New Sydney-based sustainable fashion label Condition Studio has released its debut collection.
Founded by Ben Yeoh, Condition Studio is Yeoh's answer to the impact traditional fashion manufacturing has on the environment.
The brand uses organic natural colour cotton in its pieces, meaning that the cotton has been minimally processed with no chemicals such as pesticides/fertilisers/bleaches and is turned to fabric without any dyes.
The cotton is also processed using 90% less water than commercially produced cotton.
With such a light-touch processing method, the exact shade of the fabric depends on the growing conditions of the cotton and its environment.
Yeoh said it was key for the brand to utilise a fabric such as this, to realise its mission.
"Condition Studio wanted to bring long-lasting sustainable changes to the massive fashion industry as we realised that the environmental impact of traditional fashion manufacturing is no longer tenable even in the near future.
"With that long-term vision to produce luxurious yet sustainable products, our challenging research for the right supplier led to the discovery of organic natural colour cotton.
"The farmers that our supplier partner works with have been continuously farming in the same region for 13 generations.
"With the same vision and desire to bring impactful changes to the industry, we knew it was the right partnership," he said.
Also key to the brand's sustainability focus is its packaging.
Condition Studio uses compostable, biodegradable and recyclable packaging to send its orders, with the shipments also 100% carbon neutral.
While brand new on the scene, Yeoh addes that Condition Studio is already having an impact on its customers.
"The reaction to the brand has been wonderful so far.
"We were able to draw attention not just to the brand but also to the impact fashion has on the environment.
"Some of our biggest engagements have been about bringing awareness for a necessary lasting change in the industry and talking about our sustainability practices," he said.
With this in mind, Yeoh is already working on expanding the brand's offering - which currently spans tees, hoodies and track pants - into further product categories.
"This is certainly just the beginning of my long-term vision.
"I have already begun the process of designing high quality and luxurious pieces such as jackets, pants and shirts, and move beyond basic pieces.
"I hope to also experiment with new sustainable production techniques that we could introduce to the industry," he said.
Condition Studio's debut collection is available online now and retails for between USD$84 and USD$148.