Selfridges Opens Bright New Things Initiative to Sustainable Homeware, Beauty Brands
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PRO-PLANET: Selfridges’ Bright New Things initiative is making a comeback for fall and expanding its focus on sustainability, beyond green fashion labels.
For the first time, the young and emerging talent initiative is to include beauty and homeware brands alongside fashion labels that engage in sustainable practices. The initiative is aligned with Selfridges’ “buying better inspiring change” eco-friendly ethos and it aims to make at least 50 percent of the products it sells better for people and the planet by 2022.
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“It has never been more vital for business to take note of not only what our customers demand from us, but what our planet needs — fashion, beauty and homeware products that don’t harm the environment,” said Daniella Vega, director of sustainability at Selfridges.
That’s why the British retailer chose to spotlight a new cohort of emerging talent addressing sustainability in an inventive and resourceful fashion, in a bid to inspire change in retail and also voice global concerns about the future of the planet.
The store plans to sell the labels featured in Bright New Things for a minimum of two seasons, beginning Aug. 29.
Among the new cohort of eco-labels is GoodWaste, which sources waste materials such as marble, steel and Corian and transforms them into beautifully designed shelving units, vases and lamps.
Handmade Italian sneaker brand Yatay also features in Bright New Things, showcasing its high-end and eco-friendly footwear. Its sneakers are constructed from recycled rubber and plant-based fibers and are PETA-approved and vegan. For each pair of shoes sold, Yatay will plant a tree in a deforested area in an effort to promote global reforestation.
Another participant, the independent British clothing label Olivia Rose, specializes in handmade-to-order items produced by the designer in her London studio. The design process includes fabric sourcing, cutting out, sewing and stitching every garment from scratch — nothing is premade to ensure a zero-waste ethos.
British ready-to-wear designer Charlotte Knowles, who looks to employ ethical practices across her supply chain; Italian footwear label F_Wd, known for using recycled materials, and Anaak, which produces its clothing by working directly with local communities in rural areas in India or Bolivia, are also part of the cohort.
The beauty brands involved in the initiative will be revealed in October.
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