Eckhaus Latta uses recycled shoes for its Fall 2020 show

A step in the right direction.

In 2020 the most sustainable fashion show is one that doesn’t happen, but it’s encouraging to see designers and labels implementing more sustainable practices.

Take Stella McCartney, who held a sustainability roundtable at Paris Fashion Week last year to discuss the ongoing climate crisis, or Copenhagen Fashion Week’s recent announcement that by 2023 all designers will have to comply with new standards, including using at least 50 per cent certified organic and upcycled textiles. 

The latest label to create more eco-conscious fashion shows is Eckhaus Latta. The Los Angeles-based brand walked the sustainability walk down the runway at this year’s New York Fashion Week by pairing its Fall 2020 designs with recycled footwear.

Rather than creating brand new shoes for a fifteen-minute show, Eckhaus Latta partnered with luxury resale site The RealReal to create a capsule collection of second-hand designer shoes.

The upcycled shoes will be available to purchase on The RealReal and will include the Chanel slingbacks, Prada derby oxfords and Manolo Blahniks that were teamed with Eckhaus Latta’s printed knitwear and midi dresses on the runway.

In the same way that we don’t wear a new pair of shoes with every outfit, the label’s designers Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta said they wanted to “start a conversation about reducing waste and extending the life cycle of fashion.”

This new partnership is just one way the brand is taking a holistic approach to sustainable practices. Eckhaus Latta also works with local denim factories in Los Angeles to reduce emissions, as well as making sure its factories provide fair labour and safe working conditions.  

As second-hand shopping becomes more popular, it’s good to see designer brands joining the conversation around the future of fashion; an industry that creates 10 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

eckhauslatta.com