Maurice SkinnerIn a world where sustainability is taking a major role in our lives, society is now shifting its focus to reducing the use of substances harmful to the environment, as well as coming up with better ways to cut down on waste. Companies, NGOs and citizens are coming together in order to create sustainable resources for various areas like our food and automobiles. Sustainable resources for eco-friendly fashion is one of those aspects.
It’s no secret that clothing and materials deemed unusable are thrown and discarded everyday. Fortunately, even fashion companies around the world are becoming more aware of this ever growing issue and putting their incredible talents to good use. Japan is no exception, and many companies have already made ground in establishing sustainable, eco-friendly fashion. Here are a few clothing brands that are making waves within Japan.
Studio Membrane
First on our list of highly fashionable products is Hiroaki Tanaka’s Studio Membrane. Tanaka, who onced worked as a product designer, now designs experimental and out of this world clothing that is also biodegradable. Although his work is made out of biodegradable material, it is built with an intense amount of strength and style that many would consider modern.
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Ten-i muhou
Established in Yokohama in 1993, Ten-i muhou has been around long enough to know the ins and out of the fashion industry. Their company also uses organic cotton within their clothing.
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Ten-i muhou promises to bring only organic products to their customers using various techniques, an organic cotton farm from New Mexico, U.S.A., as well as special dyeing and weaving techniques. The company’s vision for the future is for both humans and nature to live in a continuous harmony by which both sides can benefit.
Since 2009, Ten-i muhou has been a GOTS certified company. GOTS is an international standard that helps define requirements that will always ensure the organic status of textiles. Furthermore, what makes their GOTS certification unique from others is that on-site inspections are also conducted. This makes it superior compared to many other certifications that only perform document inspections.
Newsed
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Newsed is breaking ground in Japan by taking fashion into uncharted territory. Considered an upcycling company, Newsed is taking unwanted, as well as materials that would have been wasted, and turning them into something beautiful. The company not only takes these materials to make fashion items, such as pouch purses and bow ties, it also dedicates itself to an assortment of products. The assortment of products include wallets, trinkets, key chains, book covers, and so on.
One of Newsed’s core principles is to take something that was meant to be waste and put it to good use. The company, which is located in Tokyo, does its best to help us rethink what we as a society thinks about waste, and how we can take waste material and turn it into a beautiful story.
Ashuhari
Ashuhari, another company hailing from Japan, sells stylish clothing for women. According to the company, Ashuhari’s clothing is made with both care and love. The company’s vision is to create clothing that is not only fashionable, but also ecologically sustainable.
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While using sustainable materials, this company is doing its best to bring wearable and environmentally friend fashion to adult women. Based in Tokyo, Ashuhari gives its clothing a lot of love by slowly creating its clothing using materials that are not as harmful to the world around us.
CASA FLINE
CASA FLINE, another women’s fashion brand, has its home base in the traditional city of Kyoto. With their home made products, they have been able to create beautiful garments for any time of year.
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Not only CASA FLINE’s products a sight for sore eyes, but they also are made with the environment in mind. The fashion behind CASA FLINE uses materials that are natural, less harmful to the environment, and fibers that are derived from ecological technology. CASA FLINE also uses surplus material, such as print fabric, that would have otherwise gone to waste. This adds value to their clothing line, because it gives their customers a peace of mind knowing that their purchases are less of a burden on the environment.
LOVST-TOKYO
LOVST-TOKYO is in the business of creating an assortment of products that range from shoes, purses, bags, and watches. Their merchandise isn’t the only thing that makes them special. LOVST-TOKYO is going to great lengths in order to make sure it’s a sustainable company, as well as an eco-friendly one.
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One of its founding foundations is to build something that is not only non-harmful to nature, but the animals dwelling in it. With an enthusiastic team of a international range, LOVST-TOKYO also supports social movements, which include veganism, women’s rights, and LGBT awareness. The company is also going above by also offering a reusable packaging service. This service also helps to reduce waste and plastic emissions. Its “RePack” service aims to cut down on emissions during home and business deliveries.
Wrapping up
Eco-friendly fashion companies are popping up all around the world, and it is great that Japanese fashion companies have also joined in. This will help bring more awareness to how we shop for our clothing, while still keeping up with style at the same time. Because eco-friendly brands in Japan are now at the forefront of bringing sustainable fashion to Japan, it’s only a matter of time before this becomes the norm throughout the country.
More sustainable brands in Japan
- 2024-03-06: 3 eco-friendly wallets from Japan to get this spring
- 2022-09-08: Ethical jewelry brand iriser by women-led Fukushima lampworkers
- 2021-12-03: Well-being and a circularity of gratitude at Konnyaku Shabon Kiyomizu Kyoto
- 2021-08-13: Sustainable, vegan, and zero waste cafe: Kyoto’s riverside cafe Veg Out
