Excellent sustainable fashion
T-shirts made of wood, recyclable outdoor gear, fair shirts from Africa und fashion, that is individual in every respect - we present four excellent ideas.
wijld: wood you wear it?
T-shirts made of wood…might make you think of brittle chips rather than fine threads. But the WoodShirts produced by the start-up wijld prove the opposite. The fabric made from wood fibres is softer than cotton, more stable and – like a functional material – can absorb and release moisture better. This keeps the wooden shirts fresh for longer. They are also more environmentally friendly: large quantities of water and pesticides are used in conventional cotton production. Not so in sustainable forestry, where wijld gets the wood for its clothing. The shirts are produced only in Europe and under fair working conditions. This start-up combines fashion and sustainability – for the common good.
wasni: Custom-tailored and social
At the social start-up ‘wasni: wenn anders sein normal ist’ (when being different is normal), people with and without disabilities design and produce fashion that, like them, doesn’t correspond to the norm. Using a configurator tool, customers can configure their own jumpers and hooded jackets according to their personal taste and physical size at no extra charge, directly in the store or online shop. Each item is handmade from organic cotton. The social enterprise not only creates individual, environmentally friendly clothing, but also local jobs – for people with and without disabilities. A contribution to inclusion and social solidarity.
VAUDE: For a ‘green’ second skin
From coat to rucksack to shoes – all of it sustainably manufactured and wearable for every occasion. The Green Shape Core Collection shows what is possible in the field of sustainable outdoor gear. Around 90 percent of the materials that VAUDE uses for the fair production of this collection are bio-based, recyclable or purely natural materials. Another thing all the products have in common: their functional design makes them suitable for many outdoor activities – from snowboarding to mountain hikes. This saves consumers money and allows them to enjoy nature with a clear conscience. This sustainable line of clothing conserves resources and, among other things, avoids the problem of microplastics commonly associated with outdoor functional clothing.
Kipepeo: Little drawers, big goals
It all began when little Abigail gifted her German tutor a picture she painted herself. He had it printed on T-shirts and sold it to pay the girl's school fees. This gave rise to the Stuttgart-based social enterprise Kipepeo, which is supported by a strong network of helpers. Today it has fairly produced organic cotton T-shirts manufactured in Tanzania and printed in Germany with drawings of Tanzanian girls and boys. Kipepeo is using the proceeds to pay for school fees and materials as well the construction of new school buildings in Africa.
More good ideas from Germany: Germany – Land of Ideas
