Sustainability is a crucial component of the fashion industry as we begin a new year. This is one of our core values here at Playtime, and we love to highlight brands that produce in the most conscious way possible. The fact that more and more initiatives are being created to make the fashion industry better and more sustainable is inspiring. It is up to all of us to do our part and take responsibility for the role we play in the health of our planet. We would like to take the time to highlight two companies that are doing an outstanding job, who you can meet in person at Playtime Paris! The brand Perpète is a true pioneer in conscious consumption. They found a great solution for consumers to reduce garment waste by incorporating resale into their business model. Studio Abi is working to teach the adults of tomorrow about fashion consumption and how to better preserve our planet. By teaching children the importance of sustainability, Studio Abi is helping build a better tomorrow.

Here is how they designed more conscious businesses!

Perpète began when two women, Nathalie and Sandra, decided the fashion industry no longer made sense to them. After meeting and discussing their ideas for a better way forward, they created Perpète with the core values of inclusion, solidarity, and sustainability. They decided they wanted their clothes to live multiple lives, rather than just one. They wanted to do this to limit their impact as a company on the planet, and to avoid over production and over consumption of the precious natural resources Earth offers us.

They began by designing garments that are durable. By using high quality and responsibly sourced materials, their garments are ready to be worn for a long time, while having less of an impact on the planet. Perpète has a supplier in Portugal to reduce transportation pollution, and so they can easily confirm social standards are being respected in their production facilities. Perpète doesn’t create collections, but rather timeless pieces that are not limited by seasons nor trends.

One of the biggest hurdles the fashion industry has to face is consumers don’t typically know what to do with clothes once they’re finished with them. Whether that means giving them a new life by donating them or, if they are not in a good enough condition, where to properly dispose of them. Perpète has leapt over this hurdle with grace, by offering their customers to send Perpète products back to the company, free of charge, once kids have grown out of them or worn them out. Perpète evaluates the condition of the products and then offers a discount between 15% and 40% to customers to thank them for contributing to a more sustainable process.

Perpète then analyzes the product to see what they can improve for even more durable clothes in the future. If the garment is in good condition, they rewash it and upload it for sale on the resale tab of their website. In the event of a garment that is too damaged to be resold as is, Perpète upcycles it into something new and sells it as a “survivor.”

This method works well for Perpète, but certainly there are other methods that might work better for differently structured brands or shops. For example, the creative professionals at Studio Abi keep the values of sustainable development at their core. When teaching kids about textiles, they emphasize the importance of eco-friendly processes, from the origins of materials to the manufacturing of garments. Studio Abi seeks to establish in the generations growing up today the value of reducing, reusing, repairing, and recycling, and how they align with the meaningfulness of artisanal fashion and textiles, innovation, and well-developed tastes. Studio Abi also works with brands and buyers to offer support and advice on more sustainable solutions for their businesses. Through teaching children as well as current industry professionals, Studio Abi is creating a better today, and paving the way for a better tomorrow.

Perpète and Studio Abi are great examples of how we can work together as an industry to preserve our planet and create a world full of better practices in which kids can grow up. As members of the kidswear sector of the fashion industry, we should especially be concerned with the importance of sustainability. We design, sell, distribute, and create garments and products for children. We should also be working to design and create a better world for them to live in, one that is sustainable and conscientious. Industry news sources are constantly emphasizing the increasing importance of sustainability and the resale market. Follow Perpète and Studio Abi’s lead and incorporate eco-friendly practices into your business, or create a new model that is all your own!

Come meet Perpète and Studio Abi at Playtime Paris in January!