manager_1 House of Dagmar is a Swedish fashion label that values family and fun. It won the Zalando sustainability award during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
In partnership with Zalando, the exclusive House of Dagmar sustainable collection features 20 pieces. It highlights the brand’s sustainability efforts as well as explores material options such as recycled, certified organic, and responsibly sourced materials.
The collection is focused on three areas of House of Dagmar’s sustainability strategy: to reduce carbon emissions and save water, and minimize waste through material choices. This was demonstrated by Zalando funding a fibre impact report from sustainable activator Anthesis, based upon the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, MSI, to show transparency and learn.
The House of Dagmar used more sustainable materials than the equivalent of conventional materials in its impact assessment. This resulted in lower carbon and water impacts. The collection avoided 7,700 kilograms CO2 by doing so, equivalent to driving from Berlin and Madrid 13 times (31,000 kms) and 184,000 litres water (approx 600 bathtubs).
Sofia Wallenstam is House of Dagmar’s brand director. She said in a statement that she hopes to inspire customers to be bold and create a new mindset about what they wear and why. This is a conscious mindset that ensures every purchase is made of durable products. Each clothing item is part of a timeless style that can be passed down to future generations.
“Just as Zalando, our goal is transparency. We’re proud to have won this award and to have produced the capsule collection and Fibre Impact Report. It’s another step toward a more sustainable future.”
House of Dagmar x Zalando – highlights sustainable design
House of Dagmar explains that the capsule is “timeless”, versatile, elegant and stylish. It takes wardrobe staples like a denim shirt and cable sweater and makes them more sustainable by using more sustainable fabrics. The collection contains 55 percent recycled content. This includes recycled wool and polyester made from recycled plastic bottles.
Zalando says the collection will offer “stylish and seasonless products that minimize environmental impacts, provide consumers more sustainable options, and help drive industry change.”
The Thelise coat is made of recycled wool and polymer, which equates to 74 per cent less carbon emitted compared to a similar garment made out of virgin wool and rayon. The Alba denim was made from organic, GOTS certified raw cotton. This reduces pollution and supports the health and well-being for manufacturers.
The Maggie and Greta loungewear vest and trousers are made of recycled wool. However, the report states that knitted garments are very low in offcuts which helps reduce waste.
Kate Heiny, Zalando’s director of sustainability, said: “We want our customers to make better choices and understand sustainability. We are able to show our customers why each product in the collection is more sustainable by calculating its fibre footprint. This allows us to drive change and have a positive effect on the environment and people.
Anthesis’ report concluded that House of Dagmar took into account the environmental impact of their designs, as well the durability of the garments. House of Dagmar used recycled, organic, and other fabrics with lower environmental impacts. They also considered sustainability considerations when choosing manufacturing partners.
It also stated that House of Dagmar would need to dig deeper into the manufacturing process and increase visibility throughout the value chain in order to continue building on this foundation. It suggested that manufacturers should be able to provide recycled content certificates, that they collaborate with them to develop more bespoke fibre models and that they create their own Life Cycle Assessment. Also, transparency at farm level must be improved. Blended fabrics can increase fabric durability, as well as give fabrics a longer life.
