5. FEBRUAR 2022 | by PLATFORMCREATIVE
ECOLOOKBOOK proudly presents sustainable knitwear brand BEE & SONS, founded by the former Marketing Director of Harvey Nichols Deborah Bee.. Based in the middle of a field in Somerset, the knitwear brand is creating cardigans and sweaters with cool, relaxed silhouettes and ballooning sleeves in clashing pink, purple shades and many more colours.
Their impetus comes not from a desire to create 'yet another fashion brand', but rather to prove that clothing manufacture can be truly circular. The sheer scale of fashion production in the world is overwhelming. By 2030 it is estimated we will be producing 102 million tons of clothing with a value of $3.3 trillion. Most clothing is discarded within the first year of ownership. The idea that nine out of every ten garments sitting in our own wardrobes will become pollution is unacceptable for most of us. The fact that they'll be burnt, or sitting in a hole in the ground, (by the way, for longer than the span of our own lifetimes), is inconceivable. The BEE & SONS mission therefore, is to keep our clothes out of landfill and incineration by dispensing with the linear 'take/ make/ dispose' economy and replacing it with a circular economy, which follows the 3R approach: They reduce our natural Resources by Reusing our products to create Recycled yarns.
The second collection from BEE & SONS is dropping now, made with 100% Italian cashmere, derived from 100% post-consumer waste. Most commercial cashmere is virgin – transported from Mongolia and spun into new yarn all over the world. Most recycled cashmere is part virgin fibre and part recycled – and of the recycled yarn, most is derived from ‘pre-consumer’ waste – ie waste created by the brand themselves. BEE & SONS’ cashmere is derived from old sweaters that have been rescued from landfill and incineration, washed, mechanically recycled and spun into fresh new yarn. It looks new, feels like high quality virgin cashmere, and wears beautifully. All BEE & SONS yarns are certified as having low environmental impact. BEE & SONSs only produces in small batches of a hundred, so there is never any waste and always demand. The brand is currently using post-consumer recycled yarn from Prato in Italy, until garments are returned at end of life, when the yarn will be recycled. Based in an old barn in the middle of a field in Somerset, BEE & SONS is a knitwear brand devoted to recycling. Its impetus comes not from a desire to create 'yet another fashion brand', but rather to prove that clothing manufacture can be truly circular.The sheer scale of fashion production in the world is overwhelming. By 2030 it is estimated we will be producing 102 million tons of clothing with a value of $3.3 trillion. Most clothing is discarded within the first year of ownership. The idea that nine out of every ten garments sitting in our own wardrobes will become pollution is unacceptable for most of us. The fact that they'll be burnt, or end up sitting in a hole in the ground, (by the way, for longer than the span of our own lifetimes), is inconceivable.
Reusing & Recycling
BEE & SONS wants to keep clothes out of landfill and incineration by dispensing with the linear 'take/ make/ dispose' economy and replacing it with a circular economy, which follows the 3R approach: They Reduce reliance on natural resources by Reusing their products to create Recycled yarns. There are no synthetics involved in any BEE & SONS’ garment - not even the labels, so they can recycle the yarn to make new yarn. Any virgin fibres are sourced from reputable companies and traceability certified – meaning that they have a low environmental impact production cycle. They do not use yarns that are not able to be recycled. The aim is to re-use and re-use and re-use the fibres they have chosen, in order that they avoid landfill and incineration and the pollution that those involve. By reusing old yarn, they are also not creating a demand for new yarn, and the environmental impact that its production entails. You'd be surprised by the quality of recycled yarn. It really looks no different. BEE & SONS yarns are also Mulesing Free and Only Cruelty Free Mohair. They have been selected for their quality – because they want you to love your BEE & SONS garment for a long, long time. BEE & SONS is exclusively available online, directly to you, so that we avoid retail mark-ups and sell our natural pieces at a realistic price.
BEE & SONS Packaging
BEE & SONS packaging tape, compostable bags, stickers and tags come from No Issue, a cute little packaging company totally committed to sustainability. There are three strands to its philosophy: Compostable products are made from renewable plant-based materials and/or bio-polymers that are home compostable within 180 days. Recycled packaging is made from post-consumer products that would have ended up in landfill or incinerators. Reusable products have a built in second, third or even fourth use. The cardboard boxes come from Rajapack's Eco-Responsible range and are made from 100% recycled cardboard which is also 100% recyclable. Make sure you put your packaging to its full use to give it a maximum lifespan. It not only saves it from going to waste, but it also reduces the need for virgin materials.
@Beeandsons