Green fashion: From the alternative scene to the mainstream

Green fashion today combines eco with lifestyle, ethics and business to create a successful, trendy overall concept. German companies are international leaders in this market.

"Green" is in fashion every season. Photo hessnatur

Green is in fashion. Not so much the colour, more the trend towards producing fashionable textiles in a more environmentally compatible and ethical way in future. All over the world, clothing companies are trying to make the manufacturing process more environmentally friendly and to enforce minimum social standards in production. And in fact it’s more a matter of business success than complying with international regulations–because consumers welcome this development.

Among the internationally successful pioneers in this field are three German companies: hessnatur (a mail-order company for natural fabrics), Klaus Steilmann (once the biggest manufacturers of women’s off-the-peg clothing in Europe) and the Otto Group (the world’s largest mail-order business). In each case the personal convictions of the company’s owner were the deciding factor for this commitment. They were pioneers in the development of know-how, collaborations and standards, both in Germany and in the countries where the relevant crops are grown and the garments are made.

For example, hessnatur initiated the world’s first organic cotton-growing project in Sekem (Egypt) in 1991. Other projects followed in Peru, Senegal, Turkey and Burkina Faso. Hess was also involved in the development of organic linen, virgin wool and silk. Klaus Steilmann contributed to the development and enforcement of ecological quality standards, compostable clothing, chlorine-free viscose, ecologically optimized polyester, environmental management concepts and eco-audits. His daughter’s collection, called “Britta Steilmann–-It’s one world,” brought eco-friendly fashion to the attention of a wide audience.

In 1986, Otto introduced a new corporate goal: a “clear environmental orientation.” Michael Otto’s aim was to reconcile economic targets with ecological and social goals. This led to the implementation of extensive environmental and social management systems. In the company’s own words, 99% of the textile and clothing range today has been tested for harmful substances-–and the clothes cost no more than conventional products. The “Cotton Made in Africa” project–-in which 130,000 small farmers produce 85,000 tons of cotton a year–-aims to help fight poverty and protect the environment in Africa.

Otto has also built a factory in Bangladesh in cooperation with the foundation of Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and father of the microcredit. The aim is not profit maximization, but finding solutions to social and environmental problems. Grameen Otto is the first company of its kind in the world and seeks to be a flagship project for socially and ecologically sustainable business activity.

All three companies have a holistic attitude to their commitment which also
incorporates issues such as the life cycles of products and processes, traffic flows, buildings, paper and sometimes even the meals served in the canteen. For example, Otto has built a logistics centre in the immediate vicinity of Germany’s Mittelland Canal, so that imports from the manufacturing countries can be transported from the port of Hamburg not by truck, but by barge.

These projects have and will continue to set standards that have a great influence on the mass market. For example, carcinogenic AZO dyes have been banned, and today hardly any companies sell clothes that do not meet the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Even major corporations like Wal-Mart, C&A and H&M have followed suit.

There are also numerous small businesses and independent designers who have declared a 100% commitment to “fair fashion." Although they are often limited to simple cotton products, they play a decisive role in increasing the popularity of green fashions. Kirsten Brodde, author of a book called Saubere Sachen (Clean Clothes), estimates that there are 150 small ecolabels in Germany alone.

Whether it’s elegant couture by Inka Koffke or casual wear from such labels as Vilde Svaner or Slowmo, longevity is the key criterion. Kirsten Brodde goes even further: “The really avant-garde thing to do is to ask yourself ‘Do I really need it?’ every time you go out to buy new clothes.”