Forget designer collaborations, the hottest new collections are all about saving the planet

When I was a junior fashion editor, the notion of ‘sustainable style’ was a bit of an oxymoron. There were just a couple of hardcore labels, of the frayed hemp variety (shudder). How times have changed!

Designer brands, High-Street stores, online retailers… all are making bigger and bolder attempts to turn green. Which means that, at last, you can buy sustainably from your favourite brands.

Thrillingly, glamorous Rixo is making its first foray into eco chic with Rixo Recycle, a capsule of ten pieces. It includes a beautiful dress (fourth from left) made from off-cuts at a female-owned factory in India.

Hobbs and Whistles are also going green — Hobbs with the Hobbs Sustain collection, and Whistles with its Sustainable Edit.

Both are committed to shortening supply chains and producing less waste.

But Baukjen goes one step further with its autumn/winter collection, which includes a chunky jumper and leather trousers (second from right), by using its highest-ever percentage of eco-friendly fabrics. They include Newlife, a yarn made from plastic bottles.

Biodegradable raffia hats off to Monsoon, too, which has launched a sustainable collection, S.E.W, and aims to be using 90 per cent sustainable fabrics by 2023.

The White Company, meanwhile, is the first British brand to sign up to The Good Cashmere Standard, which aims to improve the lives of goats and farmers. This luxe dress and rollneck use ‘kind cashmere’.

One of my favourite recent discoveries, Asceno, produces everything ethically — I adore its linen blazer and trousers (third from right).

And as for those brands that have been quietly doing the green thing for ages? Well, their clothes are now chic enough to compete with anything on the High Street. Take People Tree, whose V&A collab has some real gems. Bring on the hemp — I’ll wear it with pride now.