Slow Fashion at Tegen Accessories.
If you are unfamiliar with the term ‘slow fashion’, you may of heard of its nemesis: ‘fast fashion.’ Fast fashion combines trends and affordability to maximise profits, what could be so wrong with it? On the surface, fast fashion appears to be accessible and convenient to our daily lives, but long term - it is quite the opposite. Cheaper materials mean that fast fashion is intentionally not built to last, leading the consumer to buy more items to replace the original purchase or to keep up with short lived trends. This eventually leads to the same total spend as a higher quality slow fashion product. It is no secret the sheer amount of toxic plastic fibres used in fast fashion items sent to landfill everyday has a devastating impact on our environment and many of our sources of food and water - and there is nothing convenient about that.
So what is slow fashion and why is it so important to us? Slow fashion is a conscientious approach within consumer behaviour that is starting to gain traction. It is the practice of buying higher quality products often made from biodegradable materials, the design of which are not led by throwaway trends. This leads to less waste amongst many things. In theory, the long term impact of slow fashion is the adaptation of businesses in response to slow fashion consumer demand, leading to a green makeover of the fashion industry as we know it. Slow fashion products may cost more as they are made from higher quality materials, but at the compromise of a longer lifespan. At Tegen Accessories, our French Handmade collection very much adheres to this. Our products are made from cellulose acetate and we use the highest quality metal clasps to ensure value for your money.
What is Cellulose Acetate?
Cellulose Acetate is a non-toxic fibre. The Cellulose sourced for the production of Cellulose Acetate comes primarily from wood pulp. Depending on the environment, Cellulose Acetate takes a minimum of 9 months to biodegrade in comparison to a plastic bottle- a minimum of 450 years during which it breaks into ingestible toxic micro-plastics.
Slow fashion doesn’t only include products made from eco-friendly materials (although this is preferable), but any product that has been built to last and has the ability to be used by more than one person throughout generations can qualify. Explore our other built-to-last hair accessory collections including French Essentials.
The Tegen Promise
The Tegen Promise is our guarantee that we will replace your product within 6-months to 1 year after purchase if the quality of your product is compromised within this time.
Our Guarantee includes a full replacement if the following applies:
- Loss of Swarovski Crystals
- Damage to product spring
- Breakage of product fastening mechanisms
Slow Fashion and Manufacturing
Fast fashion often creates such a pace of consumerism, factory waste and conditions are little considered. 93% of surveyed fashion brands do not pay their workers a living wage and 20-35% of ocean micro plastics come from the fashion industry. At Tegen Accessories, we work with a small family run manufacturer in Onynaxx, France to design and make our accessories. We have been working closely with this factory for many years, and they are passionate about what they do.
“Sustainability is not something new to us, it’s not the fashion, it’s not the feather, it’s something we have been conscious about for many years.” - Philippe, French Factory Owner.
“100% of items that don’t meet our highest of standards during the manufacturing process are ground down and recycled.” - Philippe, French Factory Owner.
Shop our sustainable, slow fashion luxury accessories here.
References:
Lisa, A., How Long It Takes 50 Items To Decompose, Stacker (2021)
Puls, J., Wilson, S.A. & Hölter, D. Degradation of Cellulose Acetate-Based Materials: A Review, Springer Link (2011)
Silvestri, R., Fast Fashion Is Still A Big Threat To Our Environment- Here's What Needs To Change, Vogue (2021).
L.Hosch, W., Cellulose Acetate, Britannica (2009)
