Alisha Miranda, Founder of Not My Style
Birdsong’s Embroidered Pants and Jewellery
Birdsong’s Wholesome AF Sweatshirt
On Thursday last week I had the pleasure of swanning around racks and racks of ethical clothes from some of the genuinely coolest ethical clothing brands I’ve seen. I’m sorry for bragging – I’m just excited!
It was an event set up by Not My Style, a clever app that rates fashion brands by the information they provide on the workers that make their clothing. Londoners can use the app on the go, with ratings across the city and a map function that tracks you as you shop. It’s as simple as that – the more information available, the better the rating. The app allows you to also send templated messages on Twitter or Facebook to the brands who don’t get a great rating, asking them why. Social action at the click of a button!
Supporting Not My Style was four ethical fashion brands (I imagine all of whom have green ratings!):
Birdsong
Okay, I’m not going to lie – Birdsong were right up my street. Quirky slogans, stories of East End nanas knitting their jumpers, and embroidery on ethically made socks made me fall in love. Expect to see a lot more fangirling from me on the blog!
Wear The Walk
Wear The Walk is possibly the most innovative brand I’ve met in a while – and I LOVED their clothes. I kept gravitating towards their slightly scary, slightly gorgeous striped jacket and discovered they are pioneering an ethical haute couture rental service. You pay £50/month to rent whatever two garments you want (or rent each piece at its own rate) and you can change it up as often as you like. Amazing.
Adrenna
Adrenna is an ethical activewear brand that believes in complete personalisation – pieces are custom-made per order, allowing you to pick your own style and colours. Founder Julie Ngov explained to me that she believes in a zero-waste system, with materials being bought to order and made how you like it.
The Social Mercenary
Despite its kinda menacing name, The Social Mercenary is a brand combining social conscience with traditional Ghanian prints and some serious street style. I spoke to India, who told me she’s super particular about the clothes she sources, selecting each second-hand piece herself and then designing onto them. Check them out!
