All over the world, fashion labels are slashing their prices for the annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, prompting millions to shop frantically to secure new clothes for a fraction of the price. But in the face of climate change, when we have young people such as Greta Thunberg imploring people to listen before it’s too late, more and more fashion labels are taking a stand against mass overconsumption.
The result is Green Friday, an initiative which sees brands give back to the environment, whether it’s by planting trees, shutting down completely over the sale period or donating proceeds to charities and climate change initiatives.
But a few conscious brands out of millions isn’t enough. In 2018 alone, Black Friday resulted in over $6.2 billion in online sales in the US, a growth of 23.6% year upon year. Cyber Monday somehow topped that figure with shoppers dropping $7.9 billion in a 24 hour period, people seemingly forgetting when faced with a sale sign that the fashion industry’s carbon impact is bigger than the airline industry’s.
With the European Parliament declaring a climate emergency just as shoppers wake up ready to scour the sales, we’ve found the brands doing their part to lessen the blow.
Will & Bear
Aussie brand Will & Bear is taking 40 per cent off selected styles and planting 20 trees for every single hat it sells between Friday Nov 29 and Dec 1. The goal is to sell enough hats to plant two football field’s worth of trees – and if they make the goal, they’ll contribute another football field’s worth for good measure.
Everlane
In 2014, US basics brand Everlane (beloved by everyone from Meghan Markle to Angelina Jolie) launched its Black Friday Fundraising $800,000 to improve the environmental impact of its facilities around the world. This year, Everlane will be donating $10 from every Black Friday purchase to Oceana to help eliminate the production of single-use plastics. The goal is to raise $300,000 USD.
Maggie Marilyn
This week, New Zealand-based designer label Maggie Marilyn launched its new line, Somewhere. The basics range is created out of three fabrics – organic cotton, New Zealand merino wool (both natural fibres which can be recycled or composted), and regenerated nylon, made from plastics redirected from landfill and oceans which can then be recycled. On top of being made with sustainable fabrics, customers can send back pre-loved Somewhere pieces years later which will be recycled and turned into new items to avoid any waste.
Shop Maggie Marilyn’s Somewhere collection here.
Patagonia
Starting Black Friday and continuing through the holiday season, Patagonia will match any donations made through its Patagonia Action Works initiative encouraging customers to donate to one of the 1,000 environmental nonprofit organisations that the lifestyle brand supports.
Deciem
Cult skincare brand Deciem, the parent company of The Ordinary, is closing all stores and blacking out its website for Black Friday and is instead offering an in-store and online discount of 23 per cent off across brands for the full month of November.
Olivela
By just clicking on the Olivela website and entering your details, the philanthropic fashion retailer will donate $5 to a charity of your picking. The retailer is currently pledging up to $1 million to a roster of charities, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Stand Up to Cancer, The WE Organisation and Care and already donates 20 per cent of sales to a number of charities.
Kindred Black
For Green Friday, Kindred Black is donating 25 per cent of all sales from November 28th-December 2nd to the Environmental Defense, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.
