Sustainable e-commerce sites for the fashionably minded
Zady
Created by former Foodspotting founder Soraya Darabi, who teamed up with her friend Maxine Bédat, the director of The Bootstrap Project, Zady sells ‘conscious’ men’s and womenswear pieces as well as jewelry, accessories and items for the home.
With a name that references both a Yiddish nickname for a beloved grandfather and the Arabic word for prosperous, Zady provides a full exploration of the brands it works with as well as wider content about sustainable issues and the history of the products. Five percent of proceeds from every sale go to The Bootstrap Project, a charity aimed at supporting traditional crafts around the world.
Key brand: Cotton Citizen – 100-percent Los Angeles-based, family-owned cotton
Rêve en Vert
Another green fashion site founded by a pair of young female entrepreneurs, Rêve en Vert is the brainchild of Cora Hilts, who previously worked for Stella McCartney and Natasha Tucker, a former organic farmer.
According to the founders, Rêve en Vert was created “to promote and sell designer fashion that can be used all year round, transcending from season to season, because not only is it a wardrobe staple, but its design quality and aesthetics are designed to withstand the test of time.” As well as their online boutique selling a range of sustainably sourced womenswear and accessories, they also run a studio location in London with a personal shopping service.
Key brand: Hare & Hart – vegetable-tanned, organic-lined leather pieces from Argentina
Modavanti
Founded by two friends who met covering the Arab Spring in Egypt in 2011, David Dietz and Jesse Ayala, who then pulled in their friend Adam Clancy as operations director, the site is aimed at socially conscious womenswear consumers with a mix of ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories.
Additionally, Modavanti donates 2 percent of every sale to one of its impact partners, three non-profits working respectively to empower artisans in developing countries, provide clean water, and help promote US-based clothing manufacturers.
Key brand: Inkkas – handmade Peruvian sneakers using colorful fair trade local fabrics
