Sustainable Style: People Tree

Every week we feature a sustainable brand on our blog. This week's featured brand is People Tree.

Can we agree that this hand woven silk wedding dress is gorgeous. It's proof that you don't have to sacrifice style to be a conscious consumer, even when you're shopping for your wedding dress. Designed by Bora Aksu, a Turkish designer based in London, and made by Swallows, a Fair Trade group that works with women in Bangladesh, this dress was one of two made for a collaboration with People Tree.

People Tree's mission is to have a supply chain that is completely Fair Trade and sustainable. They do this by working with marginalized producers and workers, primarily in the developing world, to source their raw materials like organic cotton and wool, and to manufacture their hand crafted apparel.

What makes them different from the other brands we've featured on our blog is their commitment to Fair Trade. While using natural raw materials is a start towards trying to be more sustainable, it doesn't go far enough in addressing the other issues associated with fast fashion. That's why Fair Trade is so important (People Tree is certified by the World Fair Trade Organization), it's not only good for the environment, it's also good for the people that work in the fashion industry.

Credit: Photo from People Tree