Dress by sustainable fashion brand, Birdsong.

Maya Angelou famously said “When you know better you do better”. We’d all like to be more mindful consumers, but it requires time and patience, to research alternative brands and to find those that speak to your own aesthetic. I’ve discovered six labels that I’m excited about right now, firstly because they create the kinds of clothes I want to wear, but also because they represent something I want to support. Hopefully, you’ll find something you’ll like in this list too…

Riona Treacy

Northern Ireland-born Riona Treacy creates a luxury product for women who want to buy fewer but better. The designer’s aesthetic is a clean, no-frills, contemporary look with a signature drape that appears elegant and directional at the same time. She uses colour creatively to bring a freshness and point of difference to her more conservative pieces (check out her SS20 yellow tuxedo pants; they’re divine). Treacy describes her eponymous label as a slow fashion brand, explaining “We try to waste as little as possible, so we recycle all fabric off-cuts or repurpose them. Our T-shirts are made from organic cotton and are printed using fully renewable energy sources; we also manufacture everything in the UK to minimise our carbon footprint.” Treacy can therefore visit her manufacturers regularly, and she does; three three times a month, in fact, and considers the seamstresses to be an integral part of the Riona Treacy brand. The designer paints a wonderful image of an organisation which has absolute respect for every individual in the production process and every garment created within it. The prices are not cheap (those yellow tuxedo trousers cost €415), but not nearly as expensive as you might think given the brand’s dedication to manufacturing locally and creating sustainably. At the moment, there’s a sale online and the discounts are fantastic, which is a great reminder that it’s always possible to buy better, if you can just hang on till the sales.

Ninety Percent

British sustainable leisurewear brand Ninety Percent has a seductive mission statement: Clothes for the world you want. Its business model is the antithesis of the ‘stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap, and make as much profit as possible’ mentality of fast fashion. This innovative London-based brand shares 90 per cent of its distributed profits between charitable causes and its garment makers in Bangladesh and Turkey. All fabrics are ethically sourced with the aim of having the lowest environmental impact. And the clothes? Well, if you’re loving your lockdown look but want to elevate it a little as we emerge from the Covid crisis, then this is the brand for you. I’m obsessed with the sustainable knitted jacquard jumpsuit (€235.95); it’s exactly the kind of piece I would pair with heels or flats, and layer over a polo neck in winter. The tracksuit bottoms look like a style choice rather than a sad choice; I love the dip-dye finish on the organic sweatpants - it’s subtle enough to look chic rather than hippy dippy. This brand feels really fresh, and it’s made me think hard about where I want to spend my disposable income going forward.

Diarrablu

Sophisticated silhouettes, lush prints and unique design details characterise the clothes of this exquisite West African-based brand. The founder, Diarra Blu, is a former Wall Street trader passionate about celebrating her African heritage and supporting local artisan communities. Her mother runs the atelier in Senegal and oversees all locally manufactured products. Everything about this brand says luxury, except the price. The generous drapes of fabric, intricate prints and considered accents all add up to something quite special, certainly something that you won’t find on your local high street. One of my favourite items is the reversible wool poncho (€164); it has a quiet drama, and offers the option to go full-on print or not, while the handcrafted leather-soled mules are exquisite. A good deal of the Diarrablu pieces come in plus sizes, and the very nature of the brand’s silhouettes with their generous swathes of premium fabric suggest a label made for women with grown-up curves.

Férí

This emerging Irish brand has been gaining traction on Instagram recently, with stylish women such as stylist Ingrid Hoey and actress Amy Huberman wearing it. Based in Wexford, designer Faye Rochford sources artisan textiles and vintage clothes to rework into beautifully fresh Férí pieces. She produces each item in limited numbers and uses only natural fabrics such as organic cotton, Irish linen and silk. The designer, who grew up surrounded by antiques and salvaged furniture, says she designs clothes for women who want to become “part of the story”. It’s a lovely way to view clothes, both old and new, isn’t it? Thinking of them, not as inanimate objects, but as part of a personal narrative. It immediately evokes an intrinsic value. Given Faye’s love of old fabrics and designs, it’s not surprising that her aesthetic is strongly retro and has an especially vibrant seventies feel to it. I think this is one of the most flattering decades to embrace sartorially, with it’s midi dresses and high-waisted trousers, especially in midlife, when we all crave easy sophistication. I especially love the Maggie jeans (€219) and the Isobel top (€169).

Birdsong

Describing itself as a feminist brand as well as a sustainable one, Birdsong was founded in 2014 by Sophie Slater and Sarah Beckett. Vogue.uk has described the brand as one that “empowers the wearer, the worker and the community that binds them together”. Each piece in a Birdsong collection is made by women from local community groups in London, while all posting and packaging is carried out by individuals from a centre for adults with learning difficulties. Every employee is paid the London living wage, and every item is made from environmentally friendly products. If this sounds more homespun than haute, just take a look at the website where you’ll find beautiful broderie anglaise prairie dresses (€187), printed midi skirts with pockets (€132 and my favourite) and organic T-shirts with inspiring slogans such as Power To The Planet And The People (€39). All garments are made to order, which pre-lockdown might have put me off, but now that I’ve slowed down a bit, along with everybody else, I think I’ll enjoy the anticipation that comes with waiting for something you’ve worked for.

Esse

Asian brand Esse produces sustainable sartorial staples in a beautifully subdued palette. These are the kinds of strong basics - drawstring capri pants, camisoles and A-line skirts - a stylish, functioning wardrobe is built on. The brand’s tagline is “Fashion, just better” as the four pillars of Esse are: considered designs, sustainable materials, respected makers and thoughtful production. It reminds me very much of the wonderful Irish brand Four Threads, with its relaxed silhouettes in crisp linen and cotton. The draped wrap dress (€144) is one of my favourites and it’s a great foundation piece to style up in any way that fits your personality. I’d probably wear it over trousers. Pieces are well priced; camisoles, for instance, cost about €60, which is more than on the high street, but very reasonable for a good quality staple that there’s no joy in buying over and over again.

Marie Kelly, June 2020.