Fast fashion vs. Lada Vyvialová

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of water consumption. The impact of the textile industry on the environment led us to take a different path and create sustainable fashion based on local resources. To show companies a working alternative and offer customers quality fashion that minimises the ecological burden and ethical impact.

What are the problems with fast fashion?

MICROPLASTICS

The most pressing problem, and not only in the clothing industry, has become the release of artificial particles smaller than 5 mm into the environment. These are insoluble particles that have a negative impact on plants and animals, including humans. Microplastics are already found in drinking water and have even appeared in the placentas of newborns.

Our solution

In our atelier we work primarily with a certified nano textile to which we apply no surface finish, so there is nothing for microparticles to be released from.

COTTON

According to the world textile organisation, cotton accounts for approximately 24% of global textile fibre consumption. Yet growing cotton is very demanding in terms of

• water consumption (approximately 2,700 litres of water are needed to make a single T-shirt),
• land use, as the soil erodes under long-term cotton growing,
• and chemicals.

Cotton is prone to attack by pests and diseases. That is why cotton growers use large quantities of pesticides to protect their crops. Up to 25% of all pesticides and 11% of all herbicides in the world are used on cotton. These pesticides can contaminate soil, water and air and can have a negative impact on the health of people and animals.

Our solution

Cotton is not our primary production material, precisely because of the ecological demands of growing it. Lada Vyvialová works mainly with a nano textile whose ecological advantages include, among many others, the absence of water and hazardous chemicals in its production. Some of our pieces are sewn from natural materials that occur naturally in Central Europe, such as linen or wool. For the part of our clothing where we work with cotton, we use Egyptian cotton exclusively. It is the highest-quality cotton in the world, it has a long life and it is also grown closest to Central Europe.

TRANSPORT

Transport accounts for approximately 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the textile industry. This is because textile material is usually produced on a different continent from where it is processed. And the sewing of the clothes itself takes place in factories with cheap labour, often on the opposite side of the globe from the fashion brand's headquarters. Behind the piece of clothing on display in a shop is therefore a long series of air, sea and road transport based on fossil fuels.

Our solution

The LADA atelier runs on production that is as local as possible. We order our nano fabric by the metre, our elastics and our boxes from regional manufacturers within a radius of 180 km. Not only to support small businesses and for ecological reasons, but also so that we can oversee production and, where needed, consult it and adjust it with the makers.

ETHICAL LABOUR

Cheap clothing production depends on the oppressive working conditions of textile workers in developing countries. Besides critically low wages, which often do not even cover their living costs, they face long working hours and inadequate protection of their health at work (especially with chemicals). The absence of trade unions prevents workers from defending their interests and improving their working conditions. Instead, they often have to face physical and sexual harassment, racism and discrimination.

Our solution

Every LADA garment is sewn by Czech tailors directly in our atelier. We care not only about the quality of the handwork, but also about ethical working conditions and fair dealing. In the atelier, management and seamstresses work side by side in a friendly environment.

DYEING

Textile dyeing is a significant part of clothing production and brings with it a burden on the environment. Various dyes are used, including toxic chemicals that risk being released into watercourses. Textile dyeing is also very water-intensive. For example, dyeing one kilogram of cotton material takes roughly 100 litres of water. This process releases approximately 2.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Our solution

In our fashion collections we work more and more with undyed fabrics, precisely in order to leave out one production step that burdens the environment. Where our nano fabrics are dyed, we personally check the conditions under which the materials are dyed. And both undyed and dyed textiles hold OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 safety certification.

FAST FASHION

This is the approach of most of Western society to dressing. Over the decades, clothing has lost its value and today it is characterised by low price and low quality, rapid turnover of collections and a short lifespan. Because of this trend, fast fashion is produced in developing countries where ecological and social standards are ignored, which significantly reduces production costs.

Our solution

Lada Vyvialová's atelier embraces the idea of slow fashion and of limiting the production of large quantities of clothing. Above all by making clothing with an emphasis on quality, a long lifespan, multifunctional use and minimalist design. Thanks to these attributes, the clothing lasts many years and remains current and combinable regardless of fashion trends.

WASTE

The fashion industry is one of the largest producers of waste. Every year approximately 92 million tonnes of clothing are thrown away worldwide. Clothing production often uses non-ecological materials such as blends of cotton, polyester or nylon, which wear out quickly and are thrown away. These blends tend to be difficult to recycle or compost.

Our solution

The LADA atelier prevents the wasting of clothing above all through made-to-order production. Every garment our seamstresses sew already knows its owner. And it is the same with the production of fabric by the metre. We have it made only when we are able to use all of it. Zero-waste management naturally also includes using fabric offcuts to make accessories.

Ecological fashion vs. greenwashing

More and more often, consumers may come across companies that use the slow fashion and environmental protection trend as a marketing tool. Deliberately misleading consumers about the environmental friendliness of their production is called greenwashing. This includes, for example, showcasing organic cotton, which is still burdened by the consumption of hectolitres of water, the plundering of nature and importation halfway around the world. Or labelling products as "Fair Trade" even though the brand cannot monitor the conditions under which workers grow the raw material or make the garments. Yet exposing companies that only talk about sustainability but do not actually work with it is simple. But it is up to us, the customers. To our willingness to look up information and verify the claims written in advertising campaigns and on clothing labels.

How to check for yourself whether it is sustainable fashion?

1. Look up where the product was made. When, say, a Swedish brand's dress says MADE IN THAILAND, it is not going to be very sustainable.
2. Find out about a fashion brand's practices before buying its products and read independent reviews of it.
3. Check whether clothing companies state the origin of their materials.
4. Verify the information on the brand's official website about the ethical labour standards in its workshops.
5. Look for independent certificates of quality and ecological standards.

You can check which sustainability standards we hold to at the LADA atelier here.