Working as a UN Refugee Consultant may not seem like a natural career path to becoming a fashion entrepreneur, but it was for Greg Doudican, founder of Shawl Wallah. During a trip to Kashmir in Northern India, Doudican saw first-hand the devastation that had been caused by decades of conflict and the resulting economic and social impact. His visit to the region also enabled him to learn about the centuries-old Kashmiri textile industry:

One of the things that I love about chatting to designers who have a well-honed fashion conscience is that they always have a great story to tell about their collections. Be it a tale of sourcing cloth to upcycle into urban outerwear or an anecdote about the inspiration behind a whimsical crocheted collection, a designer with a social, ethical or sustainable mission will inevitably tell a good yarn.

I was perturbed to see the words ‘YOU NEED NEW CLOTHES’ emblazoned across the front cover of this week’s of Time Out London. ‘No’, I thought, ‘I really don’t need new clothes, and please don’t encourage others to think that they do just to keep up with the latest passing trends’.

At The Good Wardrobe we aim to tell you about the best brands, websites, products and services that are committed to a more conscious approach to fashion. These days there are many online retailers offering ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’ fashion, but not all quite hit the mark when it comes to quality and aesthetics. One new womenswear eCommerce site that most certainly does cut it in the style stakes is the relative newcomer Gather& See.

There is something special about a collection that is conceived and created in rural Nepal, but designed and sold in urban Dalston. East London sustainable fashion shop studio Here Today Here Tomorrow (HTHT) has designed its first womenswear collection inspired by, and handcrafted from, traditional Nepalese dhaka fabric.

Emerging fashion designers in Asia and Europe are being invited to enter the prestigious EcoChic Design Award. Now in its fifth year, the sustainable fashion design competition recognises up-and-coming designers who combine a passion for reducing textile waste with exceptional creative talent.

From Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th July From Somewhere are presenting a pop-up shop at their London studio in Peckham.

This month saw the launch of a new collaboration between French sneaker brand Veja, supermodel and actress Lily Cole, and Sky Rainforest Rescue (a partnership between WWF and Sky broadcasting). Design and ethics are always high on the agenda at Veja and this collection is no different. Each shoe is made from organic cotton canvas and wild rubber from the Amazon (the only place on earth where rubber trees grow in the wild), and is available in two styles and three colourways.

Majeurs Chesterfield, a London based company that launched in 2011 to restore and manufacture Chesterfield furniture in-house, has recently opened a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The team, headed up by Demi Owoseje and Ade Oladipo have designed a range of upcycled luxury leather accessories re-made from their old worn and surplus leathers.

American footwear brand Fortress of Inca, already established in the world of women’s footwear, is in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign to launch its first men’s collection. Their shoes are all hand-made in Peru by skilled crafts people using high-quality materials. The styles echo the traditional footwear of the country and utilise local craft techniques, whilst having a contemporary, even urban twist.