Nicole Bridger Design

Nicole Bridger takes her business's commitment to sustainability seriously. She uses ethically sourced fabrics in her designs, including some that are renewable and even biodegradable, and she doesn't think just big, but small as well. They use buttons made of tagua nuts, shells or reclaimed material from other sources to avoid plastics, their labels are made from cotton not polyester, and their hangtags are made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The vast majority — 90 percent — of her clothes are manufactured in Vancouver at a factory the company owns. “It's a great feeling to manufacture locally and work with skilled labourers in Vancouver,” says Kim Burden, Nicole Bridger's Sales Manager.

And Nicole seamlessly blends style with sustainability. She may be West Coast born and bred, and her brand may be seriously sustainable, but the clothes are also seriously stylish. In 2010, she won Fashion Takes Action's very first Design Forward award recognizing eco designers.

Nicole's designs, explains Kim, are “ageless and timeless. Moms often shop here with their daughters; it works for all body types and we cater for maternity as well. We even have a line of little girls' dresses that uses leftover fabrics from our women's clothes which helps with our goal of zero waste.”