There’s no getting around the fact that fashion is wasteful, but not everyone in the industry is playing by the same rulebook. Although the giants have a lot to answer for, there are many designers creating amazing collections, and doing so in a way that genuinely takes their own impact into account.

This isn’t to say that these brands are sustainable — there isn’t really any such thing as sustainable fashion, and we’re not going to pretend that there is. However, those pushing to make the industry a better, less wasteful place (and managing to do so without dressing you head-to-toe in hemp) deserve celebrating. So, we’ve decided to do just that.

This piece is part of “The Highsnobiety Better Earth Manual,” a guide for style enthusiasts in the age of ecological crisis — a crisis caused in part by the fashion itself. Here, you’ll find a growing set of resources about conscious consumption and the pioneers who are making change in our industry.