21 November 2024
A multitude of knitwear! Discover the cosiest sweaters at these stores.
- COSH! Member Publicity
COSH! believes that fair wages and responsible working conditions are extremely important. Unfortunately, this is often not the case in the fashion industry. But luckily, there are also many brands that are doing well and choose for a fair production. In celebration of World Fair Trade Day, we would like to inspire you with sustainable fashion brands that produce their garments according to fair trade principles.
Every second Saturday in May, WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) celebrates ‘World Fair Trade Day’ to draw attention to the transformative power of the Fair Trade business model and its positive impact on the lives of people and communities. Each year, the organisation campaigns around a specific theme, for 2024 the theme is #BusinessRevolution!
Fair trade vs. Fairtrade
But first… Fairtrade is a commonly used term, but do you exactly know what it means? The term can have two different meanings:
* Fair trade means fairly traded, which means that no one is exploited physically, mentally nor economically throughout the whole production chain.
* Fairtrade is used to refer to a product that is certified with the Fairtrade label (formerly Max Havelaar). Read more about the Fairtrade label on the website of Fairtrade Belgium.
Dedicated
The clothing brand Dedicated offers a wide range of products for men and women of all ages. Next to that, they also take their impact on the planet throughout the entire production chain into account. The brand likes to be inspired by the beautiful nature. This is something that can be seen by the colourful designs. The collections are produced in a completely fair and ecological way. For their garments, they exclusively use Fairtrade-certified organic cotton or other ecological materials such as Tencel.
During the production process of the Fair Trade organic cotton, no pesticides or fertilisers are used. In addition, they work together with 4 established GOTS-certified fabric and clothing producers in China and India. This means that the farmers, textile workers and stitchers involved in the production of Dedicated’s collections work in responsible conditions and receive fair wages.
Curious where you can buy fair trade clothing from Dedicated? In Belgium, you can find the brand at MOOSE in the CITY and Supergoods in Antwerp, Freedom in Aalst and Dendermonde, Harvest Club in Leuven, Paplou and Sessa in Hasselt. Dedicated is also on sale at César Menswear in Mortsel and Fresh in Bruges.
In the Netherlands, you can shop the collection at Tally-Ho Amsterdam and BrandMission in Amsterdam!
Finally, you can also buy this fair trade brand in Germany at roberta. and roberta.Unterbilk in Düsseldorf, Him & Laya in Hamburg and in Berlin at HIT-IN.TV, supermarché and Slow Friday.
SKFK
SKFK, the Basque brand, should not be missing from this list of Fairtrade brands. SKFK is a brand that stands for change in consumption and production. You might recognize the letters from their previous name, Skunfunk. A few years ago, they decided to change course and changed their name together with their whole way of working.
The organic cotton of SKFK is Fairtrade and GOTS certified. So, the cotton farmers work in good circumstances and get a fair wage.
Want to read more about how sustainable SKFK is? View our brand screening here.
Find SKSK in Belgium at: Brooklyn in Brugge, Knokke, Waregem, Ghent, Roeselare, Kortrijk and Oostende, Supergoods in Antwerp, Mechelen and Ghent, HOST and Moose in the City in Antwerp as well as at Paplou and KNAP in Hasselt.
In the Netherlands, you’ll find SKFK at Het Faire Oosten and BrandMission in Amsterdam.
In Germany the brand is sold by Him & Laya in Hamburg, green guerillas in Köln and Düsseldorf and roberta. in Düsseldorf. SKFK is also sold at the Spanish store La Böcöque.
HEDONE
HEDONE is a street style label from Rotterdam where young talent gets a fair chance. The brand is committed to offering at-risk youth from the drug environment an alternative. The young people receive guidance and career opportunities, and they have the prospect of becoming a production manager, designer or entrepreneur.
In addition to their own social commitment, HEDONE also works with ethical producers. The producers are members of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). This is an independent organisation that monitors the working and social conditions at producers. Thanks to the leader status that those HEDONE producers have, you can be sure that the clothing is made in safe and ethical conditions, and that the workers receive a fair wage.
Curious about how sustainable HEDONE is even more? Read more on our brand screening. Or explore the shop here.
Neutral
Looking for Fairtrade t‑shirts or hoodies for your company or non-profit organisation? Neutral is everything you need! Throughout the entire supply chain, Neutral takes into account the highest social, ethical and environmental criteria for clothing production.
Neutral chooses durable materials. The T‑shirts, jumpers and polo shirts are made of 100% Fairtrade and GOTS-certified organic cotton. Even the buttons on the polo shirts are made of the same organic cotton.
In their collection you will find clothing for men, women and children, but also accessories and sportswear. Read more in the Neutral brand screening.
The brand is sold by COSH! members Twee Jongens in Amsterdam, ACP in Bornem (Belgium), and Atelier Houthuys in Ghent (Belgium).
Melawear
German clothing brand Melawear creates affordable and comfortable clothing and backpacks from 100% Fairtrade and GOTS certified cotton. With their brand, they strengthen local communities in India. Mela means‘acting together’ in Hindi, so even their name represents their ethical values!
Curious about how sustainable Melawear even is? Read more about it in our brand screening,
or discover Melawear in Belgium at Supergoods in Antwerp, Ghent and Mechelen, or at Anders Getint in Leuven.
In Germany, you can find Melawear at Slow Friday in Berlin and at green guerillas ESSENTIALS in Cologne.
Very Cherry
Very Cherry is a vintage-inspired brand from Rotterdam. Here you’ll find perfect basics, and not basic in the sense of boring, but basic items that you can combine endlessly!
For Very Cherry the circumstances in which the collection is made are very important, so the brand is 100% fair trade! They work together with manufacturers in Poland, so that production remains entirely within Europe. The advantage of this is that the manufacturer must comply with the labour rules and laws set by the European Union. In short, the clothing is designed and made in ethical working conditions.
In Belgium, you can try on Very Cherry at SeventyOne in Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Leuven. In the Netherlands, you can discover Very Cherry’s flagship shop in Rotterdam, you can also find the brand at Urban Bozz Breda.
Kalani
Are you next to fair trade fashion also looking for fair trade bed or bath linen? At Kalani you’ll find, among other things, towels and duvet covers made of 100% Fairtrade organic cotton.
The brand buys their cotton directly from the farmer and opts to pay them 13.5% more than the average selling price. This ensures that the farmers receive a fair price for their cotton.
Want to read more on how sustainable Kalani is? Read our brand screening here. Or discover the Kalani atelier in Rixensart.
Wereldwinkel Rotterdam Centrum
Would you like to give someone a gift and want be sure that it has been produced fairly? At fair trade gift shop Wereldwinkel Rotterdam Centrum you’ll find a wide range of unique jewellery, contemporary tableware, fair trade coffee and natural care products: this cosy shop is filled with worldly products from small-scale production and mostly handmade!
By buying a fair trade gift at the Wereldwinkel you can change the lives of producers in developing countries. This way you not only make the receiver of your gift happy, but also the maker!
Oxfam Belgium
Belgium is also home to several cosy Oxfam shops, a haven for fair trade! Discover the nicest fair trade jewellery, food, accessories and even toys. Several shops also offer a wide range of second-hand fashion and accessories.
Wereldwinkel AANEEN
Another beautiful and fair store is located in Amsterdam East. The collection is all about Fair Trade Suriname and tries to connect people. All products are made fair trade! An honest and wonderful place for gifts.
AANEEN is also affiliated with its own association AANEEN. This association is committed to social cohesion in society and gives people who are distanced from the labour market a workplace. The association also contributes to social projects such as combating HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. In short, if you are looking for products with impact, you have come to the right place at AANEEN.
Atelier Luz
Have you been looking for a unique but fair piece of jewellery for a while? Atelier Luz has a beautiful collection of fair trade gold. All products are handmade and consist of gold rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. But in Amsterdam East in the beautiful studio you can also go for fair trade engagement and wedding rings.
Atelier Luz also remakes and reuses old jewellery and creates something beautiful from it on a recycled basis! So if you have an old necklace lying around and you want to make something new out of it, Atelier Luz knows how.
Meer dan Mooi
Discover this fine shop in Geel, Belgium. The 5 pillars are fair trade, sustainability, (age)timelessness, quality and affordability. Ideal to complement your wardrobe with quality and affordable clothes, for the whole family!
Moreover, Meer dan Mooi has a nice collection of Fair Trade jewellery from brands such as Kost Kamm, La Tagua Manufactura and Eydl
Line Vanden Bogaerde
Belgian brand Line Vanden Bogaerde makes quality jewellery from fairmined gold. The elegant jewellery is handmade in the Antwerp workshop, with the jewellery designer using only fair-mined gold and certified diamonds.
Discover more on the Line Vanden Bogaerde website.
Yavana
You can also support fair trade in Germany. In Düsseldorf, for example, you have the fair shop Yavana, which even won the FA!R Retail Award in 2014!
Everyday essentials, conscious garments and beautiful Fair Trade treasures, Yavana has it all. Moreover, the shop offers brands certified by GOTS and Fair Wear Foundation, among others.
Do you want to discover more brands and shops that sell fair and ethical fashion? Go to our shopping guide and find sustainable fashion near you, within your style and budget!
