Since 2019, the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards have identified South African designers who are prioritising planet and people. And since 2020, Country Road has sponsored the awards. Aside from this local support, Country Road is renowned for championing industry-leading initiatives, and was the first Australian fashion retailer to partner with Oritain to scientifically verify fibre origin, the Green Building Council to target best practice store design and the Good Cashmere Standard® by AbTF to support responsible cashmere production

To celebrate the Twyg x Country Road collaboration, this editorial features Country Road jeans made by Saitex, a denim manufacturer focused on supporting environmental and social change in Vietnam, and selected looks from winners and finalists of the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards. Over the years Country Road has supported the Changemaker Award and the Trans-seasonal Award categories. Winners include Lara Klawikowski (2020), Mbali Mthethwa of The Herd (2021) and Cleo Droomer of DROOMER (2022) who have each won the Changemaker Award. In 2023, Thando Ntuli of MUNKUS won the Trans-seasonal Award.

Junior Mukiza wears Country Road denim and a DROOMER upcycled denim shirt. Cleo Droomer of DROOMER won the Changemaker Award in 2022. Cleo uses waste offcuts from designers’ studios to create new garments

All DROOMER garments are made from organic hemp, cotton, upcycled natural fibre fabrics, and one-of-a-kind heirloom fabrics. Lara Klawikowski’s bespoke artisanal womenswear is handcrafted in her studio often using re-fabricated or upcycled materials. For the garments featured here, Lara innovated fabric using recycled and recyclable plastic bags and clothing factory waste. Founded and directed by Mbali, The Herd is inspired by the beadwork of Nguni women and creates accessories rich in storytelling.

Leah de Veroux wears a Lara Klawikowski top, The Herd necklace and Pichulik bracelets and earrings. Pichulik won the Accessories Award in 2022

Leah wears Country Road denim and a Lara Klawikowski top. Lara won the Changemaker Award in 2020

Set against the backdrop of a lush garden in Cape Town, the imagery evokes a sense of joy and freedom, with models dressed in trans-seasonal looks that embody both comfort and elegance, intertwining themes of creativity, sustainability and community. Twyg champions fair and sustainable fashion recognising designers who prioritise fair fashion and environmental stewardship.

Junior wears Country denim and a DROOMER denim and sage coat. DROOMER won the Changemaker Award in 2022

Junior and Leah wear Country Road denim with INKE Knitwear. INKE Knitwear was a Farm-to-Fashion Award finalist in 2023. Junior carries VERSE tote. VERSE won the Accessory Award in 2023

Other winners and finalists of the awards that are featured here include VERSE, Pichulik, INKE, UNI FORM and Mors Design. VERSE, offers handcrafted leather goods designed and handcrafted in the Cape and won the Accessory Award in 2022. Cape Town-based ethical jewellery studio, Pichulik won the Accessory Award in 2022. INKE is a knitwear brand committed to ethical and local production. UNI FORM combines the contemporary with the familiar, rooted in quality and garment development. Mors Design sources mohair farmed in the Karoo area of the Eastern Cape, where majestic shaggy Angora goats are hand shorn twice a year with no harm to them.

Leah and Junior wear Country Road denim and Mors Design mohair cardigans. Mors Design was a Nicholas Coutts Artisanal Fashion Award finalist in 2023

Leah wears Country Road denim, Rethread dress and The Herd beaded artwork as necklace. The Herd won both the Changemaker Award and the Nicholas Coutts Artisanal Fashion Award in 2021

Junior and Leah wear black Country Road denims and Rethread 

Country Road Saitex jeans

Country Road transformed its denim offering by partnering with Saitex to launch a new jeans range. Denim production is notorious for its energy consumption, high water use, and reliance on chemicals. Saitex, a vertically integrated denim manufacturer, implements stringent sustainability measures at its factory in Vietnam.  Every step of production—from cotton spinning to top stitching—is completed in-house at Saitex.

Saitex is tackling its environmental issues by making key adjustments to its factory processes. For instance, the roof of Saitex’s mill has 15,000 solar panels, to provide power to the factory and reduce its reliance on the grid. Additionally, it is Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified, the globally recognised green building certification. The factory also addresses energy use with its aerial drying system. Jeans are hung in the factory’s air space, allowing garments to dry up to 80% without using electricity. This can take up to three hours per garment, but is considerably more energy efficient than traditional tumble drying. The dyeing process uses Smart-Indigo™, a dye technology that reduces the use of harmful chemicals, producing rich indigo tones using just indigo pigment, caustic soda, water and electricity. Denim is then washed in a closed-loop system, where about 98% of water is recycled back into the process.

Saitex is also committed to social change, namely through its REKUT program. This offers people with disabilities the opportunity to be trained and employed in positions at Saitex’s factories that have room to grow.  To see the collection of Country Road jeans see here.

CREDITS

Fashion Editor: Tandekile Mkize

Photography: Ben Mall

Styling: Thapelo Mofokeng

Models: Leah de Veroux and Junior Mukiza | Sister Management

Videographer: Saarah Hendricks

Featured brands: Lara Klawikowski, The Herd, DROOMER, UNI FORM, Rethread, Mors Design, VERSE, Pichulik and INKE

Special thanks to Design Afrika (The Herd’s Cape Town stockist) and AKJP (UNI FORM Cape Town Stockist)