How Can We Shop More Sustainably? A Discussion With Three Denver Fashion Designers

From its alternative fuel vehicle advocacy to having the largest city park system in the country, it’s clear that Mile-High cares about the environment, but in what regard do these sustainability efforts parallel the emerging fashion industry? 

Despite its growing interest and emergence worldwide, fashion has been caught red-handed for being one of the biggest industry polluters in the world, behind gas and oil. Liv Simpliciano from Fashion Revolution told Vogue Business, “The science is crystal clear: globally, we need to halve emissions by 2030 to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial level. The fashion industry is projected to blow past this threshold by half.” This means that we are reporting and talking about sustainability, but not executing to have a real environmental impact. 

With this in mind, fashion lovers should know how they can do their part. In Denver, emerging designers such as Earthly Threads, Tyne Hall, and Lilian Lara are doing what they can to spread awareness, design sustainably and still support a growing, green, fashion industry. 

READ: Denver Fashion Week Opens With Sustainability Night

Faith Friend of Earthly Threads creates one of a kind, tie-dye and hand embroidered garments from upcycled clothing. Friend’s woodland-fairy-esque fashion designs are inherently nature-oriented, but Friend’s processes and values show her care for the planet. 

The eco-friendly designer has always had a passion for Mother Earth, studying sustainable design and environmental protection in university. With her brand, she creates using second hand materials, including her embroidery thread and even supports local secondhand craft stores by buying textiles from Who Gives a Scrap in Colorado Springs. 

“Denver is a forward-thinking community and I believe the people are conscious of their decisions when it comes to consumption,” Friend said. “By reducing the amount of items they are buying every year, re wearing, reselling, reconstructing and repurposing it firstly. If there is a need to buy, I recommend local small businesses, thrift shops, consignment stores, flea markets and antique malls.” 

Designer Tyne Hall agrees. This custom, ready-to-wear designer narrows in on creating classic silhouettes paired with a darker aesthetic, emphasizing the importance of not purchasing mass-produced items. But, Hall also explains part of why Denver may be such a sustainable hub, even in fashion. 

“I’m sure part of Denver’s interest in sustainability can be attributed to our general ethos around the environment and conversation but I also think that a lack of fashion resources is a major factor,” Hall said. “The reality is that there are very few fabric stores here. You have to become very creative in sourcing your materials, my earliest collections were made from thrifted items.”

Lilian Lara, founder of her own eponymous avant-garde brand, sees sustainability from various consumer and designer angles, with sentiments largely similar to Hall and Friend. 

“We don’t have a huge fashion economy where you have your secondary and tertiary economies that support the fashion industry, we don’t have a garment district, we don’t have a huge row of haberdasheries and fabric selection, so I think it comes from scarcity. What you can find is what you can get,” Lara said. 

Scarcity is one reason that many Denver designers may be considered more sustainable than other fashion capitals of the world, but also the culture in Colorado has an effect according to Lara. 

“We don’t have a huge ‘dress-up’ culture, there’s not really dress codes to get into places, it’s just not really a place that has embraced the pomp and circumstance of dressing up,” Lara said. “So I think people are mostly focused on making sure they’re prepared for the weather.” 

At the end of the day, Denver’s interests in sustainability while simultaneously growing an emerging fashion industry, proves to be a complex road. Where is the line between supporting creatives vs over-consumption, encouraging creation without adding to landfills? The designer’s ultimate advice for consumers?

“Don’t buy so much stuff!” Hall said. “When you do buy, get special high quality pieces that will last you.”  

Lara explains how important it is to learn to repair one’s own clothes in order to build a deeper connection to the items, as well as education on the different processes and hierarchies of sustainability including quality textiles, manufacturing, supply chain, transportation, etc. But she also agrees — consuming less equals consuming mindfully. 

“I’m not perfect and sustainability doesn’t have to look the same for everyone, but being more conscious about our purchases is a great place to start. Recycling, using reusables, switching to glass instead of plastic, thrifted household items, less water usage, the list goes on,” Friend said. “The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more it comes back to you.”