Hamilton’s fashion industry is growing, now sitting as the fifth largest fashion hub in Canada. What’s even better is that Hamilton fashion brands care about the environment. A lot of brands are using sustainable fabrics in their collections and are producing in small batches, which are better for the planet and you!

Here are five Hamilton-based fashion brands you should be keeping an eye on.

Hutchison

Originally from Montreal, Hutchison’s founder Sofia Del Giacco moved to Hamilton three years ago with a wealth of fashion industry knowledge. She is passionate about curating sustainable handmade and vintage items using fabrics from companies who treat their employees fairly.

Her current Spring 2019 collection is made exclusively with linen, a great sustainable fabric for the summer months. Linen is extremely durable, hypoallergenic, and breathable. It requires little processing, water, and machinery to produce and when it’s finished receiving all the love it can get, it biodegrades quicker than synthetic fabrics.

Bonus: Sofia even pre-washes and shrink tests the designs before shipping them to you.

This is Sofia’s fifth year running Hutchison. Everything is made-to-order; anything purchased from Hutchison is handcrafted by Sofia in her Hamilton studio. Why made-to-order? It avoids overproduction and the creation of any unnecessary waste. Any fabric waste she does have goes to local companies to use in accessories or crafts. Find Sofia’s new collection online at
shophutchison.com

La Villa Goods

Keeping with her core values of sustainability and positive impact, La Villa Goods founder Dixy Valdez helps create and curate home and fashion accessories that are handmade ethically in her home country of El Salvador.

Dixy has a degree in design specializing in artisan products and has over 10 years of experience in the industry. To generate positive social impact in her home communities, she splits her time between the two countries: first partnering with local Salvadoran artisans to make the beautiful pieces and then connecting them to the Hamilton market. She is deeply involved in the production process and collaborates with the artisans on products.

Founded in 2017, the one of a kind items at La Villa Goods are made with traditional Salvadoran techniques using renewable natural resources and recycled materials. Take for example the textiles which are hand-woven on wooden foot looms. This promotes productivity, commerce, and gender equality in at-risk rural areas as well as preserving cultural heritage. They carry everything from jewellery to scarves and placemats to blankets.

La Villa’s new Glazed Coco Collection is made in partnership with Callotl Artisans, an environmental project that targets sea turtle conservation, responsible fishing, and sustainable development. The workers are paid fair wages and a percentage of sales also goes directly towards the conservation program.

Find Dixy at markets across the Greater Hamilton and Toronto Area this summer and online at lavillagoods.com to learn more about La Villa’s positive impact!

The Thrifty Designer

After over 30 years as a designer, pattern maker, buyer, and product developer in the fashion industry, Leslie Smith-Arragona took to The Thrifty Designer to help spread her joy of upcycling high quality garments. As someone who had struggled to find designer clothing in her size for most of her life, she has learned to thrift, upcycle, and sew her own clothing out of necessity. Now that she’s out of the corporate end of fashion, she has decided to share her talent with the rest of us.

Everything in the store has been upcycled with sewing repairs and sometimes additions such as lace, leather, velvet, and fringe to give it new life. Ultimately, upcycling is the most sustainable course of action in the fashion industry, as no new material must be created in order to make an item. The Thrifty Designer aims to reuse, recycle, repurpose and repair quality used ladies’ (and men’s) clothing so that they last for years more to come.

Visit Leslie Tuesday to Saturday in the International Village on 203 King Street East and online at thriftydesigners.ca!

METTAMADE

This powerhouse mother-daughter duo are working to empower women through their stylish and comfortable pieces while respecting the earth. Metta is actually a type of meditation that is meant to practice loving kindness to others and oneself — quite a fitting name to their brand and mission!

They recently opened a store in Westdale where you can try on (and feel) their pieces, but most items are made-to-order in their sewing studio. Mettamade uses bamboo, a sustainable resource, for all of their pieces. Bamboo is also a temperature regulating fabric making it perfect to wear in the summer months. They also have an untraditional sizing system as they aim to build body positivity and inclusivity; instead of your typical numbered sizes, they use a gemstone coding chart to guide your fit.

In addition to all this fashion greatness, a portion of their proceeds are donated to Body Brave, a Hamilton-based charity that provides services for individuals struggling with weight, food, and body image issues, including eating disorders.

Find the Mettamade duo Morgan and Carol in their Westdale shop on 1032 King Street West Tuesday to Saturday or online at mettamadeinhamilton.ca

Knots and Pipes

After purchasing your new-to-you or made-in-Hamilton sustainable outfit, you’re going to need some accessories. This is where Knots and Pipes come in!

Everything is made by Heather Sheppard in her west end studio, which opened in 2015. Heather learned to sew, crochet, and leather craft from her mother and grandmother while growing up in rural Norfolk. Presently, she is an advocate for slow fashion and ethical consumerism, using her crafting skills and sourcing recycled materials whenever possible.

Her hand-made and intentionally designed statement earrings and accessories are the perfect complement to any summer look (especially her tassel earrings!). Find Heather’s earrings, scrunchies, and key chains at The Pale Blue Dot, Mettamade, La Bichette, and online at knotsandpipes.com

Header photo courtesy of Mettamade

Share post

Tags

• Hamilton
• HamOnt
• handmade
• Hutchison
• Knots and Pipes
• La Villa Goods
• Made in Hamilton
• METTAMADE
• The Thrifty Designer