10 responsible fashion brands made in Italy

 

 

Italy is famous not only for the beauty for its breath-taking landscapes but also for its art, opera, architecture, films, food and fashion. Italy is considered the birthplace of Western civilization along with Greece and has the right credentials to be considered a cultural superpower. Looks like Italians are good at many things, but sadly, sustainability isn’t one of them.

Most big cities are filled with smog all year long and Italy is the second country in the world for bottled water consumption, according to the data provided by Censis. However, things have started to change in past few years, especially in the realm of fashion. 

 

There are more and more conscious fashion labels here in Italy that are trying to prove that one doesn’t need to sacrifice ethics for aesthetic.  Here we’ve rounded up the top 10 sustainable fashion brands from Italy.

 
 

 

Emroce 

If you are in the market for high quality, surf friendly, zero waste swimwear look no further. Emma La Rocca, swimwear designer and founder of EMROCE is a New Zealander that lives in Como, a city where you’ll find Italy’s most famous and beautiful lake. Their swimwear is made with a recycled, high quality Italian fabric called ECONYL®. All designs are meant to be simple and functional, nothing is made for pure aesthetics. These swimsuits and bikinis are pure class and their minimal designs makes them timeless and performing.  Go ahead and check their collection, you’ll find something to take with you on your next trip!

 

Progetto Quid 

Progetto Quid is a social enterprise founded in 2013 in Verona. It provides safe employment to disadvantage people, mainly women, who have faced very difficult situations such as drug addiction, alcoholism, abuse, human trafficking and have hard time finding a job. They cultivate the often unexplored talent of these people and help them grow professionally and personally by involving them in the production of beautiful and sustainable clothes and accessories. Their clothes are made with high quality surplus fabrics that are donated by carefully selected textile companies. All of their pieces are fun, unique and incredibly stylish.

 

La Pina veste 

Technology, ecology and ethics: these are La Pina veste's core values. They make their cutting-edge, minimal and modern clothes in Italy from ECONYL®, a form of nylon made with recycled and regenerated post-consumer waste including abandoned fishing nets, carpets and rigid textiles, Newlife, a type of recycled polyester made from post-consumer plastic water bottles and RECOVER® a blend of upcycled cotton and virgin organic cotton.  

 
 

 

CasaGin

Located in the medieval city of Padua, this brand produces sustainable underwear, lounge wear and swimwear. Their products are 100% Made in Italy with biodegradable vegetable fibres, that are the best for your skin and the environment. Tencel and Lenzing, derive respectively from eucalyptus and beech wood, and are not only soft and but also incredibly absorbing and resistant. Their beautiful and feminine Eco lace is made of Global Recycle Standard, Eu Ecolabel e Oeko-Tex STD 100 certified regenerated fibre. CasaGin is where beauty and comfort meet! 

 

Quagga 

Prioritizing sustainability does not mean giving up on comfort or aesthetics: that’s Quagga’s philosophy. This brand from Turin makes timeless, durable and functional outerwear with eco-friendly and vegan materials.  Suppliers and materials are carefully selected: the only fabric they use is Bluesign certified 100% recycled polyester, and the thermal wadding is also made of recycled fibre. Their products are 100% Made in Italy and no harmful substances responsible for allergies and potentially carcinogenic can be found in them. With their classy yet minimal designs Quagga’s pieces we’ll be your best friends during the colder months. 

 

Tu&Tu

Tu&Tu is a clothing brand that does not harm humans, animals or the environment. The founder Roberta Gentile has carefully selected materials with a small environmental footprint: certified organic cotton and linen, bamboo, hemp and recycled polyester. Their products are entirely made in Italy to closely monitor all stages of the production process and ensure compliance with the safety and health conditions of the workers. Classy, edgy and feminine are the best words to describe their clothes. 

 
 

 

Rifò

This young Tuscan start-up creates garments and accessories made entirely in Italy, by local artisans, with regenerated wool and cashmere. They collect old clothes and shred them to make a new fibre, then they transform the latter into a new yarn that is used to make new beautiful, soft and high-quality garments. By giving a new life to old clothes they save on CO2, water and energy. Circular economy at its finest. 

 

Par.co denim 

At Par.co denim they are very passionate about craftsmanship and sustainability.  Their versatile jeans are made of the highest quality organic cotton that is spinned, weaved, warped and dyed on historical looms in Japan and in Italy by GOTS, OEKO-TEX, SA8100 certified firms. This material is then cut and sewn near Bergamo by Italian craftsmen who have been making denim for 3 generations. Now you know where to get yourself a gorgeous of ethically made, vegan jeans!  

 

Amorilla 

Just a year ago Camilla Mendini, an Italian designer and content creator, launched Amorilla. This brand’s mission is to rediscover textile traditions and resume them to create clothing that is truly sustainable in all its aspects. All of their pieces are handmade in India by a family-run factory and in Verona (Italy) by two women who opened a small tailoring lab as a way to celebrate life itself after they survived cancer.  The fabrics they use are natural, sustainable and preferably local. The patterns of their Indian collection are so unique and summery, you’ll want to wear them every day from June to September. The packaging is made of fabric scraps and their mailers are made of 100% Recycled Poly.

 

Souldaze 

This Roman clothing brand was founded in 2015 by Domitilla Mattei, a designer whose beliefs reflect on this brand’s approach to sustainability. They offer high-quality limited edition collections made from surplus or vintage fabrics. This brand is the Italian Reformation with its boho, feminine and body hugging designs.  All their garments are designed and manufactured in Rome and almost 80% of their suppliers are local, the rest is based in Italy. You will fall in love with this romantic brand! 

 

+ Words: Roberta Fabbrocino

Roberta Fabbrocino is an entrepreneur and a sustainability advocate. She is the co-founder of @mosclothingsubscription, an online personal styling service that helps you transition to slow fashion and to build a high quality, sustainable wardrobe.

Instagram:  @naturallybree