From waste to worth; Introducing Lumi
What if...you could fall in love with the perfect dress AND it was good for the planet...
Introducing Lumi; our first eco-friendly wedding dress crafted from 96% recycled materials.
Defying industry standards, Lumi features fabrics and trims expertly engineered and developed over a two-year period, with pieces GRS certified. From the exclusive eco lace which we invented with our fabric partner, to the soft tulle and the decorative covered buttons and the eyelash trim, Lumi is a considered and conscious choice for the planet.
Made from reimagined resources, Lumi is our first eco and sustainable wedding gown. Encapsulating what we are all about, Lumi is effortless, feminine and has substance woven into each design and development decision.
Our Founder and Creative Director Meg has always fostered a climate of rebellion to ensure GRACE continues to make strides through innovation. From Lumi’s initial conception, Meg and the team were committed to avoiding the use of new virgin materials wherever possible. The repurposed resources used in Lumi reduce landfill, ocean waste and CO2 emissions whilst saving water and energy.
“We were inspired to take materials that would have been otherwise discarded and use modern technology to create a beautiful wedding gown that holds so much meaning. Using recycled materials can be a more costly and time-consuming process than new raw fabrics, but it has many environmental advantages. We have worked hard to ensure the quality of the fabrics and components are not compromised during the eco manufacturing process and meet the high standards that we’re known for.”
— Megan Ziems, Founder and Creative Director
"Using recycled materials can be more costly and time-consuming process than new raw fabrics, but it has many environmental advantages. We have worked really hard to ensure the quality of the fabrics and components are not compromised during the eco manufacturing process and meet the high standards that we're known for."
Throughout the design and development process, we have always come back to the four P’s of sustainability:
Product | Planet | People | Progress.
Product
When developing Lumi, we made the choice to source and develop eco-friendly fabrics, whilst aligning with suppliers that use conscious manufacturing processes to benefit the environment.
Recycling pre- or post-consumer ‘waste product’ aids sustainability, reduces landfill and pollution in our oceans. Waste product can either be ‘post-consumer waste’ e.g., collected plastic bottles, fishing nets etc. or ‘pre consumer industrial waste’ e.g., discarded products that are left over from the manufacturing of existing materials, like pulp collected during production.
The waste is collected, broken down and processed to purify the product and turn it into a yarn. It is then knit into a fabric and dyed with non-toxic dye. Using recycled materials – as we’ve done with Lumi – can be a more costly and time-consuming process, however it has many environmental advantages. Here at GRACE, we have worked hard to ensure the quality of the fabrics and components used in Lumi are not compromised during the eco manufacturing process and meet the highest standards.
“The way the dress hugs and supports the body is flawless. The cup shape and wide straps are perfect for small and large busts, the split on the thigh is elongating, the pearlescent threading and scale of the floral pattern is visually flattering and the sheer lace panel on the lower back adds the drama. Lumi truly represents what GRACE is all about — she’s effortless, feminine and has substance woven into each design and development decision.” — Megan Ziems, Founder and Creative Director
We’re excited to be using Repreve® recycled polyester for Lumi’s soft, delicate tulle. Repreve® is the world’s number one brand for 100% recycled, certified and traceable fibers. On top of that, we’re extremely proud to say that our own exclusive, 100% recycled eco pearl lace and eyelash lace trim have been certified by the GRS (Global Recycling Standard).
Planet
We’ve worked to keep our environmental impact front of mind when making design and business decisions for Lumi and beyond. The Lumi gown took over two years to invent and reach a standard that we’re proud of.
Lumi is one of our initiatives that aims to significantly reduce our environmental impact. Our goal as a business is to be considerate of the planet, work to reduce our footprint and unnecessary wastage and keep sustainability and ethical manufacturing front of mind.
“Knowing that up to two thirds of the sustainability impact of fashion happens at the raw materials stage, we made the decision to source and develop our own 100% eco lace in our signature pearl lace design.” - Megan Ziems.
People
Lumi and all GRACE gowns are handmade by world-class artisans, just for you. We don’t mass produce and we don’t outsource our manufacturing. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail and craftsmanship with all of our design, production, quality control and dispatch being carefully managed by our in-house teams.
Lumi is crafted for the woman and better for the planet. She is designed with comfort and movement in mind. Lumi’s design was created by our Founder and Creative Director Megan and Head Designer Rosie and brought to life by our in-house production team.
Progress
Over the past ten years, we have been committed to sustainable manufacturing, providing pristine workplace conditions, recycling, waste management and reducing our carbon footprint through our business practices. How and where we make our product matters.
As a brand, we never stop looking for ways in which we can do better and crafting Lumi from 96% repurposed materials was the natural next step in innovation. Repurposing what’s traditionally seen as waste product to create a valued heirloom – to us, that’s revolutionary.
We value skill, heritage and the art of dressmaking. We are always looking at our business practice to identify meaningful ways we can adapt, adjust and grow. We are by no means perfect but are committed to continuous improvement to ensure that we look after our people, brides and our planet.
