Everyone is talking about sustainability. But what are we actually doing about it? When the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally harmful industries in the world, we need to do more than slap an ‘eco-friendly’ tag onto a t-shirt.
Awareness is a good place to start, but now that an ever-increasing number of consumers know the facts, it’s time to put more emphasis on the ‘how’, and not only the ‘what’. Transparency is key.
Here is a little more information toward that goal: a quick presentation of some of our partners, our manufacturers, and our choice of fabrics.
SUSTAINABILITY: THE HOW, THE WHO, AND THE WHAT
About our manufacturers:
Most of our clothes are made in Portugal, a global leader in sustainable manufacturing. Since the early 2000’s, Portugal’s apparel and footwear industries have tripled in size- they boast similar, high quality craftsmanship to France and Italy, though with a more competitive market, and smaller, decentralised (human-sized) production centers. Their proximity to other European cultural capitals also ensures lower shipping times and reduced emissions.
True sustainability comes when the entire chain of production is sustainable. To ensure our garments are made using clean processes, the manufacturers we have chosen to work with are required by law to recycle their waste appropriately, re-use treatable water, use alternative energy as much as possible, and follow fair trade labor practices.
Most of our clothes are made in Portugal, a global leader in sustainable manufacturing. Since the early 2000’s, Portugal’s apparel and footwear industries have tripled in size- they boast similar, high quality craftsmanship to France and Italy, though with a more competitive market, and smaller, decentralised (human-sized) production centers. Their proximity to other European cultural capitals also ensures lower shipping times and reduced emissions.
True sustainability comes when the entire chain of production is sustainable. To ensure our garments are made using clean processes, the manufacturers we have chosen to work with are required by law to recycle their waste appropriately, re-use treatable water, use alternative energy as much as possible, and follow fair trade labor practices.
About our partners:
Over the last few seasons, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with pioneering brands such as Klean Kanteen and Millet. PHIPPS is still a young brand- and we’ve made sure to grow by learning from the best.
French brand Millet is a near century-old, high performance mountaineering institution. Not only do they continue to push the boundaries of high-performance sportswear technologies and fabrics, they are also committed to responsible manufacturing. For example, 82% of their upcoming FW 2021 will be certified low impact. That means the pieces will be made using recycled, cruelty-free, or organic materials. Our Millet x PHIPPS capsule sourced materials exclusively from the Millet archive- a perfect solution which allows for creative and technical innovation, without producing new things.
A true blueprint for ecological and purposeful products, Klean Kanteen is a family-owned, California-based business which has changed the way Americans drink water. Though that might sound strange, it is not an overstatement: back in the early 2000’s, you couldn’t buy a reusable, stainless steel water bottle in the United States.
Just like us, Klean Kanteen is a member of “1% for the planet”- an organisation which pledges 1% of its sales to environmental causes.
Over the last few seasons, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with pioneering brands such as Klean Kanteen and Millet. PHIPPS is still a young brand- and we’ve made sure to grow by learning from the best.
French brand Millet is a near century-old, high performance mountaineering institution. Not only do they continue to push the boundaries of high-performance sportswear technologies and fabrics, they are also committed to responsible manufacturing. For example, 82% of their upcoming FW 2021 will be certified low impact. That means the pieces will be made using recycled, cruelty-free, or organic materials. Our Millet x PHIPPS capsule sourced materials exclusively from the Millet archive- a perfect solution which allows for creative and technical innovation, without producing new things.
A true blueprint for ecological and purposeful products, Klean Kanteen is a family-owned, California-based business which has changed the way Americans drink water. Though that might sound strange, it is not an overstatement: back in the early 2000’s, you couldn’t buy a reusable, stainless steel water bottle in the United States.
Just like us, Klean Kanteen is a member of “1% for the planet”- an organisation which pledges 1% of its sales to environmental causes.
About our materials:
Forget polyester or nylon- these widely used materials are not only bad for the planet, they’re bad for your health. Here are some examples of the materials we use, to name only a few.
Cupro is an artificial plant-based fiber obtained by treating cotton extract. It’s been around for a long time, but is only just gaining traction. By using parts of the cotton plant which are usually discarded, cupro is a zero-waste product.
Hemp, a more popular plant-based alternative, is an extremely durable and versatile fabric that uses 50% less water as compared to cotton.
Wool is entirely regenerative, and naturally breaks down in water and soil. For our FW20 sweaters, we used shetland wool- wool from the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It’s a high-quality wool perfect for heavy knits.
ECONYL is a regenerated nylon, made from sea plastics. It allows us to create new products without using new resources, all the while ridding the oceans of waste.
Forget polyester or nylon- these widely used materials are not only bad for the planet, they’re bad for your health. Here are some examples of the materials we use, to name only a few.
Cupro is an artificial plant-based fiber obtained by treating cotton extract. It’s been around for a long time, but is only just gaining traction. By using parts of the cotton plant which are usually discarded, cupro is a zero-waste product.
Hemp, a more popular plant-based alternative, is an extremely durable and versatile fabric that uses 50% less water as compared to cotton.
Wool is entirely regenerative, and naturally breaks down in water and soil. For our FW20 sweaters, we used shetland wool- wool from the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It’s a high-quality wool perfect for heavy knits.
ECONYL is a regenerated nylon, made from sea plastics. It allows us to create new products without using new resources, all the while ridding the oceans of waste.
Sustainability has become a buzzword, and we’re hoping it will last. At PHIPPS, we’re constantly working on making our products better and greener, but we can always do more.
You can read more about our commitment to environmental responsibility in our Sustainability Report.
You can read more about our commitment to environmental responsibility in our Sustainability Report.
