eco-conscious fashion
ANNA SINGH AND RACHAEL WOOD of Chinti and Parker have come a long way since they first started their business in a 6-foot-by-6-foot office space in London in 2009. The cousins launched the eco-conscious label—named using their great-grandparents' first names—with the goal of creating the perfect T-shirt. Today it's a full ready-to-wear line, but their commitment to ethical production hasn't wavered. "We consciously design with longevity in mind," says Singh. "It's all about creating classics that can remain in your wardrobe for years and years." To that end, the quality of the fabric is key, so clothes are made where workers are most knowledgeable about the materials: woven cotton pieces and knits in India (where the pair has family) and Portugal, and cashmere sweaters crafted from Italian yarn on a family-run mill in Mauritius. They also work with The CarbonNeutral Company, which monitors their emissions and offsets pollutants by planting trees in different parts of the world. "We are moderate ethical consumers—we eat organic but sometimes drive to work—and that's the way we choose to live," says Wood. "So why wouldn't we approach our business in the same way?"