05 Mar

The Most Sustainable Luxury Fashion Brands

It would make perfect sense to assume that paying more for clothing and supporting luxury brands is a more ethical way to shop. Somehow, the hefty price tags that come with designer items must (at least in part) signify the items’ ethical production, right? Unfortunately, this is generally not the case, and many designer brands have rather damaging practices that continue to hurt our planet and its inhabitants!

The good news is that a growing number of environmentally-conscious luxury brands offer high-quality and beautiful pieces that are also sustainably and ethically made. If you are looking to splurge on your next staple piece, here are some of the most sustainable luxury fashion brands for you to browse.

Our favourite ethical and sustainable luxury brands

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good

No list of luxury ethical brands would be complete without including Stella McCartney. This was the first vegetarian luxury label in the world and has become synonymous with ethical luxury. McCartney was the first to bring environmentally conscious high fashion to the catwalk and is living proof that designers can create hugely popular clothing and accessories with sustainable practices, while respecting animal rights and our planet as a whole.

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Shop Stella McCartney @ LVR Sustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Kids Pre-Owned @ Retykle.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

Opera Campi

Rated: Good

Founded in 2017, Italian brand Opera Campi creates premium quality garments from locally-sourced raw materials. By using a balanced approach to sustainability, the brand makes conscious choices throughout its supply chain and donates 4% of its profits to social causes. The brand is inclusively sized from 3XS-3XL.

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Shop Opera Campi.

One Vintage

Rated: Good

Founded by Marcelle Symons in 2000, One Vintage has now become an iconic luxury vintage shop based on London’s Portobello Road. The shop lovingly transforms antique textiles and relics to create contemporary and modern luxury pieces, all while preserving the rich beading and embroidery that was once hand-crafted.

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Shop One Vintage.

Edeline Lee

Rated: Good

Edeline Lee is a London based brand that features ready-to-wear collections that are structured, feminine, and for the future lady. Her pieces are designed with a soul, made with quality and meaning, made to fit well to lift the best out of you.

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Shop Edeline Lee.

By Walid

Rated: Good

Luxury label By Walid embraces the artisanal skills of owner Walid al Damirji and a small team who hand-make garments in-house using antique materials.

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Shop By Walid @ Fartfetch.

Teatum Jones

Rated: Good

Teatum Jones is the luxury London-based label of Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones.  Teatum Jones is known for its bold colours and textures with beautiful knitwear and flowing dresses.  They're also a favourite of Good On You supporter Emma Watson, who wore a stunning blue suit by the label to the recent G7 summit.

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Shop Teatum Jones.

Arnsdorf

Rated: Good
A woman with a cream blouse with puffy sleeves and black buttons.

Arnsdorf is a Melbourne and New York-based label by designer Jade Sarita Arnott, who brings a background in sculpture to her sharp but feminine designs. Arnsdorf uses some eco-friendly textiles such as organic cotton, Tencel and hemp, and minimises waste by producing only small runs of each line. Its clothes are all made in-house in Melbourne and it traces most of its supply chain. Find the garments in sizes S-L.

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Shop Arnsdorf.

Maggie Marilyn

Rated: Good

Need-to-know designer Maggie Marilyn’s clothes are defined by her strong sense of luxury and fresh point of view. Inspired to create collections that are sustainable as well as beautiful, the New Zealand-based label utilizes organic cottons and ethically produced silks to craft effortlessly glamorous designs. Sizes available are XS-L.

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Shop Maggie Marilyn @ Farfetch.

Shop Maggie Marilyn Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Maggie Marilyn.

Bianca Spender

Rated: Good

Bianca Spender is Australian fashion royalty, who has taken sustainability into the heart of her label. From smart workwear to statement gowns, this is a label that employs the highest standards of design and quality. Bianca Spender uses deadstock fabric and natural fibres, making all her garments in Ethical Clothing Australia-accredited factories. Find the range in S-L.

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Shop Bianca Spender.

RVDK

Rated: Good
RVDKBrand dress

RVDK is a sustainable couture label that is revolutionising the fashion industry’s wasteful practices, and hopes to lead the way to one day change the industry as a whole. Founded in 2015, its collection is aimed to be seasonless and timeless. Each piece is ethically made with high-end existing materials and leftovers.

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Shop RVDK.

RIANNA + NINA

Rated: Good

RIANNA + NINA was formed after its founders met by chance at a vintage furniture fair and bonded over their shared love for vintage fabrics and bond prints. Today, the Berlin-based duo creates their eclectic clothing collection from repurposed vintage fabrics that are rich and bold in colour, and crafts every piece in Germany.

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Shop RIANNA + NINA.

Aiayu

Rated: Good

Danish sustainable luxury brand Aiayu offers building blocks to a conscious home and wardrobe, with an emphasis on quality and time enduring designs. Established in 2015, Aiayu products are created with care for the environment, its workers, and the wearer. The brand embodies its belief that the combination of a product’s origins, sustainable production, and environmental impact are equally as vital as its aesthetes.

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Shop Aiayu.

FH Christensen

Rated: Good
woman wearing orange FH Christensen jumpsuit

Sustainable and ethical brand, FH Christensen, believes that fashion should represent good causes and promote positive messages, sustainability, and ethics. Manufacturing its pieces in London, it has set out to push boundaries; crafting sustainable luxury garments with ethical procedures without compromising on quality. The brand is an advocate for change as it works to ensure manufacturing is plastic-free, and leave the smallest carbon footprint possible.

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Shop FH Christensen.

Chopova Lowena

Rated: Good

Chopova Lowena is an English-Bulgarian brand that juxtaposes Bulgarian traditional outfits with the unexpected 1980s rock-climbing style to create eclectic ready-to-wear pieces. The brand’s manufacturing techniques remain entirely authentic, while implementing sustainable practices throughout its processes and production chain.

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Shop Chopova Lowena.

These are just some of the brands that are changing how we look at luxury fashion. They are proof that designers can (and should) ensure the clothing they deliver to us is of the highest quality while still respecting and protecting our planet and all living creatures. Quality, fair trade, and environmentally-friendly practices should be the trademark and norm for all clothing brands! So while expensive clothing doesn’t necessarily come with a guarantee of ethical practices right now, with the rise of more conscious luxury brands like these, someday—hopefully soon—it will.

Vintage luxury fashion

Shopping second hand is one of the most sustainable choices you can make when it comes to fashion. By purchasing something pre-loved, your hard-earned money isn’t directly contributing to the resource-heavy production of brand new garments. Instead, you are keeping clothes from landfill by giving them a second life.

Whether you’re on the hunt for a cult-classic Burberry trench but don’t want to buy from the brand directly, or you’d love to support animal-friendly luxury brand Stella McCartney but balk at the price tag, pre-owned may be the way to go.

Next time you’re in your favourite second-hand shop, why not have a look for luxury and designer labels? You never know what unique treasures you might find. If you prefer shopping for vintage items online we recommend looking at Vestiaire Collective!

When in doubt, rent it out

Nowadays, many websites allow you to rent dresses, items, and bags for an event, so think about this option next time you want to dazzle the crowd or add a touch of glam to your outfit!

Author bio: Christine is a lawyer and an aspiring minimalist. She enjoys reading, travelling and discovering new ways to build a more sustainable and eco-friendly wardrobe and lifestyle.

Editor's note

Feature image via Unsplash, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet and animals. Use Good On You to search thousands of rated brands. We may earn a commission on sales made using our offer codes or affiliate links.

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