Although it has long been pushed underneath the rug, fashion consumers no longer can turn a blind eye to the whopping industrial waste produced by the garment industry which now accounts for a staggering 20% of all industrial waste produced worldwide.
Fashion designers must find new ways of producing commensurate quality materials for consumers if this catastrophic waste can truly be curbed.Fortunately, there are a few forward looking sustainable brands which have emerged as frontrunners in the fight to curb fashion's toxic waste emissions while at the same time producing world-class products with no compromise to style, performance, or prestige.
A quintessential example of such a vanguard is sustainable activewear leader brand Ultracor.
The stylish, high end brand- run by Rock & Republic Founder Michael Ball and his wife Asha Kai- has streamlined the production process and massively curbed emissions through digitized rendering and builds, leaving an end product which yields some of the most stylish designs ever to hit activewear shelves with a promise of record high performance.
?What initially inspired the founders was their experience in the denim industry, which brought to light the level of pollution, waste, and overproduction that occurs daily in fashion.
“We wanted to do things differently—in the U.S., in-house and on-demand, so as to not overproduce,” explains Michael. The fact that items are made to order—with an impressive 2-3-weekturnaround—and produced locally in Hawthorne, CA not only allows Ultracor to be environmentally conscious, but also to be as agile as their customers. When it comes to new styles, partnerships, and original prints, the luxurious brand is able to create and pivot according to the news trends in the industry.
This very model is responsible for Ultracor’s latest venture into men’s activewear. Seeing a void in the market for upscale and high-quality athleisure for men, the brand released their first men’s line, which just launched on the company’s site.
The move makes Ultracor the most sustainable and ethically produced men’s activewear lines on the scene. Besides this key differentiator, it also stands out from competitors thanks to unmatched quality and technology, which has garnered a cult following from fit fashionistas, celebrities and even athletes.
