Heyku.me – Fashion brands come and go, sometimes taking your breath away and other times offering a glimpse into the future. A little known fashion brand that has been making waves lately is Motherhood Maternity. The brand began as a way for women to get closer to their pregnant mothers while still getting fashionable. Now, eight months after the Rana Plaza disaster, hundreds of fast fashion brands have come together to create a mission-oriented, sustainable and ethical fashion brand. Each one has also made it a main component of its mission to approach fashion from an ethical and environmental standpoint that considers both the world and individuals.
High-end and Luxury Fashion Brand Destination
Motherhood Maternity brings together a number of high-end, luxury fashion brands that often come together in the pursuit of one common goal – quality. These include names like Dior, Versace, Fendi, Chanel, Burberry and Prada. While they may not seem too fashion forward for the average woman, all of these fashion houses have decided to work in the interests of Mother Nature by using fair-trade and recycled materials in their garments clothing lines. In addition to their use of natural fibers and materials, many of these brands also offer Fair Trade Certified jeans, shoes and leggings. Not only do these brands provide a level of quality and fashion forward design that can only come from the most prestigious fashion houses in the world, they also contribute towards reducing the impact on Mother Nature.
By participating in Fair Trade programs, these brands are helping to protect the world’s poor and working people. According to estimates, one out of three apparel and textile products in the United States is manufactured using slave, prison, or prison labour. The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to the world’s growing poor and exploited labor force. With a continued reliance on animal products, fashion houses are continuing their efforts to reform themselves and make their clothing more ethically responsible. One notable exception to this is Gucci, which has a history of supporting and respecting the rights of workers and minimizing their impact on the environment. Other fashion industry leaders are watching closely how these changes occur and promoting methods that will benefit the global poor.
Trade Certificate Brand Standardization Requirements
Each Fair Trade certified brand has specific criteria for choosing their clothing and footwear. For instance, each will have minimum standards of overall colour, texture, size, cut and overall quality. While some have more detailed requirements, such as a checklist of materials that the garments must have, there are some who will choose to bypass this altogether and only choose items that pass their own stringent guidelines. However, even those brands that choose to bypass the minimum standards still recognize the importance of Fair Trade branding and want their name to appear with these items. To this end, some of them offer ethical options in their clothing and handbags at the low prices that consumers love.
Dolce & Gabbana is one of the first Italian fashion house brands to be founded upon the principles of Fair Trade. In fact, it was founded by two people: a man from Ghana and an engineer from Tanzania. Both were inspired by the ideas of economic sustainability and social justice and launched their label in 1992. Today, the company boasts over 20 different design studios and produces designer clothes and accessories for women, men and children. The brand became so popular that it expanded to other countries, but its core values remain the same: create beautiful products that inspire courage and respect for all beings.
Italian Luxury Fashion House
Givenchy is another Italian fashion house that has been around since 1970 and is one of the few designer labels to have survived the post-modernist fashion revolution. This Italian luxury fashion house began as a small studio located in an attic in Florence, Italy. However, givenchy quickly realized that the needs of the fashion market had changed and that a new approach was needed in order to stay ahead of the trend. Today, the label produces clothes for both men and women and continues to lead the industry in creativity and quality.
Cia Lenses is a specialized company situated in Milan. The company designs and manufactures both casual and active clothing and footwear for men, women and kids. Its product range includes jackets, cardigans, jeans, sweatshirts, jackets, outerwear, shoes, belts, bags, scarves and handbags. The company’s specialty is a collection of smart jackets that combine style and function. A notable characteristic of the jackets produced by Cia Lenses is the inclusion of a sporty and cool mesh fabric that guarantees optimum ventilation and breathability.
Paul Smith International is yet another Italian luxury fashion house that has been established in Florence, Italy. The brand primarily deals with fashion accessories and has branches in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It is perhaps best recognized for the Paul Smith rings that are exclusively designed and manufactured by the brand. Since opening its first store in Florence in 1990, the company has grown to become a major global player in the fashion accessories industry.