THE 1%ERS

Small shifts towards being a better brand. It’s the marginal gains philosophy.

Sharing brands and ideas to inspire ways of 'doing' rather than just 'saying'. Being a 1%er is about taking small steps towards being better, not making huge claims of being perfect.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Don’t let a plastic button fool you, they are often a barrier in the upcycling process. It’s why Bethany Williams’ last collection did away with them, replacing them with easily removable eco-finished metal ones, minimising impact and friction.

BAGS FOR (NEW) LIFE

DOESN’T SUIT ME

In the UK, a 2019 YouGov survey revealed that 82% of shoppers would pay more for a grocery shop if it did not include single-use plastics. It’s fair to say that Sway’s seaweed-based, home-compostable replacement might be onto something.

It always looks better online. At least that’s what 41% of Gen Z say, citing their struggle to visualise whether an item would look right when returning their latest drop to the Post Office.

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

What barriers to circularity could you creatively circumnavigate?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

Are there ways your business could use plastic alternatives to relinquish your consumer’s guilt?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

How can your brand communications help people better understand what they’re buying?

Making Fashion Fit

EMBRACING THE ‘AWKWARD STAGE’

Sewing Seeds

The world is stuck in a Make-Use-Waste cycle, with people simply discarding clothes that don’t work for them. SOJO is a simple service that breaks the mould, making repairs mainstream. More Make-UseRemake-Reuse if you catch its drift.

Nike Teen is a new space that celebrates and supports young people, neoterically sharing information on body image and menstruation that invites youngsters to ‘normalise looking out for yourself.’

An attachable, running shoe outsole that naturally plants seeds from its bristles as you motor along. Naturally-made for the benefit of nature itself, keep an eye out for Rewild the Run on the streets.

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

Without creating more, how can your brand offer a service that allows people to enjoy the clothes they already have?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

How are you meeting consumers where they are, speaking their language and leading by example by being transparent and caring?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

How could your products directly contribute to biodiversity?

THEY SAID IT COULDN’T BE DONE

The Joy Of Neurodivergence

Created from the elements, for the elements, Unless’ plant-based streetwear will even return to those elements when it’s done.

Generative, degenerative and regenerative — and it looks great.

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

What materials or processes could you afford to cut from your product or brand?

Jillian Maddocks’ quirky personality and barriers faced as a neurodivergent and chronically ill person inspired an ethically and socially conscious collection that “feels like a hug from the creative, nurturing, unconditionally loving grandma we all wish we had.”

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FOOTPRINT?

Consumers are overwhelmed by the climate problem. Yet often undereducated on what impact they’re actually having. ThredUP’s fashion calculator makes things more transparent, helping shoppers understand what’s good, what’s bad, what’s real, what’s greenwashing.

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

How are your collections inclusive to nuanced needs and acknowledging disability?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

What practical tools and ideas can you share with customers to help them lessen their impact on the planet?

STITCH UP, LOOK SMART

Channelling the combined power of circularity and inclusion into the United Repair Centre London, Patagonia is aiming to train marginalised people in high-quality clothing repairs — and fix up 30,000 items a year by 2025.

30 Year Return Policy

WASTE NOT, WANT LESS

In what the brand claims is an industry-first, sustainable fashion label Asket will soon begin issuing an emissions receipt alongside its standard monetary receipts.

As a small brand, RAD Clothing produces its shoes in very limited runs, only ordering as many as it thinks it can sell. Rating an empty stockroom over overflowing landfill.

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

Could you get ahead faster by partnering with businesses who share your vision?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

What tangible touchpoints can you rethink to provide added value to consumers?

YOUR 1% SHIFT:

Could you adjust your KPIs to better align with your mission or ethos?