Tesco’s New Ethical Fashion Range
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Tesco have just recently announced the launch of their new clothing collection, which is made out of recycled and discontinued materials. The collection ‘From Somewhere’ for Florence and Fred consists of just six pieces and is made purely from left-over materials that would have otherwise been thrown away.
Tesco got the inspiration to produce recycled clothing as part of their commitment to help the environment after a visit to From Somewhere’s collection at Estethica as part of the London Fashion Week back in February this year. The decision to launch a recycled clothing collection has had mixed responses as this is just a small step for Tesco to associate themselves with a commitment to recycling and helping the environment whilst yet remaining a company not normally known for their ‘light carbon footprint’- and because of this, why would one of the UK’s most respected ethical fashion labels want to be associated with Tesco? From Somewhere and Estethica designer Orsola de Castro has said that she believes that ‘upcycling’ fabrics should be made more accessible, and that the larger retailers should be encouraged to take responsibility for their waste. ”I have always believed in infiltration,” she states. ”We put Estethica right at the centre of London Fashion Week.”
The clothes, being produced in a ‘green’ factory in Sri Lanka, has still received negative views from the customers, with some believing that this is not a ‘go green’ production as the recycled materials are being flown to Sri Lanka and back again. The factory, however, is the first one of its kind in the world to be awarded a gold rating for Environmental Responsibility.
The collection is as you would expect from ‘From Somewhere’- they have kept to their original style with dresses made to flatter the shape, using bright, bold colours. The collection is available exclusively at www.tesco.com/clothing.
Picture taken from www.guardian.co.uk
