5 ethical & sustainable activewear brands in Southeast Asia
Workout with a clear conscience
Text: Tiff H
Image source: @shopterrae
Sustainability is the buzzword on everyone’s lips regardless of industry, whether it’s fashion, fitness, travel or food. We all know that the fast fashion industry notoriously falls short when it comes to ethical and environmental practices, and activewear brands are not exempt; fast fashion supply chains in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have seen countless reports of exploitation over the decades. Textile waste is one of the biggest negative externalities generated by fashion and in Singapore alone over 168,000 tonnes of textile waste was generated in 2019.
Yet recent trends have seen a shift in consumer demands — the global fashion search platform Lyst saw a 47% increase in sustainability-related keywords in user searches, and a subsequent emergence of sustainable fashion and athleisure brands fill this demand gap.
We saw this in the US with brands such as the girlfriend collective, which offers eco-friendly, fair-trade and recycled fabrics, as well as being as inclusive as possible, with sizes from XXS to 6XL. A high-five also goes to the Aussie brand Nimble’s custom engineered fabrics which are made from post-consumer used recycled plastics. To date, they’ve recycled 970,671 plastic bottles since 2015. (Their sustainable All Day High Rise Tights were one of our top candidates in our squat test).
While these international brands are fighting the good fight, we wanted to find some sustainable activewear brands that are based a bit closer to home. Not only are we as a nation supporting local, it also means that we’re minimising our carbon footprint when shipping the workout gear to our doorstep.
1. Outfyt
Image source: @shopoutfyt
Founded in Singapore by Stephanie Colhaf Yeo, Outfyt is an eco-luxe sustainable activewear brand, which uses ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon. The sustainable fabric is made by recovering nylon waste — such as fishing nets or fabric scraps — and turning it into virgin quality nylon yarn. The pieces are produced in small batches to eliminate excess waste and are designed to be less trend-driven and more time-driven, going beyond aesthetics to promote sustainable and ethical living. We also love that 1% of proceeds from every purchase is donated to Healthy Seas, which go towards cleaning the seas, saving marine wildlife, preventing future pollution, and recycling resources.
Offering athleisure uniquely made out of regenerated ocean waste, Sunnysix Active is a Philippines-based initiative started by two sisters, Maui and Sammy Shah. The brand’s vision is to inspire others to care more and waste less, leading by example with their attention to every single detail throughout the supply chain; from the sustainable fabric, the ethical manufacturing processes and working conditions, to their plantable cards and their donation of 5% to Healthy Seas. Their inaugural collection comes in a vibrant array of colours including cherry, pine and honeycomb.
3. Flexi Lexi
The Bangkok-based activewear brand launched its first plastic-recycled fabric collection in 2019 and since then, each of their collections has championed the sustainable fabric. From garbage to gear, each bra and legging combo is made from approximately 35 post-consumer plastic bottles. The brand’s latest collection is ideal for working out in the tropics; their “Into the Jungle” collection features vibrant designs such as “Hakuna Papaya” and “You’re the Zest”. Added bonus: each comes packaged in an eco-friendly canvas zipper bag.
4. Indigo Luna
Image source: @indigoluna
First imagined in the Australian coastal town of Torquay and based in Bali, this activewear brand focuses on ethically made, innovative yogawear and swimwear, intimates and accessories. The small, family-run brand has transparency, eco-consciousness and sustainability at its core, and uses 100% plant dyes, Italian Recycled ECONYL® or REPREVE®, and recycled nylon from plastic bottles. For Indigo Luna, ethical fashion means that there is no exploitation in the manufacturing process, whether its exploitation of human beings, animals or the environment.
5. Terrae
Too often, shopping ethically comes with a hefty price tag, but this Malaysian brand’s mission is to offer sustainable athleisure that’s reasonably priced, without sacrificing on quality or performance. Terrae’s collections are designed for real bodies and their pieces are durable, long-lasting and timeless. With their mantra focusing on high impact activity and low environmental impact, their production cycle is as circular as possible. In addition to using ECONYL® for their activewear (saving 70,000 barrels of crude oil and avoid 57,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions for every 10,000 tons of ECONYL® used), Terrae also ensures that their packaging leaves nothing to be desired, with FSC certified and recyclable tags, as well as a 100% biodegradable and compostable plant-based garment bag.
