Sustainable leggings brand launches in the north-east
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Specialising in high-quality UK manufactured leggings, recently launched leggings brand ‘Ghillied’ is a new ethical alternative to fast fashion brands.
Their products are hand made from ultra-modern sustainable materials created from recycled fishing nets and other nylon waste.
Shockingly, more than 640,000 tonnes of ‘ghost’ fishing nets are deposited in the oceans each year.
These nets are the largest pollutant in the ocean and cause the death of thousands of animals each year.
Hope is not lost though – modern fabrics can be created by repurposing the nylon fibres found in these nets.
The fibres are sorted, cleaned and purified to a level that they can be remanufactured into clothes.
This recycled nylon fabric is the base material for all Ghillied products.
Initially launching as a ladies’ leggings business, founder Rory Leigh and his team have big plans to develop full ladieswear and menswear ranges – all of which are designed to be worn in the outdoors.
Rory Leigh said: “There is no more important time than now to reduce the impact of fast fashion.
"We are proud to work with our suppliers to deliver a traceable and sustainable product to our customers that helps to repurpose waste and reduce its impact on the environment.
“As a new business, we want to begin setting a benchmark from the start for what a sustainable brand in our industry should look like.
"We are starting off by getting the simple things right, before actioning larger sustainability initiatives as we grow.”
The company’s leggings are manufactured in the UK with waste and energy efficient machinery, in an effort to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.
It is estimated that keeping their production in the UK saves around 115,000 tonnes of CO2 with each batch of production.
Further down the supply chain, Ghillied packaging comes without hang tags and uses biodegradable mailer bags to further reduce waste.
Operating out of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the team created the brand whilst furloughed in 2020 as a platform to encourage others to get outdoors, and subsequently improve their fitness and mental health.
Rory said, “During the pandemic, we found great solace in spending time outside.
"Our team have always been inspired by the outdoors and are great believers in the benefits to the mind and body, from simply breathing in fresh air to exercising outside.”
“We created Ghillied with the purpose of giving our customers not only amazing leggings to enjoy the outdoors in, but to inspire them to get outside, take care of their body, mental health, and the health of the planet.”
