Pure unadulterated luxury and joy. That’s what brides are looking for on their wedding day, right? A day which is elevated above the humdrum nine-to-five, where the entire wedding party gets to indulge in feel-good vibes and unfettered fun. After all the saving and planning, it’s a pleasure and a delight for couples to spend their hard-earned cash on the elements of their wedding which fill their hearts with happiness.

For the modern, ethically minded bride, of course this means finding a wedding dress which is as gentle to the earth as possible, along with the reassurance that the people making it have been treated and paid fairly. The wish to purchase a luxury gown which is not only at the forefront of bridal fashion but also completely guilt-free is something we’re hearing more and more from Rolling In Roses brides, and it’s such a thrill to be able to deliver these dream dresses for them. I’m sure you all know the demand for slow-fashion and sustainable fabrics is growing rapidly as the general public become more fully aware of fashion’s terrible impact upon the environment around the world, and so many RIR brides choose our dresses not only for their style but for their eco credentials too. We have worked incredibly hard over the years to make our brand as low-impact as possible so our customers can be completely confident in our gowns and enjoy the feel-good factor an ethical purchase brings. It’s at the absolute core of our business and a real passion for me and every member of our little team, so when Bridal Buyer invited me to divulge some secrets and give advice to those of you hoping to elevate your offering to the growing tidal wave of eco-conscious brides out there, I jumped at the chance! I’m certain none of us in the bridal world want to contribute to the detrimental effects of the garment industry, and if we all work together and make a concerted effort to bring about change, (however small), we can make a real difference.

Look for Eco-Friendly Fabrics

There are so many great sustainable fabric options these days, I think it’s really quite an exciting time to be a designer. Even just two or three years ago it was much more difficult to find eco alternatives, but now there are more incredible materials becoming available all the time. So, what can you keep an eye out for when sourcing? Look for organic fabrics, as anything organically certified not only guarantees a chemical-free production (which protects the earth and surrounding habitats), but also a high level of water conservation and ethical production which protects workers. Factories are inspected regularly to make sure they meet the high standards required. No slave labour, and happy plants and insects! Any closed-loop viscose fabrics are great too, which is when natural cellulose fibre viscose is produced using a circular system which cleans, recycles, and reuses all the chemicals and water used during the processing of the fabric.

Materials which are recycled, low-impact and British-made are obviously great too: we have a whole section dedicated to fabrics information on our website, and we make sure we give a detailed run-down of the fabrics used in each dress at the bottom of each dress page. Brides love to read it and it can be a great conversation starter; we’ve had many ladies make their final decision on a dress simply because they love the fabric so much.  Don’t be afraid to ask your supplier for more info to find out where things are coming from; it can be so interesting to find out and it’s great to be armed with that extra depth of knowledge to give to brides who are interested in the background of their dress. And it’s worth remembering that even if a fabric is made from a natural, biodegradable fibre it’s not necessarily a sustainable choice! Which brings me on to our next section…

Beware of Greenwashing

This is a difficult one, because obviously there are varying degrees of greenwashing just as there are varying degrees of sustainability. It can be a real minefield, so who to trust? Presumably a certain amount of greenwashing is unintentional and innocent, due to being unaware of how fabrics are made or how to obtain information about muddy supply chains. According to Vogue, shockingly, a recent study by Changing Markets Foundation found that nearly 60 per cent of green claims made by 12 major brands in the UK and Europe were unsubstantiated or misleading. With so many elements to consider when marketing your gowns as ethical and eco-friendly, where to begin?

Obviously made-to-order bridal is a great option as there’s no over-production and associated waste. But to market something as truly sustainable I like to consider as many facets to the product as possible, from manufacturing, to materials, to packaging, and the overall ethics of the company. It’s great when there’s official certification such as the global Oeko-Tex organic label, as that makes choosing much simpler! Materials such as 100% silk or cotton may sound great as they’re natural and biodegradable, but actually silk production can be very harmful to the environment unless it is certified organic, so it’s worth weighing that up when making your decision.

Weigh up transport, carbon footprint; British is good, but is it made in Britain or simply designed here? A brand may recycle their waste, make separates which can be worn again, or plant trees or use biodegradable packaging, but is that enough to be truly sustainable? But as we all know, ticking all the boxes can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming, so it’s all a balancing act! In the end the most important thing is that we’re all trying our best whenever we can.

Knowledge is Power

From our experience, the more information we can give about how our dresses are made and what they’re made from, the more a bride can really fall in love with the brand and with their wedding gown. With increasing talk in the media about the carbon footprint of the average wedding, it’s so great to be able to offer feel-good solutions to brides hoping to reduce the environmental impact of their big day! By investing in sustainable choices and offering ethical options we can be the change we want to see in the world. Happy days.

Our Collection

Our focus and commitment to sustainability, ethics, and inclusivity are the backbone of the label. We use certified fabrics that are eco friendly, ethically produced, organic and recycled, and offer vegan alternatives to silk. For us, sustainability is a lifestyle, not a gimmick! We also strive to be as inclusive and body-positive as possible, offering every style in any size required. I strive to interweave traditional techniques with the most forward-thinking innovative fabrics I could find; modern, sustainable, and earth-friendly. Sustainability is pretty much an obsession for us here, and consciousness of our environmental impact is at the very heart of everything we do at Rolling In Roses; I spend an insane amount of time sourcing suitable materials: so, I’m genuinely bursting with pride to say that almost every glorious fabric in the new collection is certified as organic, sustainable, recycled, and ethical. I hope you love them as much as we do.

Want to Hear More?

Website - www.rollinginroses.co.uk

Phone - 01904 652 892

Instagram - @rolling_in_roses