Comfortable office clothing made from used fishing nets

A new brand is designing sustainable and comfortable loungewear that is chic enough to be worn to the office

Spotted: One effect of the pandemic is that many of those working from home got used to spending the working day clothed in loungewear – or even pyjamas. Many of those returning to the office have found themselves thinking wistfully back to a time of wearing comfortable clothes. This is the thinking behind Lezé the Label, an entire brand created around loungewear that is comfortable enough to be worn at home and chic enough for the office or an outing.

Lezé the Label was actually founded before the pandemic, in 2017, after founder Tanya Lee was inspired by her friend and now business partner, Karen Lee, who often wore her Superman pyjamas in public. Not only does the brand’s soft, pull-on clothes have a timeless style that can be worn anywhere, but they are also made from sustainable materials and in a sustainable work environment.

All of the brand’s clothing is made using environmentally friendly materials such as recycled fishing nets, sustainably sourced beech trees, and coffee waste. In addition, all of the company’s sewers are paid 15 per cent above the industry standard, and their workday includes a 45-minute lunch and 45-minute nap time. Every hour of overtime earns workers an additional half day’s pay.

Karen Lee explains that, “When we did our research, we realised that less than 1 per cent of plastic straws actually make it into the ocean, but 10 per cent of all the trash in the ocean actually came from abandoned fishing gear. So, we decided to focus on this waste as the highlighted waste to be turning into our clothing. And it turns out that we could make it feel like a buttery cloud.” 

As awareness grows of the issues with fast fashion, there is a growing interest in developing clothing brands that are more sustainable and ethical, without being more expensive. Some innovations in this space involve the use of biomaterials, such as fruit waste; while others work to make resale and recycling more accessible, such as a resale-as-a-service platform.