When Earth Day rolls around each year, social media gets inundated with every brand’s sustainability mission. While it’s not certainly not a bad thing that more companies are trying to step up, it’s simply not enough to preach conscious consumption just one day a year.
Fashion is one of the dirties industries on the planet, and the impact of its production and waste are still unknown. The one thing that is for sure, however, is that we need to be changing the way we shop—every single day of the year.
For this reason, we talked to five sustainable and ethical designers to get their advice for how to make the necessary changes to your fashion diet on Earth Day and beyond.
Mara Hoffman
“Get comfortable with changing your relationship to shopping: Buy less, wear more, commit to uniform dressing, explore vintage, invest in timeless pieces, and focus on companies trying to reduce their impact on the planet.”
Shivam Punjya, Behno
“To shop sustainably, we all have to ask questions about the brands we like: How do they make their pieces? Where do they source from? How are they ethical and sustainable? Once you have answers to these, only purchase something you love and will cherish for years to come. Quality over quantity, and forever over seasonal.”
Hollie Bonneville Barden, Creative Director, John Hardy
“I always make a point to learn more about a product or brand that I purchase. Whether that’s looking into the ingredients or materials to ensure they’re sourced responsibly or those that give back to building a greater community. I joined John Hardy for many of those reasons, as community and nature have always been at the heart of our brand. Our Bamboo Collection’s ‘Wear Bamboo, Plant Bamboo’ initiative is our unique way of giving back to nature where for each piece sold, we plant a select amount of Bamboo seedlings throughout Indonesia.”
Elizabeth Thomas James and Jessica Taylor Mead, Taylor + Thomas:
“Our number one piece of advice for shopping sustainably every day is to think before you buy. Is what you’re going to buy something that you love, that will last, and that has as little impact on the environment as possible? Where was it made, who made it, and were people or animals harmed in the process? Taking that one extra minute to shop conscientiously is a great way to show our Mother Earth some love.”
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