When it comes time to part ways with our cash for a new piece of clothing, it’s universally true that cost-per-wear is our primary consideration. But what about the environmental price we pay when we don’t factor in how the item’s practices impact people and the planet? Certifications like B-Corp are crucial in helping guide consumers to what is truly sustainable. But how?
What Is B-Corp?
B-Corp is a for-profit organisation that originated in the U.S. in 2006. Over the past two decades, the company has served as a proverbial yardstick that measures a company’s “entire social and environmental impact.”
What Is a B-Corp Fashion Brand?
B-Corp fashion brands are independently substantiated and subject themselves to scrutiny to confirm they meet “high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability,” says the organisation’s website. Analysing five areas across the business—including community, customers and environment—B-Corp fashion brands are appraised and measured to ensure they comply with ethical codes. This process is rigorous, involving assessment and regular review to guarantee all claims are credible. It’s not for the lazy—or for brands who can’t back up declarations of being “green” or “kind to the planet.”
How Does a Brand Become B-Corp Certified?
To become a B-Corp fashion brand, labels will undergo a certification process that involves a review called the B Impact Assessment. After reviewing areas like supply chains, carbon footprints and charitable giving amongst others, businesses will then be rated based on their responses. Only companies that achieve above 80 points on this scale will become B-Corp fashion brands.
Taking this step is proof that the brands (including those below) take their output and its outcomes seriously. These are brands that have duly documented how the business manages its supply chain, pays its workers and works towards mitigating land and life loss, in addition to meeting other benchmarks. B-Corp companies go beyond avoiding certain fabrics treated with toxic chemicals and often work to pioneer next-gen fibres. They’re actively playing a part in combating the textile waste crisis and providing solutions to what happens to clothes once we no longer want to wear them.
Discussing these concerns can sometimes feel like a heavy topic—the exact opposite effect of the serotonin boost you get when your latest purchase finally arrives in the post. But driving industry change, encouraging circularity and reducing climate impact is part and parcel of designing a gorgeous garment that you’ll (hopefully) cherish forever.
As a customer, you can also make a difference, and the simplest way to do so is by shopping less and shopping smarter. When it does come time to inject your wardrobe with something new or invest in an item you can’t take your mind off, you can always start by buying from the below B-Corp fashion brands. From the coastal Aussie town of Byron Bay to the inner-city heart of Copenhagen and closer to home here in London, these are the B-Corp fashion brands that balance style with substance and sustainability.
B-Corp Fashion Brands Marrying Style With Sustainability
1. Ganni
Disrupting the Danish fashion landscape with energetic slices of leopard print, buckled ballet flats and sweet blouses in pink gingham and eclectic blue, is Ganni. Owned by a husband-and-wife team, creative director Ditte Reffstrup and founder Nicolaj Reffstrup have revolutionised the Scandi scene with playful pieces that are always flirty and bold. On the runway, the brand is fashioning slouchy denim jeans wrapped in a foil finish, but behind the scenes, it’s operating under a “progress over perfection” ethos. With ambitious goals like reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2027 to introducing coveted styles like the top-handle Bou Bag in alternative vegan leathers, Ganni is making a chic commitment with its stewardship.
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GANNI
Leopard Betzy Cropped Jeans
2. Chloé
Chloé is fiercely breaking new ground for a luxury heritage brand, and doing so in Sienna Miller-approved platform wedges. From its inception in 1952 under the helm of Gaby Aghion to its current tenure with Chemena Kamali (lest we forget the trailblazing designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo and Gabriela Hearst that came between), Chloé’s bohemian ruffle dresses, caped coats and angelic lace are all woven with a desire to create “beautiful products leveraging responsible environmental and social practices.”
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CHLOÉ
Judith Studded Leather Mules
3. Hush
What began in 2003 as an Australian expat’s desire to wear effortlessly stylish pieces for her newfound life in London has blossomed into a beacon of the responsible dressing movement. Now, two decades later, Hush has recommitted to its mission by becoming a B-Corp fashion brand. Crafting laid-back pieces like low-impact denim and fully traceable cashmere, Hush opts for timeless designs over seasonal trends for items you can cherish for years to come. Our editors are still fawning over the brand’s cropped trench coat.
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Embrace the suede jacket trend with this ethically sourced piece.
4. Spell
Australian label Spell is a mainstay across the country’s balmy east coast, from the rolling hinterlands of Byron Bay and sunburnt beaches of Manly to the inner-city suburbs of Sydney. On the global stage, it is recognised as a leader in sustainable fashion. Transparency is stitched into the very foundations of the brand, with Spell releasing annual impact reports that go above and beyond anything required of them as a B-Corp fashion brand.
These yearly reviews outline innovations the brand has taken, like piloting a garment takeback and recycling programme and lessons the team has learnt, which is equally important when recognising how the path to ethical design is not linear. These reports have also become essential blueprints for other fashion brands looking to become more sustainable. Though its romantic-meets-rock designs are spotted everywhere from Los Angeles to Dallas, they’re best displayed in your wardrobe as part of your intentionally curated collection of slow-fashion pieces.
Shop Spell:
Spell
Stevie Lace Boho Dress
Whilst shopping secondhand is the most sustainable option, this vintage-inspired dress is the second.
5. Faithfull The Brand
Quality basics, vintage-inspired silhouettes, romantic prints and conscious tailoring are at the core of sun-seeking label Faithfull The Brand. As the name suggests, Faithfull is staunchly committed to thoughtful and considered design at every step of its operation. From the luxurious silk crepe and lace dress to slip on over your swimwear for a long beachy lunch, to the lower-environmental-impact fabrics the items are crafted from, these garments bring wanderlust and feel-good energy.
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FAITHFULL
Enna Asymmetric Woven Blazer
This linen-blend blazer is so chic.
6. Maggie Marilyn
“A better world” is what New Zealand fashion brand Maggie Marilyn aspires to achieve through its silky shirts, straight-leg, recycled-cotton denim; tailored crepe bodices and floaty bubble skirts. “We believe that nothing is impossible when you combine collective force with brave ideas,” explains the brand, which has become proof that elegant, feminine essentials are pieces to live in and hold onto forever. Collections are seasonless and fall into two categories. “Somewhere” is its wardrobe fundamentals made from natural fibres like locally sourced merino wool, whilst “Forever” comprises serene pieces inspired by the languid life led by Antipodean women and designed to get better with age.
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Maggie Marilyn
Satin Mini Skirt
This mid-weight satin miniskirt makes for such a luxe basic.
7. Mulberry
On Mulberry’s 50th anniversary, the heritage brand, whose bags are toted around town in the crook of Kate Middleton’s arm and inseparable from Alexa Chung asked a decisive question: can a bag save the world? What began as a leather accessory born at a dining-room table in Somerset has become a staple of British design and a business model that prioritises responsible sourcing and a vision for a regenerative and circular luxury industry. From publishing its supplier list in the name of transparency to offering an exchange program, the best Mulberry bags are “made to last,” says the brand.
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Mulberry
Meadow Small Shoulder Bag
8. Bassike
Drawing inspiration from the local surfing community, relaxed outlook and sweeping coastline of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Bassike (pronounced basic) is a B-Corp fashion brand that prioritises transparency and strong design above all else. This is a promise it has upheld since its inception in 2006, but in recent years, the brand has taken bold steps to become as low-impact and responsible as possible. For instance, it became certified carbon neutral in 2021, whilst in 2022 alone, the brand diverted 6228kg of excess cotton textile offcuts from landfills. As the spelling suggests, this brand is much more than basic.
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9. Bondi Born
Another Aussie brand (there’s a bit of a theme here), Bondi Born brings the sandy inlet of one of the world’s most famous beaches and transports the relaxed shapes worn by its locals into effortless swimwear and apparel. The brand has already garnered endorsements from Beyoncé and Hailey Bieber for its premium quality and unmatched fit, but in 2021, the label became a B-Corp fashion brand and entrenched its commitment to premium craftspersonship and sustainability. With pieces made from technically advanced Italian fabrics and every single fibre either recycled, repurposed or donated, Bondi Born is part of a tidal wave of Australian fashion brands shaping the future of fashion.
Shop Bondi Born:
BONDI BORN
Kobe Satin Pleat Shoulder Top
10. Sézane
From a Haussmann-style building on Rue du Bac in Paris’s 7th arrondissement comes a lesson in collaboration and cohabitation. Founded in 2013, French fashion brand Sézane understands that clothing helps tell the story of someone’s life. It acknowledges that the tale of the garment begins far before it ends up in your wardrobe and doesn’t conclude once you’ve fallen out of love with it. In addition to its seasonless drops, Sézane also releases unsold pieces from its archives to ensure nothing goes to waste—something that is also bolstered by the fact that three-quarters of materials used are eco-friendly. These are pieces designed for memories to be made in.
Shop Sézane:
The V-neck jumper can often appear outdated, but this soft fabric is super cosy and pairs perfectly with slouchy wide-leg trousers.
11. With Nothing Underneath
Only five years after the label was founded in 2017, With Nothing Underneath has become the name to know in high-quality shirting. The brand brings an ethical approach to shopping by crafting truly timeless wardrobe staples. From pieces like structured grey herringbone blazers to finely brushed flannels (and of course, the classic cotton button-downs), these styles nail the essentials with a keen interest in preserving the earth’s natural resources.
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With Nothing Underneath
The Classic: Denim
12. Rotate
The chintzy party looks you see stylish women wearing whilst sipping martinis at an exclusive dimly-lit bar? They’re Rotate. But going beyond aesthetics, each sequin tells a story—one of an unwavering commitment to the power of transformative fashion. Rotate’s pieces not only instil the wearer with a sense of confidence but as a B-Corp fashion brand, it is constantly optimising to ensure all areas of the business adhere to the highest standards of sustainability and responsibility.
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ROTATE BIRGER CHRISTENSEN
Sequined Recycled-Satin Maxi Dress
13. Remain
Also within the Birger Christensen Collective, Remain redefines classic style through a contemporary lens. Sumptuous knits, ‘90s-inspired staples and sophisticated basics form the core of this Danish fashion brand. But whilst the pieces are unassumingly elegant, the work done in the studio is anything but. From using 80% preferred materials (a term that refers to fabrics that have a positive impact on the environment) to ensuring minimum standards of safety and labour rights to all workers and increasing its size range to an EU 48, this label remains to empower and transform.
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14. Veja
Sportswear is a sector of the fashion industry that is often facing allegations of forced labour and inhumane working conditions. Veja, the French footwear brand founded in 2005, has ensured its trainers will have you stepping out on the right foot. A certified B-Corp fashion brand since 2018, Veja uses advanced technology like materials made from recycled plastic bottles along with natural fibres like organic cotton to make its sleek shoes. Talk about treading lightly.
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VEJA
+ Net Sustain Campo Leather and Suede Sneakers in White
Laura Harrier might have convinced us that investing in a pair of grey trainers is essential, but for those who still adore the classic white hue, we love these.
15. Allbirds
Allbirds is taking strides to reach the ambitious objective of reducing its entire carbon footprint to zero by 2030. To do so, the B-Corp fashion brand is exclusively using natural fibres—it has never used synthetics or plastics in its trainers—and offsetting output through regenerative agriculture schemes and striving to use responsible energy sources like solar power. As a bonus, Allbirds are so comfy.
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Allbirds
Women’s Wool Runner Go in Medium Grey (Blizzard Sole)
If you are, however, in the market for grey trainers, why not try these?
16. Vestiaire Collective
Vestiaire Collective makes circular fashion not only possible but luxe. The premise is simple—rehome items you’re no longer infatuated with through the world’s leading luxury resale platform. Vestiaire Collective helped forge the pre-loved fashion revolution, with the app connecting sellers peddling vintage and new-season pieces to high-end fashion lovers across the globe. You no longer need to travel to shop at boutiques in cultural hubs like New York and Paris—Vestiaire Collective brings these treasures to the comfort of your home. With over three million items listed, we guarantee there’s something for everyone.
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Vestiaire Collective
Fendi Baguette Cloth Handbag
Further proof that the resale market is a trove for vintage designer bags.
