Calling all shopaholics! Get ready! From Boxing Day up until the middle of January, sales and discounts up to 80% will make a trip to the shops very, very tempting! One of the many lessons we took away from 2019 is the unsustainability of the fast fashion industry. The production processes and the materials used are detrimental to the current climate emergency, and the industry’s employees are widely exploited. To help you be more conscious in your fashion purchases during this year’s January sales period, we’ve put together a list of ethical Brighton-based labels that you can’t afford literally) to miss!
Zola Amour: 23 Dukes Lane, Brighton BN1 1BG
Using sustainable materials such as bamboo, recycled hemp and organic cotton, this mother and daughter duo is on a mission to defeat fast fashion, one ethical garment at a time. Ranging from £4 to just over £100, their clothes and accessories are on a par with most high-street brands. Founding Director Emily Evans believes, with regards to the recent rise in ethical fashion, that “a change is coming, that people are waking up, wanting better for our world and are consciously choosing to save it, not destroy it”. So bag a guilt-free bargain here at Zola Amour’s January sale, and you too can be part of this positive and necessary environmental movement.
Lucy & Yak: 101 Gloucester Rd, Brighton BN1 4AP
If a vibrant pair of ethically-made dungarees is what you’re after, this is the place for you. This Brighton shop is not only renowned for their colourful garments, they also stock a wide variety of useful accessories, such as mesh grocery bags and reusable beeswax food wraps. Located in the heart of the North Laine, with its iconic bright pink walls, Lucy & Yak is the ideal place to take advantage of the January sales. Choose something from their ‘rail of dreams’, which offers prices that will make it easy to ditch fast fashion.
Flock: 46 Sydney Street, Brighton BN1 4EP
Also located in the North Laine, this Brighton boutique stocks vintage and handmade clothes and accessories from local ethical labels including Pick Up Sticks, Palomita and The Emperor’s Old Clothes. You’re bound to come across some great vintage finds here, especially if you venture through to Flock’s conservatory at the back of the shop, where you’ll discover even more ethical clothing and homeware.
The FAIR Shop: 21 Queens Rd, Brighton BN1 3XA
After opening their doors 12 years ago on Queen’s Road, FAIR was one of the first shops in Brighton specialising in fair trade fashion, selling items that aim to protect the environment and the industry’s workers. FAIR stocks clothes by innovative brands such as Ruby Moon, who re-purpose fishing nets by turning them into durable activewear and swimwear. All items sold in this shop have very strong ethical credentials and certifications, and FAIR’s window recently featured the message: “The earth is changing, so why aren’t we?” What better excuse than the January sales to make this change?
Ayten Gasson: 32A Bath Street, Brighton BN1 3TB
If the ‘new you’ is feeling seductive, this luxury lingerie boutique located in Bath Street is just what you’re looking for. Finding ethical alternatives to lingerie without breaking the bank can be very challenging, and at Ayten Gasson they know the importance of supporting the British fashion industry whilst retailing their pieces at accessible prices. With their eco range of ethical silk lingerie, this boutique’s sustainable undergarments, designed and produced in the UK, will leave you both looking good and doing good for the environment!
Love That Stuff: First Floor, 8 The Boardwalk, Brighton BN2 5WA
What better occasion than the January sales to shop for ‘handmade stuff that lasts’! We are all conscious of the importance of avoiding ‘disposable’ fashion, but many cheap fast fashion pieces, sadly, have a very short life. Love That Stuff, on the other hand, sell womenswear and menswear, as well as household items, with a focus on ensuring that every piece sold is made both ethically and durable, so that it can be reused, passed on or re-purposed, without ending up in landfill.
Revival Collective: www.therevivalcollective.com
This Brighton-based ethical fashion collective is proof that by purchasing conscious fashion, you will do both yourself and the environment a big favour. Founders Hermione and Harriet strive to make sustainable brands accessible to everyone, making the Revival Collective Brighton’s go-to hub for ethical fashion and lifestyle advice, news, events and tips.
