Consumers are increasingly aware that fast fashion—fashion that capitalizes on transitory trends, is often low-cost, and was basically considered disposable clothing—is bad for the environment. The question always becomes, though, how much are consumers willing to sacrifice in terms of money and convenience to live a more sustainable lifestyle? And how much are corporations willing to sacrifice?

Sheep, Inc., would likely tell you that its journey to becoming the first carbon-negative fashion brand wasn’t any sacrifice at all. In fact, the company not only is completely transparent about every aspect of its product, from sheep to shelf, but also dedicates 5% of revenue—not profit like so many others—to biodiversity efforts that offset about 325 kg of carbon per sweater it manufactures. Investments are made based on recommendations from an independent advisory board consisting of climate change experts.

And how are the sweaters manufactured? First, the wool is sheared from certified sheep in New Zealand—certified as to animal and environmental welfare standards. The next step is removing oil and dirt from the fleece—and having been a spinner and weaver in the past, I’m here to tell you there’s lots of both in a fleece! Plus, they smell! Anyway, these are sent to China to undergo that process. Clean wool is then sent to Italy to be spun into yarn and then to Spain to be knitted into a sweater on a 3D knitting machine that is the most waste-free and labor-efficient method of knitting a sweater. Perhaps you remember reading our article about Tailored Industry, 3D knitting and hopefully a resurgence of knitting mills in Brooklyn?