Net Sustain: The best environmentally-friendly fashion brands on Net-a-Porter's new platform

Including Stella McCartney and Mother of Pearl

As shoppers become increasingly diligent about the provenance of their clothes and what they choose to spend their hard-earned money on, the appetite for sustainable fashion has never been greater.

Enter Net-a-Porter’s one-stop shop for sustainable and ethical products, Net Sustain.

The latest corporation to pick up the pace when it comes to promoting more conscious business practices, Net Sustain highlights and celebrates brands that meet at least one of Net-a-Porter’s criteria for sustainability.

While the retailer aims to add more designers to its roster over time, it has launched the initiative with a total of 26 brands and more than 500 products, spanning bags, lingerie, shoes and even fine jewellery.

Each of the designers included in the Net Sustain line-up acknowledges the harsh realities of the fashion industry and, as a result, has chosen to adapt its business to create change.

We’ve rounded up the best best brands you can buy from the platform right now.

Nannacay

Bianca tasseled striped crocheted cotton-blend tote, £115 (Net-A-Porter/Nannacay)

Launched by Brazilian designer Marcia Kemp in 2014, Nannacay – the Aymara word for sisterhood – has become well-known for its handwoven basket bags that are embellished with cascades of colourful pom-poms.

But Nannacay is much more than a brand, it’s a social fashion project.

Nannacay provides economic opportunities for a collective of 200 artisans in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil by implementing training and workshops on skills development and finance management.

Style influencers Pandora Sykes and Man Repeller are reportedly fans.

Stella McCartney

Cady mini dress, £680 (Net-A-Porter/Stella McCartney)

As a vegetarian brand, Stella McCartney promotes a cruelty-free ethos and continues to innovate ways of creating sustainable materials.

The brand never uses leather, fur or feathers and is even exploring new ways of creating silk using pioneering biotechnology.

Just part of a commitment to leading “a responsible, honest and modern company”, Stella McCartney also relies on resilient supply chains that provide desirable jobs, foster people’s skills, strengthen workers’ voices and advocate for vulnerable groups.

Veja

V-10 leather sneakers, £115 (Net-A-Porter/Veja)

Veja is a French brand that has a strong focus on transparency, fair trade and social and environmental responsibility.

It sources all of its natural rubber directly from seringueiro communities in the Amazon rainforest to save on water, energy and harmful emissions, and also collaborates with the factory that produces its sneakers to ensure the best work practices.

A must-have for fashion fans, Lyst reports that searches for Veja have increased by 113 per cent over the last year, largely thanks to the Duchess of Sussex sporting a pair during a trip to Sydney.

Ninety Percent

Rita tie-dyed stretch-Tencel bodysuit, £48 (Net-A-Porter/Ninety Percent)

A London-based label that launched in 2018, Ninety Percent vows to distribute 90 per cent of its profits between charitable causes.

Ninety Percent makes its products from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and sustainable alternatives to conventional viscose like Tencel and EcoVera.

All of its garments are made in excellent manufacturing facilities that place workers’ welfare as key to their business values, both in Bangladesh and Turkey.

Leigh Miller

Dali gold-tone multi-stone hoop earrings, £248 (Net-A-Porter/Leigh Miller)

Sculptural jewellery designer Leigh Miller launched her collection in 2014 after working as a designer for Calvin Klein.

Inspired by natural patterns and forms translated into metal, Miller uses the lost art of wax casting, which involves sculpting her pieces in molten wax before hand-hammering them into organic forms.

Every piece is designed and crafted locally in Los Angeles from a range of metals including brass and bronze, sterling silver, pink, and yellow gold.

Mother of Pearl

Net Sustain and BBC Earth Thea asymmetric floral-print organic silk mini dress, £795 (Net-A-Porter/Mother of Pearl) (Mother of Pearl/Net-A-Porter)

Mother of Pearl is committed to complete tractability across its supply chains, sourcing sustainable fibres like organic wool, organic cotton and Tencel for its collections.

Sustainability has been a lifelong passion of designer Amy Powney, who has made it her mission to make Mother of Pearl ethically conscious in all that it does, including using the best factories and suppliers.

The brand launched a special capsule collection of nine pieces with BBC Earth, made with “peace silk” – a material that is produced from silkworm cocoons without killing the worm inside – as well as eco-friendly dyes and textiles certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and the National Program for Organic Production.

Maggie Marilyn

Silk-organza wrap shirt, £435 (Net-A-Porter/Maggie Marilyn)

Determined to be a fashion brand that is compliant with the New Zealand government’s plan to be a carbon-zero country by 2050, Maggie Marilyn is doing its bit in a number of different ways.

Designing with this in mind, the majority of its products are produced near its studio in New Zealand and made from ethically considered materials, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, organic wool and recycled polyester.

In 2018, Maggie Marilyn also converted all of its dispatch plastic packaging to organic compostable packaging made from cassava root and sourced from a local New Zealand company.

Mara Hoffman

Lulu cropped striped hemp top, £235 (Net-A-Porter/Mara Hoffman)

Mara Hoffman crafts each of its collections in socially responsible conditions using ethically sourced fabrics.

Each garment is made from certified organic and recycled fabrics; the brand also ensures that all people involved in the manufacturing process are treated fairly and respectfully along the way.

As part of the basic requirements of doing business with the brand, it requires every factory it partners with to adhere to internationally accepted environmental and human rights standards for responsible production.

Laura Lombardi

Fiore gold-tone earrings, £134 (Net-A-Porter/Laura Lombardi)

Laura Lombardi is committed to local manufacturing, with most of her pieces made in New York, where she works with a Brooklyn-based brass mill.

Each item of jewellery is also handcrafted from a mix of new, recycled and reclaimed metals that the designer finds on her travels.

The brand’s range of clean, minimal jewellery plays with proportion and scale, and includes everything from chain-link necklaces to hoop earrings.

Baserange

Stretch-bamboo soft-cup triangle bra, £45 (Net-A-Porter/Baserange)

Womenswear brand Baserange is underpinned by a strong belief that sustainable products should not be a luxury. This philosophy has led to the affordable pricing of its garments.

The brand works exclusively with small, family-based factories, with whom it has built a close, trusting and lasting relationship, and uses natural fibres, such as bamboo and organic cotton.

Baserange focuses on wardrobe basics that are intended to last, thanks to their high quality and timeless designs. Its line-up includes lingerie, oversized T-shirts, swimwear and shirt dresses.