Slow Fashion: How Nicci Boutiques is embracing responsible luxury with sustainable practices
Advocating for better-quality garments that provide longevity and durability, Nicci Boutiques places people and planet at the forefront of its operations.
“There has been a tectonic shift towards sustainable fashion, with consumers consciously choosing brands and products that align with their green values. This is one of the many reasons we are so passionate about our two locally produced clothing lines – Local Love and Cocoon,” explains Niki Breger, Co-Founder of Nicci.
Today’s customers, especially the younger generation, want a clean conscience. They are choosing to use their purchasing power for good, aligning themselves with brands that focus on sustainable practices, ethical procedures and shared values.
Nicci carefully considers the resources and processes that are used to make clothing, focusing on high-quality, timeless designs over trend-driven pieces which last a few wears and are destined for the landfill.
Having established a name for itself in South Africa as one of the most sought-after boutiques in the country, Nicci decided to branch out and create its two sustainable clothing lines – Local Love and Cocoon.
Nicci’s locally manufactured sustainable slow fashion ranges hone in on reducing consumption and production, making clothing a long-term investment rather than a mere lump-it-and-dump-it hobby.
Moving away from the ‘fast fashion’ culture, where low-cost apparel is mass-produced, Nicci designs have embraced the ‘slow fashion’ movement, which values creativity over consumption.
“Sustainable fashion not only leads to a cleaner planet and improved working conditions but an energetic increase in human creativity and individual style,” says Niki.
Local Brands
Within the Nicci brand family lies the locally produced Nicci ranges – Local Love and Cocoon. Each brand has its own identity and a clear creative vision.
“Nicci’s limited clothing ranges are carefully curated, stylishly diverse and ethically produced, showcasing how the brand places people and planet at the heart of everything it does,” adds Niki.
Local Love
Nicci’s exclusive ‘Local Love’ collection is a slow fashion range produced locally using multiple CMT factories and various artisans. These creative items are sustainable and environmentally friendly as fabrics are ethically sourced and produced to ensure a lower carbon footprint. Nicci is highly conscious of sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices.
Cocoon
Nicci’s other sustainable brand, Cocoon, focuses on making everyday comfort that much more stylish. The Cocoon luxe loungewear line is effortlessly chic and comfortable, taking you from the workplace to those more idle days at home. This slow fashion range utilises soft, drapey, breathable and comfortable fabrics.
Earth-Friendly Fabric
With this shift towards eco-fashion, Nicci is even more passionate about its organic, earth-friendly fabrics like linen.
What makes linen such an environmentally friendly, sustainable fabric is that it is made from the fast-growing flax plant, which requires very little water, according to Conserve, Energy, Future. Plus, every part of the plant can be used, resulting in little to no waste.
Nicci has always been known for its chic clothes and its timeless linen items, and for good reason. Linen is one of the most stylish fabrics, and it is also biodegradable. With the ability to survive numerous washes and wears, linen clothing can last you a lifetime. It is also lightweight, highly absorbent and fast drying. What a win for the sweltering South African summers.
Faux Fun
Another fashion favourite is faux. Sustainability has become quintessential to the fashion industry. This is evident in the number of faux items available today.
Faux fur production requires far less water and is vegan-friendly due to its manufacturing material, while vegan leather creates less carbon dioxide emissions. For these reasons, Nicci has always provided an array of beautiful faux items to its exclusive clientele.
Responsible Fashion
Founded in 1992, Nicci has been importing clothes from all the major European fashion hubs since its inception. Many of these imported items are made using cotton, linen, and other natural fabrics.
Nicci’s sustainable fashion designs empower women of all ages and sizes to express their individuality without destroying the planet. Nicci is responsibly playing its part in the sustainable fashion movement whilst delighting the consciously green customer.
