $,$$$
3. PYE
Using only extra long cotton — said to be the best quality of cotton that yields high thread count — the shirt tailors at PYE are adamant about using high-end sustainable cotton shirts for men using sustainable farming practices with local cotton farmers, eschewing hazardous chemicals and reducing waste in the process. Their methods are developed based on their own 15-year long research on seed and cotton farming.
Location: Central Building, Central / Pacific Place, Admiralty
4. Unspun
Sustainable denim specialist Unspun boasts size-less jeans and zero-inventory, stocked with only a workshop and a full-size scanning capsule, the shop uniquely incorporates its 3D scanning technology to produce made-to-measure and made-to-order denim jeans that they claim to fit with perfect comfort for each individual’s preference. Their stockless approach skips the excessive waste and carbon footprint production that typically go into making jeans.
Location: HCode, Central
Price: $,$$$
5. Classic Anew
This contemporary fashion label steeped in a modern iteration of classic Chinese aesthetics is a fresh take on traditional Tang dynasty costumes and cheongsam dresses. Their approach is grounded in a philosophy of sustainability using sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, linen, denim, and silk to produce fashion pieces that are both modern and functional.
Location: Ko Shan Theatre, Hung Hom / PMQ, Central
Price: $,$$$
Feature image from PHVLO
