We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to homegrown fashion. Within that cohort is one of Australia’s leading conscious fashion labels (and soon-to-be B-Corp certified), Elk. For founders and partners Marnie Goding and Adam Koniaras it began in Melbourne in 2004 with a collection of handmade silver jewellery. They progressed their design portfolio into leather goods, then knitwear and, eventually, a full apparel collection. Now 20 years on, they have a thriving online store with a global presence and seven retail locations across Victoria.

The award-winning label’s founding philosophy was to create opportunities for others through the business. But when Goding and Koniaras visited manufacturers in the Philippines, Thailand and India they realised their mission needed to be bigger. Together, the duo found small makers and traditional tradespeople who aligned with their values. They looked into how and where they made their products and still work alongside many of them today. They work alongside businesses with ethical working environments who are willing to improve their environmental impact, and Elk even helps guide and create sustainability action plans alongside their partners.

“Those early days have informed the values that we hold today, and the decisions we make around who makes for us, what we make, how we make it and what we make it from,” Goding says.

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Elk publishes an annual transparency report that covers everything from its carbon footprint to its waste and recycling practices. It donates one per cent of sales to environmental non-profit groups, and has collaborated with a long-term supplier as they recently installed solar panels so they get 70 to 80 per cent of their energy from renewable sources.

Elk does its part to create a more conscious fashion industry, and we can too. Goding has some smart tips for making your wardrobe more mindful and sustainable too.

Ask yourself if you need it and buy second hand where you can

“If you’ve torn the knee out of your jeans, that would warrant a need,” says Goding. “[But] the most sustainable piece of clothing is the one that’s already in your wardrobe.”

Ask yourself if you already have something you can rewear to that dinner party or date night before buying something new. And if you do feel the need to buy something, consider where you’re buying it from. Options like buying second hand or consciously choosing brands which offer transparency and sustainable materials are your best options. That’s where Elk comes in, with products that are designed with sustainability in mind – and a second-hand service, their ReNew program .

A stitch in time saves nine

It’s important to look after what you’ve got. “If you see a little hole, then you get onto it straight away as opposed to letting that hole get bigger, or letting another button fall off,” Goding says. Keeping your garment in use for as long as possible will reduce the need to buy new.

When it comes to cleaning, follow care instructions to give a piece longevity, like airing out denim and handwashing knitwear sparingly. If you’re stuck, Elk has a Care and Repair video series that covers everything from patching denim to hem stitching.

Material research

“There are lots of considerations when you’re looking at making a responsible fashion purchase,” Goding says. “The biggest impact though, of any product, is the material it’s made from.”

First, Goding suggests reaching for any natural or recycled fabrics. “Organic or regenerative is also a good label to look for,” she says of cotton for example.

Then, look for fibres from materials such as Tencel, Lyocell and EcoVero, “[which are] created in a closed-loop manufacturing situation, reducing environmental impact and the fibres are also sourced from responsibly forested timber” Goding says .

For wool or linen, Goding says natural is best but there are complexities to each fibre. For example, Elk uses naturally processed dew-retted linen, rather than chemically processed. “It does reflect in the price but that’s part of the responsibility we’re taking on.”

Where does it come from?

“We’re in a marketplace where we can buy better if we want to and if we take the time to do it,” Goding says. “Know what you’re buying and who you’re buying from. It’s the responsibility of consumers to ask questions.”

Some care labels and swing tags can look misleadingly good. So that’s where you need to dig a little deeper – look out for greenwashing, and try to find out if a company can verify claims it’s making about a material’s origin and the production process. When you’re shopping in store, there’s nobody better to chat to than the staff. Find out more about the material, the maker and the end of life options for what you are buying.

Give it another life

When a piece isn’t suitable for you anymore and it’s time to pass it on, “swap, share, donate or on-sell to give that garment as much life as possible,” Goding says.

Elk’s ReNew program accepts used Elk garments in exchange for a voucher. The pieces are then laundered, repaired, ironed and steamed before being on-sold at Elk’s Preston store in Melbourne.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Elk.