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Paris is becoming a major actor in the transition towards a more sustainable fashion industry. It’s also home to numerous conscious fashion labels that are not only trendy but are also more respectful of people, the planet, and animals. Here are 12 of our favourite sustainable clothing brands from Paris.
It’s a fashion revolution
More than 200 years after the storming of the Bastille, Paris (read: Par-ee) is undergoing another French Revolution—and this time, it’s about fashion.
France’s metropolis has been the fashion capital for decades now, long before Emily set a foot in Paris. The city is where Haute Couture was born and where fashion is constantly being reinvented.
But in recent years, the Parisian fashion scene has turned a little greener, with the city now aiming to become a sustainable fashion supporter and hopefully a significant actor in the movement in the coming years.
The city has released a plan to become more sustainable by 2024. It will implement Paris Good Fashion over the next few years, an initiative to make the French fashion industry more eco-friendly and ethical. Galeries Lafayette, the iconic department store, has launched Go For Good, a movement dedicated to promoting sustainable and ethical brands. France also has passed legislation banning companies from destroying unsold clothes and electronics.
The City of Love is also home to an increasing number of more sustainable and ethical labels that are not only super à la mode but are also more respectful of people, the planet, and animals.
What makes a fashion brand more ethical than others?
Long story short, a responsible brand makes sure it positively affects our Earth and its inhabitants.
A more ethical brand ensures its workers are treated fairly across the supply chain. This includes policies and practices on child labour, forced labour, worker safety, the right to join a union, and payment of a living wage.
A more sustainable brand also cares about its use of resources and energy, reducing its carbon emissions, impact on our waterways, and using and disposing of chemicals safely.
Finally, a conscious brand uses no or very few animal products, like wool, leather, fur, angora, down feather, shearling, karakul, and exotic animal skin and hair. Ideally, the brand is 100% vegan.
Now that you know what to look for to determine whether a brand is more ethical or not, you might decide to shop from companies located in your country or city. Whether it is to support your local communities or reduce your carbon footprint when shopping online, shopping locally has many great benefits.
So if you live in Paris, you might wonder which clothing brands are doing better. We know how you feel, which is why we compiled this list of “Good” or “Great” rated fashion brands from the City of Love.
Not from Paris? Check out our favourite brands from:
- France at large
- the USA (including brands from California, LA, and New York)
- Canada
- Europe (and more specifically from Belgium, Spain and Portugal, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, and Switzerland)
- the UK (and brands from London)
- Australia and New Zealand
