Sustainability is no longer an option. We must all do our part to shop responsibly and with that, more and more brands are upping their game to reduce their impact on the planet. But among the high street names and designer labels are a number of independent designers, each leading the way in sustainable luxury.
In a world where luxury is no longer about excess - and more about quality - here we share our favourite ethical brands in the UK.
Top sustainable luxury brands, from fashion to home
Monty & Co.
British-made eco children’s clothing
A 100% British brand, Monty & Co. takes inspiration from utilitarian workwear garments to produce versatile, unisex pieces that are made to last - and never go out of style. Classic boiler suits and dungarees are perfect for play, using heavy linens, cottons and textiles that get softer with age. By using hardwearing natural fibre, each piece can be passed down to future generations and is less likely to end up in landfill.
Leigh’s passion for sustainability has also led to the creation of Monty & Co. LOVED, whereby pre-loved brand garments can be repurposed and resold, a portion of which goes to the Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust.
Paynter Jacket Co.
Leading the way in ethical fashion
Most emerging sustainable fashion brands have a story. And Paytner’s is pretty epic. The idea came about on the two co-founders extended first date; take iconic styles of jackets and re-make them using beautiful, high-quality materials.
Each jacket is designed in East London, before being produced by a small family run factory in Portugal. The brand now launches limited edition batches just three times a year, hand numbering each piece in the order it’s sold. And whilst they sell out in minutes - this isn’t to create hype. Paytner’s exclusivity is down to ensuring no waste is produced so that the brand can continue to operate with an inspiring sustainable business model.
Sebastian Cox
Ethical furniture and homeware
Award-winning furniture designer Sebastian Cox has a groundbreaking approach to luxury homeware. For over a decade, the studio has handcrafted fine collections with a forward-thinking approach to sustainability. Whilst the majority of their wood is sourced from the South of England, Sebastian is continuously challenging the way he uses materials, from experimenting with fungus to using wild beef hides.
Each product’s environmental impact is calculated from creation to client. This allows the studio to keep track of their carbon footprint and work towards their mission of doubling Britain’s woodland by 2040.
MONC London
The conscious eyewear company
The production of eyewear results in tons of waste every year. Millions of glasses are found in landfill or our ocean, whilst 80% of the plastic used to create frames is thrown away. Thankfully, MONC is on a mission to revolutionise the industry.
The brand represents a new era in ethical eyewear, handcrafting beautiful opticals and sunglasses in its family-run Italian factory. Biodegradable frames and bio-acetate are MONC’s signature solution, whilst packaging made from recycled paper cups and small batch production has MONC well on their way to a zero-waste future.
Billy Tannery
Sustainable leather production in the UK
Naturally we couldn’t write a blog about our favourite sustainable luxury brands without mentioning our very own! We might be slightly shameless, but we’re proud to be doing our bit by helping solve the widespread problem of wasted by-products.
Our microtannery is paving the way for responsible leather production, turning needlessly discarded goat hides into high-quality goods. From the bestselling ‘Gote’ bag to our range of unisex accessories, each piece is handcrafted here in the UK from farm to shop.
Not only do our products last a lifetime - our process is almost waste-free too. Unlike large-scale producers, our tannery avoids using dangerous chemicals that end up in community water systems. Instead we combine vegetable tanning methods with natural bark extracts to craft strong, durable goat leather goods. We also recycle 90% of our water, turning waste into compost for the surrounding grassland.
Find out more about Billy Tannery and our growing range of goat leather bags and accessories for men and women.
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