Ethical fashion is not one thing, one process, one system, or one method; it is an approach to the design, production, and distribution of clothing that strives to minimize environmental harm and maximize social benefit. There are as many different ways to do ethical fashion as there are companies doing it. There is no one way to be ethical in the fashion industry, however, that is not to say there’s anything wrong with comparing different methods, on the contrary, this is absolutely necessary in order to progress towards the goal of environmental sustainability and social equality.

Spend a few minutes reading through the directory on this site and you’ll see what I mean; from organic cotton to bamboo, from fair trade certification to recycled fabric, the spectrum of possibilities is vast. But don’t get discouraged, commonalities are beginning to reveal themselves upon which a cohesive understanding of what constitutes ethical fashion is emerging, allowing designers, manufactures, and retailers to move towards an integration that embraces the beauty of individual expression, the core and spirit of fashion.

The mission of ethicalfashion.ca is to help move the fashion industry toward this kind of integration. We therefore encourage everyone involved in the industry; producers, retailers, and consumers, to share their thoughts, goals, concerns, and whatever else might help to push the industry toward this integral direction.