Exploring Sustainable Fashion with Lucianne Tonti: From Fibers to Future
We had the pleasure to sit down with Lucianne Tonti, author of the acclaimed book Sundressed and the editor of Elle Australia’s sustainability section. Lucianne is a thought leader in the sustainable fashion movement with a deep passion for regenerative fabrics and eco-conscious practices—something we’re big fans of here at KM. Her book explores the power of fashion to positively impact the environment, with a strong emphasis on the importance of natural fibers and ethical production. In this conversation, we’ll dive into her journey, the future of sustainable fashion, and how we can all make more mindful choices in our everyday lives!
In Sundressed, you talk a lot about how fashion can shape the environment. How can people use their shopping choices to really make a difference for the planet?
"The biggest impact we can have on the environment through our clothing choices is to buy less. You can make a difference by choosing not to support brands like Shein, Temu, and other fast fashion companies that produce large volumes of cheap, environmentally harmful products. On the flip side, focus on buying fewer, high-quality garments made from natural fibers that you’ll keep and wear for a long time. Set high standards for what you add to your wardrobe—if it’s a ‘maybe,’ it’s a ‘no.’ You should really love and feel responsible for everything you own. Supporting brands that prioritize sustainability and ethical production is a powerful way to contribute to positive change."
Beyond fashion, what are some of your favorite daily or ritualistic practices for living sustainably that readers can incorporate into their own lives?
"It might seem simple, but I believe it’s a powerful and easy action: when you go out for coffee, sit in the cafe instead of getting a takeaway. Even if you’re only there for 10 minutes, reducing our use of single-use plastics and takeaway cups makes a real difference. When I was in LA recently, I noticed how prevalent takeaway culture is. Choosing to sit and enjoy your coffee is a small but impactful act of resistance. It’s not just about avoiding waste, though—it’s also about carving out 15 minutes for yourself. It’s a bit European, in a way, to take that moment to enjoy life. Our culture tends to glorify being busy, and that mindset feeds into the environmental impact we’re having. It’s a little silly that we feel too busy to sit down for coffee.”
Regenerative fabrics play a key role in sustainable fashion. What makes these materials so beneficial for the environment, and what should individuals and designers keep in mind when trying to source them responsibly?
"There are three key reasons why these materials are so beneficial for the environment. First, it’s about how they’re grown—regenerative farming methods for natural fibers like wool, cotton, linen, cashmere, and silk actually improve soil health and restore biodiversity. This means that these landscapes sequester carbon, which is crucial for addressing climate change. Healthy soil is one of the safest places to store carbon. Beyond that, restoring biodiversity brings back pollinators and makes these landscapes more resilient to extreme weather events like fires and floods. This is especially important in areas that frequently experience devastating fire seasons, such as Australia. Regenerative landscapes hold more moisture, which helps them recover better from wildfires.
Second, these materials don’t shed microplastics into waterways during use. Natural fibers like wool and cotton aren’t synthetic, so they don’t release harmful microplastics like polyester or nylon do when washed or worn.
Finally, clothes made from regenerative fibers are of higher quality. These fibers tend to have a longer staple, making them softer, smoother, and more pleasant to wear. When you invest in clothing made from these materials, you tend to love and care for them more, keeping them longer, which ultimately reduces your overall environmental footprint.”
Sustainability often involves buying less but choosing better. What tips do you have for building a wardrobe of versatile, timeless pieces, and why is that an important step toward more conscious fashion?
"The most important factor here is quality. It’s easy to say, ‘Invest in classic pieces that you can wear together,’ and that’s certainly true. Classic styles never go out of fashion, and you’ll always look great in them. But fashion should also be fun and a form of self-expression, not about looking the same as everyone else. So, it’s not just about having timeless pieces—it’s about quality across the board.
Quality comes from the materials used, like regenerative natural fibers, but also from the construction of the garment. The seams should be beautifully sewn, with no raw or overlocked edges. A durable seam should be secured on both sides, and garments like pants or jackets should have seam allowances, allowing them to be let out or taken in as your body changes over time.
These details take time and thought to produce, and they come at a higher cost. As fashion moves faster, we’re losing these elements in mass-produced garments. I was once on a panel with a designer who interrupted me to say these details are only for couture, but that’s not true. These are just elements that cheaper brands overlook. If you have all of these details—beautiful linings, deep pockets, and high-quality finishes—those pieces will last. Whether they’re classic or bold with neon patterns or hot pink, they’ll remain in your wardrobe for years.
I also think simple pieces like white T-shirts are great for anchoring your wardrobe. They make everything easier to style and create versatility with the rest of your pieces."
What initially drew you to be so passionate about sustainability in fashion, and how has your journey shaped the principles you advocate for today?
“I think I was very lucky. I first started thinking about this stuff when I was writing my honors thesis in 2009, which feels like a long time ago. It stemmed from the fact that I had always worked for designers who made beautiful, high-quality clothes. That had a big impact on me in my early 20s. Then, as fast fashion started to rise, I began to critically examine the impact of fast fashion compared to high-quality designer garments. That curiosity carried through, especially when I lived in Paris and worked for a designer who was strict about only using natural fibers and the highest quality materials. She was making pieces in the same factory as Hermès and Celine, and that experience taught me a lot about how beautiful clothes can be so durable.
I guess it all comes from a love for well-made things, but also a deep love for the environment. Australia and the U.S. share similarities in the vastness of their landscapes, which are so different from Europe, where the forests are much smaller and less expansive. In places like Australia, you can get lost in the vastness of the trees, and I feel a deep responsibility to take care of those landscapes.”
Where do you see the future of sustainable fashion heading, and how can individuals and designers stay ahead of the curve while remaining true to environmental values?
There are two big areas that I think we’ll see more movement in. The first is combining regenerative agriculture with advances in technology. There’s this amazing company in San Francisco called Un, which creates 3D-printed jeans. Essentially, they go straight from yarn to jeans, eliminating a whole stage of fabric processing. They’re also zero waste because of this direct production process. They’re working toward an on-demand model, where you can get a 3D scan of your body, choose a silhouette, and receive a perfectly tailored pair of jeans. It’s a great example of how we can reduce the impact of fashion while providing better clothes, a better shopping experience, and a new way of shopping.
The other area I’m hopeful about is the role of life cycle analysis experts and sustainability managers. Right now, most of them are trained to measure impact in terms of water and carbon, but there’s a gap because they don’t always see the bigger picture of how nature works. The next phase of education will focus on understanding natural systems—how biology works on this planet, which is so interconnected and powerful. Nature has all the solutions, and we need to think holistically about sustainability.
For example, nature doesn’t recycle in the way we think of recycling. When a leaf falls off a tree or a flower dies, nature doesn’t turn that back into a tree or flower—it turns it into nutrients for the soil. The idea of recycling is flawed in this sense. You never take an apple and turn it back into an apple, so why should we expect to take a T-shirt and turn it back into a T-shirt? Instead, we need to transform textile waste into something else. This is why the idea of textile-to-textile recycling has been stuck for so long—despite the money poured into it, no one has figured out how to do it effectively and affordably at a large scale.
I know this gets a little nerdy, but it’s really important to understand the systems we’re operating within. When we take the principles of nature and apply them to the fashion industry, that’s when we’ll start to see real change.”
It has been such a privilege for us to sit down with Lucianne, a true thought leader in the world of sustainable fashion. Her deep understanding of regenerative fibers, natural systems, and the future of the industry is inspiring. As we continue to navigate the complexities of sustainability in fashion, Lucianne’s insights remind us that quality, responsibility, and innovation must go hand-in-hand. At Kait Macleod, we’re proud to align with like-minded voices who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our planet and our wardrobes. Thank you, Lucianne, for sharing your knowledge and passion with us today. We can’t wait to see where the future of sustainable fashion takes us!
