Shopping more consciously doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style. It’s all about finding the best independent designers! We let you in on our favourite sustainable fashion brands in Hong Kong.
Being the epicentre of metropolitan life, Hong Kong is no stranger to the global fashion industry’s dominating trends. Clothing is actually one of their most active industries, and creates a staggering 392 tons of textile waste per day. Above all, given Hong Kong’s proximity to producer countries like China and fashion’s link to the climate crisis, it’s never been more important to choose clothing that supports sustainable practices.
But where do you start? Here’s a comprehensive (and growing!) list of Hong Kong-based sustainable fashion labels that create stellar quality products yet manage their impact through choosing more eco-friendly fabrics and producing under fair trade conditions.
Tove & Libra
Backed by three generations of garment manufacturing expertise, Tove & Libra is a Hong Kong-based womenswear brand founded in 2018 by Christine Chow and Ivan Tang. The label aims to improve both the wardrobe and the environment by concentrating on ethically sourced high-quality fabrics, thoughtful design, and fair practices in their business. With their chic capsule collections, mixing and matching clothes becomes a breeze and encourages you to choose quality over quantity.
Kibo
Kibo is a sustainable trainer brand that donates a portion of its sales to support victims of human trafficking. On a mission to reinvent footwear design, co-founders Natalie and Simon Chow launched the brand to create comfy kicks that minimise waste. Through their transparent and ethical processes, Kibo creates versatile, high-quality trainers made from recycled and natural materials including leather and TENCEL™. Their latest collection of trainers is made from apple waste!
AndAll
Offering gender-neutral, sustainable fashion, AndAll is a circular fashion brand that offers shirts that unites gender-free silhouettes and construction, making it a very visually versatile garment to be worn for any season. Backed by a Hong Kong-based impact venture-building platform, Lapidary Limited, this brand selects materials such as TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres from FSC and PEFC-certified eucalyptus wood sources to create sustainable prints for their collection.
VIPOP
VIPOP is a Hong Kong-based boutique, founded by collection curators Lenia Perez and Fabiana Gonzalez, that sources sustainable handmade accessories, fashion, and jewellery from South and Latin American brands and designers. Many of the brands curated by them incorporate environmentally conscious practices in the manufacture of their products. As a firm advocate of conscious consumerism, VIPOP advocates investing in well-made, high-quality clothing that will last a long time.
Bamboa
Bedding that feels good and does good: Bamboa is a sustainable home and lifestyle brand started by Julia Washbourne in 2008 Hong Kong. As the number one bamboo retailer in Asia, they carry everything from eco-friendly bed sheets to bathroom items. The fact that their products are hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial thanks to bamboo’s inherent qualities make them even better.
Basics for Basics
An ethical clothing company in Hong Kong, Basics for Basics launched by Kayla Wong, produces and supports products that have a minimal carbon footprint and ensure that employees have fair working rights. With the garments produced in-house, they offer a wide range of everyday styles, made with leftover fabrics, organic cotton, and other sustainable materials. The clothing is versatile and comes in designs that suit many body types.
PYE
From seed to shirt, this sustainable fashion brand in Hong Kong was revived by entrepreneur Dee Poon in 2011 to produce cotton shirts that combine style and sustainability. PYE carefully traces its supply chains and collaborates closely with cotton farmers as part of its commitment to impact the local farming community positively. To maintain the high purity and quality of the cotton, PYE guides farmers to avoid hetero fibres pollution during the production process. The ability to sustainably weave their cloth enables them to optimise and offer 10 unique collar designs that are carefully constructed for everyone.
Mother of Pearl
Established in 2002, Mother of Pearl is all about original, authentic and sustainable design. After clinching the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2017, the label launched a sustainable collection, No Frills, that is made from organic and natural materials. In addition, it’s collections have also shown at Copenhagen and London Fashion Week.
EARTH.er
Love exploring nature? EARTH.er was founded in 2012 by Benny Yuen in a lovely fishing village located in Tai O. The fashion label produces eco-conscious outdoor garments inspired by traditional Southeast Asian roots. Their products are handmade and mainly created with natural hemp, which is widely used on their bags and satchels.
Lane Eight
A great fit for your feet and the green fields – Lane Eight is a sustainable vegan sneaker startup that creates stylish workout shoes from natural and recycled ingredients. Their shoes are versatile and made to fit almost any physical activity – running, weight lifting, yoga, and more. What’s more, Lane Eight also intends to track its carbon footprint to be carbon net zero by 2030.
MiliMilu
MiliMilu is a sustainable, eco-friendly clothing and accessory online store based in Hong Kong offering a range of items for women and the whole family. It started from the ground up in 2021 as a passion project for founder Linda Morrison as she was concerned about the lack of sustainable fashion choices for her children. The brand also integrates its eco-conscious behaviours even in its packaging, using compostable mailers and recycled paper products.
ekam
Founded in 2019, EKAM is a womenswear fashion brand based in Hong Kong that integrates Indian fabrics to create elegant resort pieces. As a socially conscious label, much of their clothing is ethically sourced and they take it a step further to donate to local charities for every garment purchased.
Flow with Me
A mother of two, Jiwon Maxted Yoon founded Flow with Me with the aim of simplifying the process of finding affordable yet long-lasting activewear products from independent labels. Flow with Me offers a wide range of high-performance eco-friendly products ideal for yoga and fitness activities.
Good Days Activewear
Launched in 2020, Good Days is Hong Kong’s first sustainable sportswear brand. Their activewear collection uses fabric made entirely from post-consumer waste including TopGreen, a materials repurposed from plastics. From leggings to tops and sports bras, they source from transparent manufacturers in order to create their eco-friendly, fashionable sports apparel.
Róu So
Founded by Sophie Cheng, Róu So is a contemporary fashion brand that sources materials from pre-consumer textile waste to reinvent designs for the modern woman. Many of their beautiful garments are produced in limited quantities due to the amount of fabric they can ethically acquire, providing consumers with unique pieces for their wardrobes.
Selvaage
Selvaage is an eco-friendly menswear brand that’s all about streetwear vibes. Founders Andrea Sciff and Tara Kane set out to create a fashion brand that would allow them to create meaningful yet smart clothing in an ethical way. They take pride in the transparency of their processes for producing clothing that is both comfortable and functional.
Ril Creed
Ril Creed is a sustainable Japanese fashion brand in Hong Kong that empowers women with ethical bags. They create backpacks, cross bodies, totes, shoulder bags and clutches from beautiful off-cut and upcycled materials. Ril Creed also curates consignment accessories and garments from brands that they support. The brand also hosts pop-ups all over the city to create a safe community for eco-conscious women.
The R Collective
The R Collective is a Hong-Kong based circular fashion label founded in 2017. Led by experienced fashion experts, they work with top fashion manufacturers to repurpose surplus luxury fabrics into new collections. Unsuitable fabrics can be recycled and spun into new yarns. From sleek trench coats to silk dresses, reimagine your wardrobe through their pieces.
Aanya Life
Hong Kong-based Aanya Life curates unique bohemian pieces for free-spirited trendsetters. From flowy dresses to comfy jumpsuits, each of their garments is ethically produced in India. They’re 100% committed to producing with local artisans and marginalised women.
Paper Shades
Paper Shades is a one-of-a-kind manufacturer of recycled paper sunglasses. With a wide variety of eco-friendly shades, this sustainable fashion brand aims to educate consumers about more environmentally friendly options. The glasses last a full season and are easy to recycle.
Inquisitive in nature, Syafiqah is unafraid to experiment with her wardrobe through the latest finds in her thrifting adventures.