Needless to say, the fashion industry needs a huge remake. Polluting waterways, using finite resources, and creating trendy fashion pieces that lead to massive landfill waste are all part of the industry’s dirty environmental footprint.
Fortunately, though, an increasing number of brands are stepping forward to prove that sustainability and fashion are not mutually exclusive. Looking to make it easier for customers to find these brands, one company in Los Angeles decided to track down the most sustainable ones and bring them together in one place.
The shop, called GALERIE.LA promotes a simple concept – fashion can be sustainable. From lipstick to shoes, the store curates ethical options from head to toe. In-store and online, each product features extensive traceability, so the consumer can easily make purchases based on what they believe defines a sustainable purchase.
GALERIE.LA’s founder is Dechel Mckillian, a celebrity stylist passionate about sustainable, conscientious fashion, who after more than 10 years in the fashion industry saw an opportunity to connect people to their clothing, showing how meaningful it can be to shop for items that match one’s values.
What’s more, to make it extra transparent, the company answers many questions about each item it’s selling. Who made this? Is it supporting my community? Were any animals harmed? What’s the environmental impact? Also, to make the inventory easy to navigate, each item is tagged, either physically or virtually, with a variety of labels aimed at providing answers to these questions.
Products in the store and online include clothing, accessories, home goods, beauty and self-care, each carefully selected with the same goal in mind: “To have a positive environmental and social impact that is not at the expense of style and design is key,” the company said.