After reviewing a book on eco-fashion for Totally Dublin last month, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the ethics of clothing. Not that it’s something I’ve ever NOT cared about as such, it’s just when you’re in Topshop ogling this season’s must-have item, it can be pretty easy to forget to stop and ask yourself whether the materials are bio-degradable, whether it was produced in humane working conditions, etc.
The truth is, good quality, well designed and affordable eco-friendly, ethically produced clothing is hard come-by. There are lots of amazing, beautifully designed high end eco-brands emerging – which is of course a very good thing – but unless you can afford to shop in elite boutiques in London and Paris, it’s not much use. There’s a gap in the market for a high street brand with a conscience.
Step in COS.
Already a successful brand in mainland Europe (and with a few stores in Britain – Selfridges, Covent Garden, etc), COS are a high street-priced brand, with a high fashion approach to design and ethical production techniques. Their website claims they follow a strict list of regulations, including bans on child labour, fair pay and hours for employees and compliance with environmental regulations. And on the 29th October, they will be coming to BT2!
Now they’re not cheap cheap – it’s simply impossible to produce good quality ethical clothing for Penneys/Primark prices. But their prices aren’t dissimilar to those of Topshop or Urban Outfitters (€49/£45 for a shirt, €69/£59 for some trousers). And the designs look great: classic but on-trend pieces, with clean lines and sculptural but simple shapes. These are the sort of clothes that will never go out of style.
To top it off, just check out this video, made for this weekend’s Frieze Art Fair in London:
Rosa Abbott is an arts, fashion and culture obsessive originating from Yorkshire, England, and currently living in Dublin, Ireland. On top of being a student at the illustrious Trinity College, she is a freelance journalist, writing for a number of Irish publications, and also edits the visual arts section of entertainment magazine Totally Dublin.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in writing, Rosa works as an assistant to stylist Aisling Farinella and volunteers at various art galleries. Her musings on life, style and art can also be found over at her blog, Too Gallant.
