Looking for evening wear, formal or festive dresses, but prefer to shop ethically? We’re glad to share that sustainable fashion isn’t just about summer dresses and natural textures (although we do love a bit of that!) Whether you’re on the hunt for a birthday frock or bridesmaid dress, or a versatile occasion gown you can wear for years to come, take your pick from the following responsible fashion companies that ship to Singapore. Most importantly? Each of them — from sustainable brands to rental platforms — prioritise ethics and aesthetics.
AGAATI
AGAATI is a slow fashion womenswear brand that offers artisan made evening formal dresses which are consciously produced with a zero waste philosophy. Started by fashion designer Saloni Shrestha, AGAATI designs are made with natural fibers like organic wool, silk and cotton as well as non-toxic dyes.
Transcend
The idea for this fashion brand transcended from Nazia Siddiqui’s experience with shopping in the markets in India with her mother. Expect eco-friendly fabrics and vibrant colours in their wide range of ethically-produced dresses. Made out of organic cotton and linen, Transcend delivers high quality pieces that are long lasting and beautiful.
Rare & Fair
Based in London, Rare & Fair has a variety of gorgeous formal dresses that will turn heads at your next special event. The sustainable and fair fashion label collaborates with local artisans and small-scale fabric producers. Its creations are crafted from sustainable silk and cotton materials sourced from local Thai farms, thereby empowering the people and improving their livelihood.
Konacoco
Konacoco is a slow fashion brand with unique statement pieces which are chic and colourful for any night out. The brand offers a variety of stunning dresses that are designed for the year-round tropical climate. In addition to providing items of the finest quality, Konacoco makes certain that each of its creations is thoughtfully created and ethically sourced in limited quantities. Konacoco, which has two production facilities in Indonesia, only chooses cottons, textiles, and linens from completely accredited and verified Lenzing.
Christy Dawn
From deadstock to organic cotton, Christy Dawn creates beautiful dresses out of rescued and revitalized fabrics. As sustainable premium brand, it commits to techniques that lengthen the production process but result in higher-quality goods. Each Christy Dawn collection is limited and created with sustainability in mind by local artisans in Downtown Los Angeles.
Mara Hoffman
Mara Hoffman, founded in 2000, is an eco-friendly designer brand that launches colourful collections of sustainable pieces in celebration of and inspiration from women. The brand adopts transparent and responsible production practices. Finding a lovely dress for your evening activities is a breeze due to the wide selection of vibrant and sophisticated gowns that are available.
Hide the Label
Hide The Label is a slow fashion brand that’s all about bold, vibrant prints and timeless, feminine silhouettes. The brand ethos centres around consciously designed, quality-made, trans-seasonal styles made from sustainable materials to give you a wardrobe that has longevity and ‘wearability’. The brand sources plant-derived fibres such as Lenzing EcoVero, as well as reclaimed fibres such as recycled polyester from post-consumer products, to conserve material resources. For their vivid prints, they choose to digitally print with compressed gas to colour the designs with very minimal water use. Their beautiful wrap styles make the perfect sustainable party dresses.
Lily & Lou
Born to give women the power to design their own wardrobe, Lily & Lou encompasses slow fashion and stylish designs that you’ll keep coming back to for years to come. They produce garments from quality eco-friendly fabrics, with timeless silhouettes. Their goal is to highlight environmental issues to their customers and empower them to care for the planet in style. Lily & Lou uses fabrics with a lower environmental impact, such as Tencel, organic cotton and dead stock. They have also digitised many aspects of their production and design stages, so they are able to reduce textile and other types of waste.
Reformation
The ultimate cool-girl sustainable brand, Reformation has set out to produce high-quality products with a vintage trendy flair and their environmental impact in mind. Reformation’s design mission is to make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure. They take inspiration from vintage garments for their designs, as they initially started out to use deadstock vintage fabrics and even some vintage clothing. Now, they source all kinds of beautiful and sustainable fabrics to bring those designs to life quickly. They have been 100% carbon-neutral since 2015, and are transparent about their workers and what conditions they work under in their LA factory.
Su By Hand
Su by Hand is a sustainable luxury label that celebrates the beauty of artisanal fashion and all things natural. As a slow-fashion label, they create each piece with attention to quality and comfort in premium fabrication. From plant dyes to artisanal craft, all styles are available on a small-batch or made-to-order basis only. Their focus is on premium natural fibres such as silk, cotton and Tencel. Their style is timeless yet abstract, featuring many asymmetrical and flowing designs which remind you of patterns and shapes in nature. Explore their understated but luxurious styles that can take you from one event to another.
Symbology
Symbology is an ethical luxury fashion label that fuses artisan textiles with fashion-forward designs to create inspired handmade apparel. Fairtrade made sexy and fashion-forward, you can discover custom-designed fabrics and garment styles to create truly unique pieces. They celebrate cultural art forms that tell a story of empowerment for both its maker and wearer. With bold colours, striking prints and figure-flattering silhouettes, you’ll definitely find something that calls to you. These sustainable party dresses will give you a reason to get ready, get on your zoom call or go to that socially distanced party.
Rent Your Dresses!
Rentadella
Who says you need to buy your holiday looks? And who said you can only have one? Try renting your party outfits from Rentadella, a Singapore based fashion rental platform. They offer posh dresses and accessories from luxury brands at a fraction of the price to rent for special occasions. This means you can save money and closet space, while still looking like a showstopper. The rental service uses a pay-per-use model, and rentals typically last from four to eight days. You can schedule a package up to four months in advance, or place your order at least 4 hours before you need it.
Style Theory
Style Theory is a subscription-based circular fashion platform where you can get access to your very own infinite wardrobe with designer clothing and bags. Explore plans from $59 a month for a box of 3 items to unlimited boxes for $179 a month, and also consider purchasing second-hand pieces to give them a second life. Unlock a whole new way to express your individual sense of style with endless options to choose – sans the associated impacts of environmental waste. Get a taste of a more sustainable form of engaging with fashion, without compromising on style. Sport some designer kicks or a unique dress without having to worry about finding space for them in your closet long term.
