The Rise of Eco-Fashion in Scotland

The Scottish Fashion Community has been working tirelessly toward sustainability and eco-friendly fashion. With the recent COP26 Conference, there has been great emphasis on developing the fashion industry into something that is more sustainable for the environment. 

The Scottish North American Community Conference continued this conversation with three prominent figures in the movement: Chris Hunt of Scotland Re:Design, Siobhan Mackenzie, and Prickly Thistle.  

In November, Scotland Re:Design pursued these efforts by hosting the Scottish Fashion Festival where it focused on equality, sustainability, and technology over the course of a week with multiple in person and virtual events led by different designers and voices in the Scottish fashion industry.

Chris Hunt, the founder of Scotland Re:Design, spoke at the Scottish North American Community Conference. He is continuing to raise awareness with these leading forces in sustainable fashion from the festival as the videos from the festival are available online with a pay as you can donation fee. To take part in this “view-at-home” film festival, visit Scotland Re:Design here. 

Siobhan Mackenzie, named Best New Scottish Designer in 2016, focuses largely on sustainability in her own fashion line. She promotes a “slow fashion concept in a fast-fashion industry.” The self-named label combines this sustainability factor with inspiration from her Scottish upbringing. Her collections can be viewed here.

Prickly Thistle, also known as the “tartan rebels” use natural fibres in their production process to protect our lands. They wish to create long-lasting pieces so people can buy less and wear for longer. They shared a wonderful film in the conference titled “Fabric Over Fashion,” which they shared with us so they can continue sharing their message: https://vimeo.com/569509235

While the efforts have only just begun, Scotland is making massive strides toward sustainability in a large industry such as fashion.

We are proud to have aided in amplifying the voices in the eco-fashion industry in the 2021 Scottish North American Community Conference, and we hope to continue to do so as their work progresses.