Jackie takes you around the world of LGBTQ-owned clothing brands.
No matter what your shape, size, skin colour or gender identity, you are entitled to feel good in the clothes that you wear and the choices that you make when you’re shopping for clothing. As the number of green and gender inclusive clothing brands has slowly yet steadily increased, supporting eco-conscious and queer-friendly clothing has become less of a challenge over recent years. As clothing can be a crucial part of identity expression, it’s important to support brands that reflect our choices, beliefs and way of life. Check out these sustainable and LGBTQ-owned clothing brands that are leading the change in the fashion industry.
Peau de Loup
People with curvy body types often have limited choices when it comes to clothing, as factors such as fabric types and cuts have to be considered when shopping for flattering clothes. For instance, many curvy individuals opt for the classic oversized cotton shirt, as cotton is a breathable fabric and is soft and comfortable for daily wear. The classic shirt is often paired with jeans or trousers, as this combination is an outfit that works for most body types and occasions, but if you need to revamp your style, check out Peau de Loup’s collection. This brand produces well-fitting button-down shirts, coats, pyjamas, trousers, hoodies and jackets for curvy body types, regardless of gender identity. Moreover, founders Erin McLeod and Adelle Renaud practice sustainability by using only up-cycled fabrics sourced from overseas factories to make their button-down shirts. Because they aren’t producing new fabrics, their shirts are considered to be zero-waste, as their brand doesn’t add harmful chemicals or excess materials to landfills and the environment.
HECHA / 做
HECHA / 做 (He-cha zuo) is co-owned by Luz Angelica Fernandez and Ting Ding, and the duo specialises in creating gender-flexible utilitarian garments. Their shop includes fashion-forward items, such as painted overalls, denim jackets, wrap skirts and wrap smocks, among others. They also design with sustainability in mind, ensuring that no fabric is wasted during the cutting process, and all scrap fabrics are kept to be up-cycled into accessories. Moreover, their main line is created using unbleached greige hemp fabric. By working with this type of natural material, they help reduce the negative impact of fabrics on the planet. Also, since it’s currently illegal to grow hemp in the US, the NYC natives import their hemp cloth from China, Romania and Canada, and Fernandez and Ding personally visited these factories to ensure that they adhere to fair trade practices.
Official Rebrand
Official Rebrand is the brainchild of non-binary artist MI Legget, and the creative aims to celebrate gender fluidity through fashion by offering to draw on pieces brought in by customers. They also produce non-gendered clothing such as painted tank tops, T-shirts and coats made out of up-cycled materials. For Earth Day 2020, the brand collaborated with HECHA / 做 to make fashion-forward tees, shorts, turtlenecks and jackets, and such was the popularity of the collection that the first two items were sold out shortly after the launch.
Supporting eco-friendly LGBTQ-owned clothing brands can help to make the fashion industry rethink its current practices to make it more sustainable and inclusive. Look beyond the label and support these brands and other businesses owned by queer designers, and be a conscious, socially aware and responsible consumer.
