13 South African sustainable swimwear brands
Your guide to swimwear made with care
Tag: Ethical Fashion
What fashion represents at the Bonn Climate Change Conference
Most people with access to technology are aware of the climate crisis. But how governments and adjacent organisations respond to the crisis remains elusive to many. Climate change policy is typically framed in relation to future generations or faraway places like...
12 Fashion brands making winter-warming mohair jerseys
Ahead of the two cold fronts expected to roll across South Africa over the next few days, we have made a selection of mohair jumpers to keep you warm. Mohair, the fleece of the Angora goat, is a sustainable animal...
Q&A: How Up-Fuse repurposes waste from Cairo’s Garbage City
Up-Fuse is a social enterprise founded in 2015 by Yara Yassin, Rania Rafie and Lama El Khawanky. The organisation operates from Cairo’s Garbage City, an informal settlement on the Egyptian capital’s outskirts, which has no effective official garbage system. The...
Can the leather industry be sustainable? I visited Mossop Leather to find out.
Is leather sustainable? There is no clear-cut answer. On one hand as a by-product of the meat industry, it’s a practical, durable, creative, and stylish way to reduce waste. On the other hand, the production of leather often involves animal...
Q&A: Kenyan designer Jamie Kimani uses fashion to foster pride and self-expression
Jamie Kimani is the founder and creative director of Sevaria, a Nairobi-based brand that includes upcycled and deadstock materials to produce genderfluid pieces. His collections feature made-to-order or limited edition garments, finding inspiration from African cultures and religions. “We’re keen...
How a design duo created their made-in-Nigeria fashion brand This is US
A husband-and-wife design duo were inspired by a chair. A simple, curved wooden design with red upholstery fabric that survived decades in Osione Itegboje’s family home was formative to their Nigerian brand This is Us. What is unique about this...
Explore the roots of Stephanie Bentum’s textile art
Much like unravelling a woolen jersey, it’s hard to say where creativity begins and ends. For Stephanie Bentum, the textile designer and maker behind some of South Africa’s most revered sustainable fashion collections, the origins of her creative practice can...
Explainer: The pros and cons of exotic leather
Once a status symbol, exotic leather is now under fire – banned by major fashion weeks and dropped by luxury brands. But is it really worse than cow leather? And could bans cause unintended harm? Is exotic leather on its...
Ella Buter has created a much-loved fashion brand with enduring appeal
In an industry dominated by fleeting trends and fast fashion, Ella Buter has carved out a space where timeless design, inclusivity, and thoughtful craftsmanship take centre stage. Her approach—slow, deliberate, and deeply personal—led to the creation of Superella, a brand...
Q&A: Hamaji is a love letter to handcraft and heritage
Having grown up in Nairobi with a conservationist father and a botanist mother, Louise Sommerlatte has always had an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. She founded her brand Hamaji − named after the Swahili word for ‘nomadic’ −...
Green your fashion with GOTS
In an ideal world, all fashion and textiles should have positive impacts on people and planet. The production of fibres and fabrics should not harm soil health, water, biodiversity, and people. Instead, the reality is that textile production continues to...
44 Stanley is a beloved hub for conscious shopping
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]A little more than two decades ago a collection of scruffy 1930s light industrial buildings in Johannesburg were converted into a creative and business hub. When Brian Green founded 44 Stanley in 2003, the...
Sage & Sunday’s holistic approach to garment making
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Sage & Sunday embraces an ‘ultra-transparency’ approach, evident from the design of its flagship store in Woodstock, Cape Town. A wooden slatted wall separates the retail space from the workshop, offering a view into...
Q&A: Abasiekeme Ukanireh of Éki Kéré reimagines sustainable fashion with raffia
Meet Abasiekeme Ukanireh, founder and creative director of Éki Kéré. The Nigerian brand was founded in 2020 to challenge, transform and redefine fashion stereotypes while embracing African heritage and traditions. Éki Kéré founder Abasiekeme Ukanireh Tell us about yourself and...