Fashion Month has officially begun with the New York Spring Summer 2023 Fashion Week kicking off on September 9. Though the environmental cost of having a fashion week can be too high, the positive part is that more and more brands turn to sustainability these days.
Therefore, today we feature five innovative and ethical labels that are part of this season’s NYFW and you definitely need to know about them.
Black Boy Knits
Black Boy Knits (BBK) is a Brooklyn-based made-to-order brand founded by Jacques Agbobly. The exciting part is that this was the label’s first time at New York Fashion Week.
All of BBK’s products are made in-house on a hand-operated knitting machine. The brand uses only natural fibers that are biodegradable and eco-friendly.
“BBK prioritizes custom and durable products while consuming less energy, wasting less resources and creating less waste.”
Tombogo
Tombogo is a label founded by designer Tommy Bogo with the goal of “creating out-of-the box products with intention to spur dialogue about function, form and impact”. The brand’s products are either made-to-order or produced in small-batches. Moreover, the majority of them are made from deadstock material sourced from secondhand and thrift stores.
Bobblehous
Bobblehaus is a New York-based fashion brand founded by Chinese-American Ophelia Chen and Abi Lierheimer.
“Bobblehaus is the regenerative, genderless fashion multiverse that offers limited-edition clothing.”
The brand just opened its NYC flagship store in Soho so if you happen to be in New York now or soon, don’t forget to stop by. Additionally, Bobblehaus partners with One Tree Planted and plants 10 trees from every product it sells.
Angel Chang
Angel Chang is an American designer specializing in indigenous craftsmanship. Despite having a successful career in fashion design, in 2012, she moved to a remote mountain village in rural China to learn the traditional fabric-making techniques from local people. There, Chang created her zero-carbon collection. The pieces are produced by hand without using electricity. On her website, the designer describes in detail the journey of each piece of clothing she offers.
Rentrayage
Created in 2019, Rentrayage is a fashion and home decor label by designer Eric Beaty. Inspired by the huge volume of textile waste she witnessed during her career, Beaty devoted her work on creating zero-waste designs from vintage and deadstock fabrics.
