In the era of rising consumerism and fast fashion, coming out with a sustainable fashion brand can be a difficult feat. Some ethical fashion brands that exist are either too pricey trump on style, lack options beyond organic cotton tees, or are dubious when it comes to their ethical claims. Luckily, the latest sustainable brand to launch is finding a way to make ethical clothing cooler while remaining under $250 bracket. Meet FAETH by Address Chic.
Images: Courtesy of Address Chic
The idea for sustainable fashion label FAETH, which stands for fashion + ethics, first came into existence when the founders of Address Chic could not find stylish sustainable clothing for their online vegan fashion platform, Address Chic.
“When we started with Address Chic, our focus was on vegan fashion. But as our journey progressed, we learnt that fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world and is also plagued with exploitation of labour. That’s when we switched from being just vegan to ethical, i.e. cruelty-free, eco-friendly and fairtrade”, says Ritika Kasliwal, Co-Founder of Address Chic.
“We have a wide range of vegan and ethical shoes and handbags. However, when we were searching for stylish clothing for our vegan store, it was difficult to encounter brands that share the same values with us and have the same regard for the environmental impact. We were disappointed by the choices” says Ritika.
The duo felt the need to take action. When they couldn’t find brands that offered the quality and style at the prices they wanted, they threw themselves in. “We decided to work on our own collection and create a better fashion brand”, adds Ritika.
"Did you know that a polyester dress could take 200 years to biodegrade or that more chemical pesticides are used for growing cotton than any other crop?"
FAETH by Address Chic #Savant
Source: Faeth by Address Chic.
Defying seasonality trap, Faeth’s debut ethical collection has been designed in collaboration with multiple designers and focuses on stylish pieces that are timeless and transcend season. Using environmentally responsible fabrics, such as naturally-dyed organic cotton, banana cotton, soy fabric and recycled polyester, each product has been ethically crafted in the brand’s own production unit in India. This is to ensure that it is environmentally conscious and that the people making them are paid fair wages.
“I strongly believe that sustainability needn’t come at the sacrifice of style. We wanted to create something that really spoke to us, and we wanted our collection to break the hippie status quo of ethical fashion”. The founders of Address Chic believe that for any clothing to sell, it should be desirable first, being ethical is just a bonus. And that’s what their debut collection is about – style with ethics.
"Defying seasonality trap, Faeth’s debut ethical collection has been designed in collaboration with multiple designers and focuses on stylish pieces that are timeless and transcend season."
We all love fashion – it has the power to change how we feel and give us that boost of confidence. However, as consumers, we are often oblivious to the environmental impact of our purchases. Did you know that a polyester dress could take 200 years to biodegrade or that more chemical pesticides are used for growing cotton than any other crop? The good thing is, with the help of brands like Faeth, and by tweaking your shopping habits a little, we can now reduce the burden on our planet and still look good and stay fashionable.
Faeth also wants to do its bit by giving back to the society. We give a percent of the proceeds from the sales to an organisation that provides a safe place, education and means of livelihood for kids and women of nomadic tribe, who are victims of trafficking and abuse. Isn’t it amazing – a collection that’s completely ethical, gives back and defies the notion that ethical fashion is boring.
Faeth's debut collection is basically a wearable edgy take on classic silhouettes that can be easily transitioned across season and can be combined with so many looks. While it’s hard to pick any one, their chic and sexy colour-blocked red dress made from soy fabric and featuring a thigh slit is an absolute must-have for fall.
For the launch of their collection, Address Chic collaborated with some of the best vegan and ethical fashion brands from across the world and created an ethical fashion look book featuring Faeth’s collection and clothing, shoes, jewelry, handbag and make-up from sustainable and vegan-friendly brands.
You can shop the collection here and see some of the looks from the look book below.
