The connection between fashion and nature is deeply understood by Alia Peer and her family. She spent her childhood between playing outdoors on their farm and spending time at the family’s clothing manufacturing company. “When you grow up on a farm you develop a consciousness of the environment and everything around you,” she says. It was here, on South Africa’s west coast, that she witnessed firsthand the effects of environmental degradation — from agriculture’s impact on soil to the stark contrast between clean rural air and smog when travelling into the city.

“I’m really cognisant that everything that we have comes from nature and because of that consciousness, you realise it’s important to protect and respect it,” says Alia.

Alia Peer is the creative director of POLO South Africa

Alia took up an internship at POLO South Africa when she was 16 years old. She then studied fashion in London and now holds the position of creative director at POLO South Africa. Her personal ethos and that of the brand’s are aligned, creating clothing that is cognisant of the environment as well as the humans who inhabit it.

POLO has been involved in manufacturing since its establishment in 1976, when it made a name for itself globally by producing shirts for the likes of Harrods, Selfridges, and Dior. Alia notes that South Africa had a dynamic manufacturing industry before global manufacturing shifted to the Far East in the 90s. Nevertheless, POLO has remained committed to staying local as much as possible. “When you work with local people and small businesses you see the impact of your decision-making,” she says. “To see how we can play a role brings us joy.”

The brand, led by Alia, takes careful and conscious steps on the path to a more sustainable fashion system. POLO prizes locally grown natural fibres, such as their South African-produced Merino wool pieces. It also prides itself on a traceable supply chain, prioritising manufacturers who are close-by to help reduce their carbon footprint.

Alia’s approach to buying is not driven by price, rather by fabric, quality and craftsmanship. POLO is not solely a retailer, it also produces clothing, but only what will sell. “We’ve got an in-built sustainability model — we only place orders based on the market demand,” she says.

POLO South Africa is committed to local production and using South African merino wool 

Going forward, Alia is considering the complete lifecycle of the brand’s garments, particularly their end-of-life impact. “Ultimately, we have to take responsibility for everything that we produce,” she says. POLO’s AW24 collection is a farm-to-closet project, each piece crafted from locally made merino wool and able to biodegrade at the end of its lifecycle. Every facet of this new collection’s production process took place within a 450 km radius, from the sheep rearing and the yarn spinning to garment making and knitting.

Alia Peer with Stefan Gerber of Gerber & Co, a vertically integrated supplier. Stefan’s operation includes farming merino sheep farmer and manufacturing knitwear

The perfect sustainable fashion system

Even with our best efforts, the ‘perfect’ sustainable fashion system is unachievable, because sustainability inherently goes against the volume-driven model of the fashion industry. Alia makes no attempts to greenwash what is possible; for her, buying and producing locally, as well as fostering frank conversations between consumers and producers, is a start. While many may lament how the advent of social media has made it easier for customers to interact with brands, she welcomes it. “I think there is beauty in having conversation and talking openly with consumers,” Alia says.

Alia Peer with Stefan Gerber seated against bales of wool

“Consumers are in a very powerful position because a lot of power lies with an individual,” she says. “I think sometimes we forget that: we feel like we’re just one person.” To her, a mindset shift is needed. Rather than thinking, ‘What’s one bottle when there are over seven billion people in the world?’. Imagine a world where over seven billion people refuse to accept plastic bags or refuse to buy plastic bottles.

In her role as creative director, Alia has prioritised social responsibility at POLO, acknowledging that the fight against climate change and social injustice go hand-in-hand. “We want an ecosystem: it’s not possible to create any product without people and the planet, and vice versa,” she says. Alia sees brands as part of the community and believes they should act accordingly by contributing to it. For example, at the height of the pandemic, POLO made and gave away 250,000 masks to local governments. And, when the Jagger Library at the University of Cape Town caught alight during the April 2021 wildfires, the company donated R100,000 to the non-governmental disaster response organisation Gift of the Givers Foundation to help manage the crisis.

The future of fashion

Alia notes a clear divide within the youth of South Africa: one side is mindful of their purchases, while the other embraces fast fashion trends and mindless consumption. Addressing this disconnect between the youth, their clothing and the environment is crucial. “There’s an education gap,” she says. “We’re here to see what we can do within that space.”

POLO wants to work with the youth through schools, as the next generation of consumers. A collaboration with Cape Wools SA will see boxes and posters explaining the story of wool, including materials from sheepskin to a knitted product, delivered to schools. Also, they are arranging viewings of The Voice Of The Sea, POLO’s documentary about Zandi the Mermaid, at various schools. “How can you expect children to know the impact of microplastic pollution, for example, if you’re not actually going to be talking to them?”

Zandile Ndhlovu, affectionately known as Zandi the Mermaid, teams up with POLO Purpose to raise awareness around plastic waste for World Oceans Day

Educating the public in general is important, too. There are several steps we can take as individuals towards a better fashion system. These include buying locally, mindful consumption, refreshing our wardrobes to rediscover and appreciate what we already have, and being aware of fabrics.

“Cheap is very expensive, and at some point we pay the price. If you don’t, your loved one will, as they might get sick. Somewhere down the line, you’re going to pay for it,” says Alia.

Alia hopes to see a future where we feel more connected to our clothing. “Our relationship to what we wear has become an AI relationship; it’s become disconnected,” she says. Previous generations owned far fewer clothes but the items they had were carefully polished, mended and sewn to last and be cherished for years. “When you do that you have respect for your clothes,” says Alia. “When you outsource everything to somebody else, you don’t have a connection. We need to bring that healthy connection back.”

POLO’s AW24 collection is a farm-to-closet project, each piece crafted from locally made merino wool and able to biodegrade at the end of its lifecycle. You can view the brand’s new collection on their website

• POLO South Africa is a Twyg partner
• Photos supplied