In Focus: Female-Founded Slow Fashion Brands

Fashion often serves as a platform for celebrating women’s empowerment, diversity, and individuality. Yet, the glamourous facade more often than not conceals a harsh reality: the exploitation of countless women, consistently underpaid, overworked, and mistreated throughout the industry’s supply chain. Their voices silenced, their rights disregarded. It’s a heartbreaking paradox: the industry that claims to empower women in one corner of the world frequently takes advantage of them in another.

On this International Women’s Day, we are therefore excited to celebrate and give recognition to all the incredible women designers and founders who decided to take a different path and make clothes and accessories with enormous regard for the craft, the environment, and all the people involved in the creation.

Here is a list of some of our favourite sustainable fashion brands, created by women for women.

Joanna Organisciak

Joanna Organisciak is young designer based in Poland. Characteristic style of her brand Organisciak is unique combination of classic and modern, deconstruction of traditional forms and ambiguity. Easy yet elegant shirts and dresses in the brand’s signature white color fulfill the mission to bring an avant-garde twist to the classic silhouettes.

Shop shirts by Joanna Organisciak

Sustainability criteria:

– organic materials
– ethically-made
– made in EU

Bepart

Bepart is a studio focused on handcrafted jewellery and homeware, founded in 2012 by artist and designer Petra Arbetova. Studio is finding the beauty in minimalistic forms, graphic elements & modern simplicity, using clean lines and geometric shapes to produce delicate and contemporary jewellery. All the pieces are designed and hand fabricated by the designer in her studio in Slovakia.

Shop timeless jewellery by Bepart

Sustainability criteria:

– handmade
– ethically-made in EU

CYVONYUK

CYVONYUK is a Polish brand created in 2016 by Aleksandra Cywoniuk. Its collections combine everyday ease with the nonchalant elegance of the luxury fashion. Arhitect by profession, Aleksandra pays special attention to details and tailoring. Each piece is consequently designed to accentuate the female form with subtle yet striking details. Almost all fabrics used in the collection come from the local companies or are made especially for CYVONYUK in Polish production plants.

Shop CYVONYUK

Sustainability criteria:

– locally-sourced materials
– ethically made
– made in EU

05 studio

Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, 05 Studio is an emerging lingerie brand Sianna Marinova. Their first collection consists of minimal, timeless underwear and swimwear pieces, designed to fit your personality and simplify your everyday life. The simple, yet modern pieces move comfortably with the body and enhance the natural feminine shape and therefore represent the ultimate addition to every modern woman’s wardrobe.

Shop 05 studio

Sustainability criteria:

– upcycled deadstock fabrics
– vegan
– ethically-made
– made in EU

The first step towards changing the story of millions of women in the fashion industry is to ask yourself if your purchase also empowers the women who made it.

Aleui

Minimalist leather goods line Aleui is founded by the Belgrade-based Aleksandra Zivanovic Popovic. Inspired by the contemporary art and architecture, the Aleui bags are the perfect fusion of sculptural shape and unexpected details.

Shop timeless bags by Aleui

Sustainability criteria:

– handmade
– ethically-made in EU

Ennos

Ennos is a contemporary fashion brand founded by Kersti Pohlak in-between Paris and Tallinn. The label approaches womenswear by blending Scandinavian minimalism with Eastern European comfort and practicality. Their timeless design, use of natural materials and ethical approach towards production make brand the perfect choice for women looking for timeless staple pieces that will never leave their wardrobe.

Shop Ennos

Sustainability criteria:

– natural materials
– ethically-made
– made in EU

Ida Tau

Shop Ida Tau

Sustainability criteria:

– handmade
– locally sourced materials
– ethically-made in EU

Sanda Vidmar

Inspired by raw forms and strong statements, Sanda Vidmar creates unique contemporary jewellery that celebrates playful tenderness of the natural world and its organic forms. Designed and handcrafted in her studio in Ljubljana, Slovenia, each piece is made with special attention to detail, embracing the natural imperfections of the hand work.

Shop jewellery by Sanda Vidmar

Sustainability criteria:

– handmade
– organic materials
– ethically-made
– made in EU

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