Nottinghamshire man launches sustainable gym clothing line inspired by the Vikings

As well as producing eco-friendly clothing, Tarran's office is powered by renewable energy and 10 per cent of his profits are donated to environmental charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

A Nottinghamshire man has launched a sustainable clothing line inspired by the Viking Age.

Tarran Huntley, a personal trainer from Southwell, came up with the concept for Descended from Odin clothing after being unable to find sustainable clothing to suit his taste.

The range, which features active wear for men and women, is produced using 100 per cent eco-friendly and sustainable materials.

Tarran’s office is also powered by renewable energy, and 10 per cent of clothing sales are donated to environmental charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

All of the clothes are made from 100 per cent sustainable materials and are designed to support performance in the gym.

Tarran said: “Descended from Odin largely came about as a result of looking through sustainable clothing and not always finding the look I was after.

“I drew inspiration from the Viking age, something I recently did a lecture series on.

“The Scandinavians were an incredible nation and played an enormous part in forming modern history.

“I wanted to capture their mental strength and acceptance of the duality of life and death in nature into a brand for people who give it everything they have in this life.”

Tarran plans to expand the line to include sports bras and leggings once he has sourced a way to produce them using the environmental ethics the line adheres to.

In recent years fashion brands and high street stores, such as H&M, have increased their use of recycled and sustainable materials to offer consumers more eco-friendly products.

According to the UK Waste and Resources Action Programme, the fashion industry is the second most polluting sector after oil, with 350,000 tonnes of clothes going to landfill each year.

A recent report by waste-reduction group Wrap concluded that the clothing industry could reduce carbon, water and waste impacts by as much as 10 per cent if garments were worn for just three months longer than their current average – which is around three years.

The line could soon include sports bras and leggings which will be made in the same ethical way as the other clothing.

Tim Cooper leads a clothing sustainability research group at Nottingham Trent University.

He said: “Sustainable clothing is a relatively small niche market, and consumers who buy on a basis of sustainability and for ethical reasons are a small proportion of the population.

“The whole industry has got to move in the direction of sustainability because so much clothing goes to landfill each year – but many companies are reluctant to announce they are sustainable out of fear of being exposed.

“Our research group works with campaigners to explore the attitudes of consumers and companies, and suggest what they can do to become more sustainable.”

On Thursday (May 11) a global conference will take place in Copenhagen where fashion experts will meet with the world’s media to discuss how the industry can shine a spotlight on sustainable clothing.