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Positive Change
WHAT MATTERS MOST
As we look to a new year we are focused on the positive changes happening from our store to your wardrobe, all in a bid to make the world a more sustainable place. There has been a global shift in consciousness over the last decade or so. What began as a reluctant realization has become a vigorous and radical transformation within society. The cause is clear - we need to change how we consume to preserve the world as we know it. Global warming is very real and we need practical solutions to slow, stop and reverse it. Even that sentence sounds mammoth - and it is a rather large task - but, what seemed like an impossible duty not so many years ago is finally beginning to feel like an attainable goal, one that we all need to focus on achieving collectively.
CHANGING HOW WE WORK
“We are consistently and passionately redefining every facet of how we work, implementing sustainability as a necessity for ourselves and our customers. We are working to make sure that everything you experience, from the energy efficient LED lighting in store to the recyclable packaging your online order arrives through the letterbox in, is as earth-friendly as possible.
For us, some of the biggest advances we’ve made include banning products which contact microbeads from our shelves, removing plastic straws and plastic bottles in vending machines, and pledging to tackle the disposable cups issue head-on by looking at compostable cups and Keep Cups for all our Head Office team members. Last summer we revealed a rooftop beehive in our Limerick store, helping Irish Biodiversity in association with the Limerick Urban Beekeeping Society.”
Stella McCartney takes a bow at her Spring Summer 2019 catwalk show.
THE FASHION PERSPECTIVE
From the fashion perspective there has never been a more exciting time to consider sustainability in clothing. Stella McCartney has been an industry leader long before the words global warming were popular. She brings a unique approach to her collections, her accessories are vegan and she only uses viscose which comes from sustainably managed and certified forests in Sweden.
“I approach the business in a way that I feel is morally correct and modern. It doesn’t mean that style and luxury need to be sacrificed.”- Stella McCartney
One of the store's most buzzed-about labels right now is Veja, the French footwear and accessories brand who claim ecological and fair trade conditions and who proudly work with cooperatives of small producers and social associations in Brazil and France. Loved by Meghan Markle and Emma Watson, Veja is proving that clothing that has been created sustainably can - and should - be the new normal. Cult jeans brand Nudie only uses 100% certified organic cotton, while Tommy Hilfiger only uses down that is 100% certified by the Responsible Down Standard.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wearing Veja trainers during a sailing event at the Invictus Games Sailing event, Farm Cove, Sydney, Australia.
#RiseUpWithClaudie is a capsule collection of four organic cotton t-shirts printed with universal messages: “Only Human” “Raise Up Your Hands and Love” and “You’re My Earth You’re My Soul”.
#RISEUPWITHCLAUDIE
Claudie Pierlot have also committed to eco-responsible capsule collections having joined forces with Léa Seydoux in 2012 for the women in the Association du Sénégal et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. This year Claudie Pierlot is renewing its partnership with UNESCO, which it already backed in 2013 to promote values that resonate with all of us: tolerance, solidarity and sustainable development. #RiseUpWithClaudie is a capsule collection of four organic cotton t-shirts printed with universal messages: “Only Human”, “Raise Up Your Hands and Love” and “You’re My Earth You’re My Soul”- coming to store in March.
SUPPORTING IRISH DESIGN
Shopping local is one of the easiest ways to do your bit for the environment, and the annual CREATE initiative at Brown Thomas makes buying Irish easy – look out for the new campaign coming in June 2019. Fashion Director Shelly Corkery nurtures and promotes new and established Irish design talent, helping homegrown heroes meet new customers. Last year, a sustainability element was added to the project where the designer’s sustainability journeys were highlighted alongside how they believe the fashion industry needs to change for the better regarding sustainability.
“We are committed to ensuring that 50% of our products are better for people and the planet by 2022.” - Selfridges Group
THE FUTURE
There is no such thing as small change because, collectively, small steps create great strides. We’re taking action through five key elements; respecting our environment, buying and selling responsibly, driving positive change, increasing sustainability awareness and supporting our supply chain. Together with big name brands, the future is already looking brighter.
Deputy Chairman of Selfridges Group, Alannah Weston has announced a new pledge as part of Selfridges long-term Project Ocean campaign to make a new commitment to reducing single-use plastics every year on World Oceans Day. Tune in here as she talks through seven reasons for our businesses to take sustainability seriously.
Looking for more Stella McCartney to love – see her key catwalk looks as selected by our Fashion Director Shelly Corkery in the Trends to Wear this Spring.