Believe it or not, the biggest contributor to pollution and climate change is the fashion industry. This might give us consumers pause and the spur to make a change – but each of us cutting back on some clothes, bags and accessories, isn’t gonna help.
Thankfully, local companies are already setting the standard by employing eco-friendly materials in their clothing and leading the way. This covers biodegradable, recyclable materials and packaging. So if you’d love to do mother nature some good and convert to a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle – and still look lit – then add these Malaysian fashion brands to your list.
The Modest Brand
Diversity and sustainability are the main values of this brand.
The Modest Brand is a modest athleisure label that caters to today’s ladies by providing them with stylish and cosy apparel. They work to support a community that feels that modesty, regardless of backgrounds and beliefs, is a kind of liberation rather than constraint in an effort to redefine the modest fashion industry. This company, which places a priority on helping the environment, uses recycled materials in all of its goods and packaging. Its clothing, which is produced from recycled cotton, polyester, and nylon, is meant to be comfortable for women of all sizes and shapes, whether they are exercising, relaxing at home, or running errands.
They base their collections on three main themes: Beyond the Gym, Homest Feel, and The ATH Icons, which capture the spirit of athleisure apparel while enhancing it for daily attire. The designs are meant to ensure freedom of mobility as well as freedom of style, with equal portions of comfort and style. Although it’s not yet fully sustainable, The Modest Brand is working towards this goal by constantly innovating and taking into account all the steps in the manufacturing chain.
Terrae
Think cute, quality and sustainable activewear!
With workout pieces that are strong, enduring, and classic, this activewear combines practicality with sustainability. In addition to using Econyl regenerated nylon, a material created entirely from recycled fishing nets and fabric scraps, Terrae also uses sustainable packaging, FSC-certified tags and collateral sleeves, plant-based garment bags that are completely biodegradable, and recyclable envelopes. They found their activities not only reduced trash but also reused already existing home wastes, going beyond simply turning daily food waste into colours. T-shirts, tote bags, scrunchies, and scarves from TwoFrens are available for purchase; you can find more information on their Instagram profile.
FERN
The brand was established in 2015 by Fern Chua, who was also the winner of the Malaysian company MyCreative Ventures’ Fashion Pitch competition in 2013. It is renowned for its distinctive, one-of-a-kind designs that also pay homage to Malaysian culture. Sustainability is a constant goal for FERN. They commit to it every day through various activities. They do it in three ways:
- Upcycling: turning leftover textiles into lovely new things that go well with their pieces, you may give them new life.
- Reduced waste pattern-making philosophy: Their entire textile line is painstakingly hand painted by craftsmen. Together with their upcycling efforts, the firm makes every attempt to use every portion of the fabric when creating patterns for their apparel as a sign of respect for the art and to lessen their environmental impact. By doing this, the least amount of cloth is wasted.
- On-demand orders: In addition to their Ready-To-Wear selection, a sizable amount of their products are produced locally as needed. This avoids overproduction and guarantees that every piece of their artwork finds a loving home.
TwoFrens
When it comes to recycling food waste like orange peel, vegetable stems, and banana peel, one way is to use them as compost. Yet, there is another application for such waste, and TwoFrens is attempting to achieve this by employing natural materials as fabric dye for their products. In the fashion industry, textile dye is undoubtedly one of the worst polluters that has had devastating consequences on environments and nearby communities. Hence, TwoFrens creates its line of clothing and accessories using natural colours derived from beetroot, flowers, and other sources rather than dangerous chemicals.
OZERO Swimwear
OZERO Swimwear is an eco-friendly brand designed by Russian model Elena Cheurina, who is based in Kuala Lumpur. Elena was inspired by the designers she worked with and saw how much love and passion they put into their works while living and working as a model, mostly in tropical places. As a result, she made the decision to launch Ozero Swimwear, a brand designed specifically for tropical living.
Fun fact: in Russian, OZERO means “lake”, hence why each swimwear style in their collection bears the name of a lake in Russia and around the world, such as Baikal, Ladoga, Rotorua, Malawi, Como and more. ECONYL®, a recycled nylon fibre made from salvaged plastic waste like fishing nets and industrial plastic, is used in the creation of Ozero Swimwear items. In addition to offering great form retention, chlorine and suntan cream resistance, and UV protection, this finest Italian fabric is also remarkably soft and long-lasting.
MUNI
MUNI is an artisanal natural dye clothing line that specialises in hand-dying fabrics with tropical plants. Also, this environmentally friendly brand aims to uplift people’s spirits by using earth-based hues. Wearing MUNI honours the people, process, and planet while uplifting your emotions with handcrafted, raw plant dyes.
A little bit of history: MUNI began its adventure in 2017 when its founder, Muni Osman, went on a trip to Bali that changed his life and inspired him to rediscover his roots and appreciate living in the tropics. As a means of expressing their culture, the people of Bali would inventively use common natural resources to create stunning and detailed artwork. Muni also believed that the company could give customers, from all walks of life, a way to express their connection to nature through clothing. Besides clothing, MUNI also produces tote bag and pouches that come in amazing designs and colourways.
Frankitas
Francisca Turner Shaik, better known as Franki, founded Frankitas in 2014 after giving birth to her three children in Malaysia. The company’s founder wanted to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces while also working to create a sustainable community of weavers throughout Asia and beyond.
Frankitas, known for their striking and lovely batik bags, also makes colourful, artisanal accessories. The firm helps skilled local artisans from Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, India, and Central Asia produce their handmade goods in the interests of maintaining regional culture and customs. No two items are exactly the same thanks to the use of traditional textile themes like Ikat, Batik, Songket, Tenun, and Rangrang, and that’s part of their appeal!
Talee
Sustainable design company Talee, based in Malaysia, crafts one-of-a-kind, architecturally-inspired tassel earrings from natural, eco-friendly materials. Interestingly, the Malay word tali (Talee) translates to rope and denotes strength, hope, and human ties. Similar to how her father’s brain injury was treated, founder Lorraine Lee got the idea for the earrings from the act of tying knots.
Wustler
Exclusive lifestyle company Wustler® caters to all women. Every woman should be raised, according to the company, especially during the most crucial hours of the day: sleeping, working, and everything in between. Wustler concentrates on developing exclusive collections of classic, trend-defying, opulent yet reasonably priced loungewear, sleepwear, and essential items with this in mind. Dreamy, incredibly soft, and permeable, their unique silky fabric blend of Rayon and Viscose – a regenerated cellulose fiber created from wood pulp – is their secret weapon. For extra personal touches, Wulster also provides a complimentary customising service.
