Fashion / sustainable fashion
A sustainable alternative to fast fashion
Bristol-based Give Wear Love, Amelia Twine’s online fashion platform, has been supporting ethical and slow fashion since its launch in winter 2018 curating beautiful, sustainable fashion collections.
Co-ordinating pieces from a selection of sustainable fashion brands that take accountability in the production of their garments, Give Wear Love offer an alternative to fast fashion.
“We stock established fashion brands including People Tree, Komodo, Thought and Dedicated,” says Amelia, whose store stocks both basic staples and statement pieces.
is needed now More than ever
“I had confidence in these brands’ sustainability credentials. The more transparency the brands have available, the more trust it builds with us and the consumer. Many are also working with certified fabrics which adds another level of confidence.”
Give Wear Love curate beautiful, sustainable fashion collections. Photo credits Lauren Jayne Hall
Focusing on both environmental and social elements of the production process from their chosen brands, Give Wear Love look for garments made from reused, upcycled and sustainable fabrics, avoiding non-biodegradable fabrics such as elastane.
After working for many years in the sustainable food and hospitality, Amelia had noticed parallels between the food and fashion industries in their impact on the planet and human consumption.
“Both industries began with the use and misuse of the land itself, from damaging toxic processes used in growing the raw materials, to the pollution of water and soils that were affected by the creation of fibres and fabrics, in similar ways they are in intensive agriculture.
“I felt as passionately that the fashion industry needed to stop and change, as I do about the pressing need for change in the way we grow and consume food,” she says.
Give Wear Love founder Amelia Twine
“I started buying sustainably produced clothing but I didn’t find it easy, says Amelia. “I wanted a destination where you could shop confidently but not compromise on style. When I found this difficult to find, I decided to create it myself.
“I engaged with the industry and fashion community on social media platforms, wanting to hear what people were saying and take the temperature of consumer demand. How hard was it going to be to convince people to move away from fast fashion?
“I researched sustainable brands and, with some help, got to a high enough number to believe that the industry was beginning to change. Now was the time to support it in moving into a new era.”
Offering edits from sustainable fashion brands including the Emily-Mary Kimono £69.90 (left) and the Tegora skirt (right) £59.90 both by natural clothing brand Thought
Despite the damage that fast fashion has caused, things are starting to change and the fashion world is beginning to take notice, as consumers become engage increasingly with more ethical and sustainable brands.
“This won’t be easy,” admits Amelia. “It requires a real shift in shopping habits. Trying to encourage people to invest in one item of clothing that’s going to last rather than doing a Primark haul for 20 items that will fall apart and end up in landfill isn’t a simple task.”
She adds: “I think increasing the dialogue around the damage caused by fast fashion, and the amount that it contributes to the climate emergency will help shine a spotlight on the industry problems. We need to match this with just how much people and the planet can benefit from buying better.”
From light organic chambray fabrics to CO2 free manufactured Gladiator sandals, Give Wear Love offer everything for your sustainable capsule wardrobe this summer
Give Wear Love also raises money for organisations and campaigns that are working to support change in the fashion industry. By asking their customers to make voluntary donations, when purchasing their sustainable fashion items, they encourage a circular approach that gives back and helps keep the production process sustainable.
Based in Temple Studios surrounded by creatives and innovative tech companies, Give Wear Love are “still fledging and evolving”.
“We’re developing as we grow, adapting to a changing market and our own changing sense of what ‘sustainability’ in fashion means”, says Amelia. “We’re in the very early stages of hosting a Green Fashion event in 2020 and we’re currently forming partnerships to help us deliver this. Watch this space!”
Find out more about Give Wear Love at www.givewearlove.com
Read our Fashion Editor’s blog No Debutante
Read more: Spreading the word about eco-glitter
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
