How to Find Sustainable Materials for Your Fashion Brand (With Low MOQs!)
In a world where fast fashion brands are shouting from their rooftops that they're sustainable, it's scary for genuinely conscious brands to communicate their efforts since there's a threat of coming across as greenwashing.
Before we go over to searching and assessing our options, we must first ask ourselves if sustainable materials even exist in the first place. I know there’s a lot of pressure to choose the “best” and “most sustainable” material but let’s remove all that pressure because at the end of the day, in my opinion, there’s still no truly sustainable material. Everything will use some sort of energy and resources to be created — water, carbon emissions, etc. If you want to know more about this topic, you can go ahead and listen to Episode 114: Does Sustainability Even Exist? That being said, people will still buy, use, and wear clothes so materials will continue to be created.
Nevertheless, we have to select a material that fits our sustainability priorities. It’s easier said than done so if you’re ready to take the next step in launching your slow fashion brand, keep on reading!
TIP #1 - Leverage Your Design Team
Consult them about the material(s) that they think would work best with that you're trying to make. There are a lot of things to consider such as the shape, cut, drape, feel, etc. You should also communicate how you want your product to feel (e.g. soft and cozy, firm and structured, lightweight, heavy and substantial, etc.)
If you need tips on how to find a designer or design the best products without a design background, watch my last video “How to Design a Clothing Line (Even Without a Fashion Background!)”
TIP #2 - Treat This Process as a Numbers Game
I've mentioned this tip before in my video on finding an ethical manufacturer but it's extremely important to allot time and effort to find good material and mill. Do not just go with whoever you find first. Keep in mind that you want the best of the best for your product.
If you’re not working with us and we aren’t warm introducing you to our trusted mills, then you need to put in the time, work, and effort required to find someone.
Set up a spreadsheet or Airtable form so you can stay organized. Here are some ways you can find suitable ethical materials:
Ask your network
Google / Search online
Make use of Facebook groups
Leverage Sites Like Chanodil or Seamless Source. There are essentially job posting sites where people can "pitch" themselves to work with you. It's important to be clear with what you're looking for and what product(s) you're creating so you would be able to find the right person/mill that suits your needs. Also, make sure to specify that you're a brand starting therefore you have low MOQs or minimums.
TIP #3 - Make Use of Deadstock Fabric
Deadstock fabrics are surplus from fabric mills and clothing brands that did not get used to produce or manufacture clothing. Working with deadstock fabric can be a hit or miss since it can include perfectly fine, high-quality fabrics that you can get for a much lower price point or a lower-quality fabric that didn't get used for a reason.
This kind of fabric has a lot of "controversy" and debate around it. Just like many things about sustainability, there's a lot of "grey area" and it's not essentially a black-and-white choice. I have to say that it depends on your situation. Here is my overview of working with deadstock fabric.
PROS
You are potentially diverting fabric from a landfill
It is relatively cheaper
It usually has low minimums (if any) so it's friendlier for smaller brands
CONS
Some people argue that it encourages brands and mills to purposely overproduce because they know they can sell it and make more money.
If you are creating something that needs synthetic fabric (e.g. athletic wear, hiking wear, etc.) then you might feel better using deadstock polyester vs. a virgin one.
My advice is to do your research and ensure that you know what you're getting yourself into.
TIP #4 - Vet the Materials
Once you have a solid list of materials/mills that you're happy with, my next tip is to thoroughly vet them so that you're comfortable incorporating them into your product. You must do your diligence in this part of the process.
I have heard so many horror stories about bad quality materials, and fake certifications – I have heard it all. So, you have to make sure that you take your time to vet them because I don't want you to end up in a situation like that.
Here are some important things that you can ask:
Material composition
Certifications (NOTE: It's NOT always a red flag if they don't have them since those can be expensive and time-consuming for smaller brands.)
Pricing
Lead times
Don't underestimate gut feeling. Learn how to trust it throughout the whole process. I know it can sound wishy-washy but if you feel like something's off, trust that feeling.
TIP #5 - Quality Test the Materials
Aside from vetting the materials, you'd also want to quality control and test them.
I highly recommend that you request swatches and samples from mills. They will usually send it to you for free.
Make sure that you touch, feel, and test the materials thoroughly. Be as rough as you can – pull it, stretch it, etc. See if it's the texture and type of materials that you would want. Also, don't forget to wash it. Do anything a customer would do to see what it's like. Make sure to keep notes whether it pill, fray, fade, etc.
Sometimes it's hard to test with a small amount of fabric so make sure that you filter out your top choices. I highly recommend that you get more metres/yardage so you can test it out and make actual samples.
TIP #6 - Make Samples
Don't ever skip this step. Make samples out of your top 2-3 material(s) so you can see which one you like the most. This will also allow you to finetune your design and potentially solidify the materials that you want to leverage.
It can be quite overwhelming to find a sustainable material with low MOQs that fit your needs but I guarantee you, it's worth the time and effort!
If you want to take your learning to the next level, check out our Launch Your Brand Program which supports aspiring sustainable fashion founders from idea to profitable brand that makes $20,000+ at launch.
