Restoring Ecosystems through Regenerative Fashion

For decades, the fashion industry has been a global epicenter of innovation, artistic expression and creativity.

However in recent years, more and more industry leaders have shifted their attention towards ethics and sustainability. Big brands are beginning to realize that fashion is not just about aesthetics — it’s also about assessing the impact our choices can have on the environment and our planet as a whole.

Regenerative fashion is one of those movements that are an outcrop of this new way of thinking. And it has the power to change the industry for the better.

But what does regenerative fashion entail and how does it affect all of us working in this fast-paced, evolving and dynamic industry?

If you are wondering this, we’d like to present an industry-wide movement that doesn’t only make consumers look good, but also feel good.

What is Regenerative Fashion?

At its core, regenerative fashion is all about making products in a way that supports healthy soil and regenerative agriculture. Even though regenerative fashion is an umbrella term used to indicate a variety of practices, its main focus is to allow the soil to actively heal and recover.

This way, regenerative fashion goes one step beyond sustainability. It directly addresses the root cause of the problem through regenerative agriculture by preserving soil health, biodiversity, and ecological harmony.

To understand this, we first need to get a grasp of regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is a farming practice that involves giving back to the environment. It makes sure that the land used for agriculture is not exploited blindly. There are certain principles associated with regenerative agriculture that make regenerative fashion a green flag for the environment:

1. Soil Health: Soil fertility level is maintained by not overloading it with monoculture crops. It includes practices such as crop rotation and no tilling which allow the soil to breathe and recover. Moreover, cover crops are used to prevent erosion and provide nourishment to the soil.
   
2. Biodiversity: Soil biodiversity is preserved both above and underground by avoiding the use of any harmful chemicals and not killing any beneficial insects, earthworms or microorganisms which enrich the nutrient matter of soil.
   
3. Water Management: The water retention capacity of soil is increased by improving soil structure, implementing drainage strategies and using more organic matter while farming. This keeps the soil healthy and decreases the need for mechanical water sources to keep the soil hydrate and controls water wastage.

Apart from these three major principles, regenerative agriculture uses many other methods to ensure that the environment is at peace.

Regenerative Farming practices promote soil health & biodiversity.

Why Regenerative Fashion?

Every major industry in the world is transforming itself to align with the idea of sustainable development and environmental growth. Since the fashion industry occupies a giant space among these industries, regenerative fashion is a bold way to be involved in this revolution. Regenerative fashion represents a shift in our approach — from simply catering to endless trends and consumer demand to perceiving fashion as a tool to create change and produce something meaningful that stands the test of time.

Moreover, it creates a powerful narrative for your brand — one that doesn’t just create fashion for today but is mindful of tomorrow. By adopting regenerative practices in your production, you are demonstrating your thoughtfulness and consideration towards the environment and our planet’s future.

Hence, regenerative fashion is not only good for the brand but also for the consumer that supports it.

Important Certifications Involving Regenerative Fashion

Certifications are a great way for brands to identify themselves as companies which are following sustainable practices. These certifications help create a positive brand image in consumer’s minds. They serve as a seal of trust among your customers.

Below are some of the important certifications you should consider if you want to market your brand as a regenerative fashion brand:

1. Global Recycle Standard (GRS): A certification that strictly makes sure that the recycled content is environmentally friendly.
   
2. EU Ecolabel: A special certification that ensures the product is environment friendly and is made of both natural and synthetic fiber textiles. It focuses on the development of truly “green” products that are made using sustainable processes and regenerative farming practices that are less polluting to the environment.
   
3. Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC): Regenerative Organic Certified is a revolutionary new certification for food, textiles, and personal care products. It ensures that farms and products meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and worker fairness.

Brands Pursuing Regenerative Fashion

Many investors are seeing regenerative fashion as the fashion of tomorrow. Due to the increasing consumer awareness, a lot of brands are emerging that solely work on regenerative fashion. Take Patagnia, for instance. Patagonia is an established sustainable apparel brand known for its clothing made from regenerative organic cotton. Its products come with a Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), further establishing trust in the market. The outdoors apparel brand has partnered with the Rodale Institute to create the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Similar partnerships have been forged with Dr Bronner’s and EARTH University to promote regenerative organic agriculture. Christy Dawn is another fashion brand who embraces regenerative farming practices. The brand works with Oshadi Collective, a farm in South India, as their regenerative partner. Together, they have created a Farm-to-Closet collection which is made using regenerative organic cotton. Harvest & Mill is another big name in the regenerative fashion market due to its ethical production values and continuous efforts towards increasing the sustainability of its products. The brand uses regenerative organic cotton which is sustainable and compostable. They work directly with regenerative organic cotton farmers, heritage mills and family-owned operations all based in the US. Their aim is to rebuild American supply chains.

These are just some of the leading regenerative fashion brands that are transparent regarding their natural footprint. As consumers become increasingly aware of their lifestyle and fashion choices, we find these brands gaining an edge over others. However, regenerative fashion doesn’t have to be limited to a few handful brands.

By taking small steps such as sourcing materials from regenerative farms or partnering with local farmers who follow regenerative practices, any brand can become a regenerative fashion brand.

Add to that a transparent approach with consumers and meaningful partnerships with other brands to do the same, regenerative fashion can become a larger fashion movement that coalises and revolutionizes the entire fashion industry.

Brands are starting to offer exclusive collections of regenerative fashion.

Fashion of the Future, For the Future

The beauty and effectiveness of regenerative fashion lies in the fact that customers can wear the change that they want to be a part of. The positive impact it creates on our society uplifts one’s brand image and distinctly shows the brands and designers taking climate change seriously.

Regenerative fashion is not just another passing trend. It shows our deep commitment towards our environment and the planet we call home. As more brands and designers begin to adopt regenerative fashion practices into their product lines and core business models, we will soon witness a transformation in the fashion industry — shifting away from an industry that extracts and exploits natural resources to one that exists in harmony with the natural world. And luckily, that day isn’t too far away.