Sustainable Shopping: Canadian Brands that Bring it! From Kotn to Franc

Sustainable Shopping: Canadian Brands that Bring it! From Kotn to Franc

Shopping sustainably feels even better when the brands you are shopping from are also working with causes to improve the way garments are made.

Here are five recommendations for Canadian brands that are sustainable and working towards not only creating environmentally-friendly garments but also going above and beyond to create a better world.

Good for Sunday

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Good for Sunday, founded by Anthony & Demetra Kentris in Toronto, uses organic cotton, linen, bamboo and Tencel to make everyday classics and staples. Their dyes use one of the most advanced wastewater treatment systems in the industry which means that the water can be reused. The products are made and manufactured in Canada and use fully compostable mailers and packaging. Good for Sunday is a part of Pachama, an organization that offsets carbon emissions with their current contributions funding the Jarí Para Forest Conservation Project in the Amazon Rainforest.

Kotn

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Kotn, founded by Ben Sehl & Rami Helali, is a B-certified corporation and is voted Best of the World with the fourth-highest B Impact Score of apparel brands in North America. The timeless pieces are meant to last with natural fibres like Egyptian cotton, linen and Ecotec cotton that will biodegrade at the end of their lifecycle. While working in close relationships with the farming communities where they source their materials in Egypt, Kotn started the ABCs Project which uses the brand’s proceeds to build primary schools which provide quality and accessible education to children in the Nile Delta and Faiyum, Egypt.

Franc

ecoluxlifestyle, olivia stiller, sustainable fashion, bellantoni designs, kotn, tamga, france, good for sunday, vancouver, bc, vancity, helen siwak

Franc was founded in Toronto by Brandy Mercredi, and is a Toronto-based, certified B Corporation using fabrics that are knit and dyed with non-toxic, low-impact, environmentally friendly dyes. All of their styles are made from Tencel and GOTS certified organic cotton fabric blends. The brands offset their carbon emissions with their offset funds to the Acapa-Bajo Mira y Frontera Forest Conservation Project in Colombia through Pachama. Franc aims to keep their overstock and samples to a minimum, however, they donate all their overstock and samples to the YWCA Toronto.

Bellantoni

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Bellantoni, a Canadian brand founded by Bianca Bellantoni, handmakes all of their clothing and accessories in Vancouver. They have modular designs that are made to be worn more than one way making their pieces versatile. The brand makes its products in small batches and made-to-order to limit waste and overstock. While many fast fashion brands may have dozens of micro-seasons, Bellantoni strives towards slow fashion by only having two seasons each year with pieces that are made to last.

Tamga Designs

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Tamga Designs makes bright and colourful garments made from eco-friendly materials like Lenzing and Ecovero that conserve water usage. The brand is inspired by travel, textiles and unique prints and colours. Tamga Designs was created after the owners, who were living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, saw the collapse of a garment factory which inspired them to seek to find a supply chain that is sustainable at ethical at every stage.

 

When shopping, look for sustainable brands that are certified B Corporation, which means that a business is meeting a high standard of verified performance, accountability, and transparency at every level from employee standards to charitable contributions to supply chain practices.

Companies like Pachama can help brands offset their carbon emissions by supporting causes that strive towards ending deforestation and aiding in reforestation, as well as other environmental causes.

 

Featured image by Tamga Designs.

Author Profile

Olivia Stiller, Jr Sustainability Editor
Olivia Stiller, Jr Sustainability Editor
Olivia is passionate about fashion, writing and supporting brands that go above and beyond to support environmental and ethical issues. She believes in living an eco-friendly lifestyle and shopping sustainably and locally. As she learns more, Olivia strives to find brands to showcase that create high-quality products worthy of support.
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