MiaKoda || Sustainable + Accessible Staples
I recently participated in an interview that asked my thoughts on the future of the slow fashion industry. As someone who has only been "in the industry" for a few years and only as an influencer, not a brand owner, or designer, or supplier, or garment worker, I sometimes feel like an observer of the industry as a whole, more than an active participant.
Of course, using my voice to share about brands who are making change is important, but watching and observing, and then sharing my thoughts on them is one of my favorite parts of this "role" of mine, as small as it may be.
So this question about the future of the slow fashion movement got me thinking - as most things do - about my own daughters. At 4 and almost 3, they're as impressionable as ever, questioning the very fabric of their surroundings at depths that I usually have a hard time explaining. In my short time as a mother, much like my short time as an influencer, I've learned that sometimes things don't have cut and dry answers, as much as toddlers (or consumers) may want there to be.
And the answer to my question about the future of slow fashion as it turned out, had a lot to do with what two sisters who, a lot like my own girls are teaching me to do, questioning the norm.
MiaKoda was birthed out of sisters Julia and Laura Ahrens' frustration with the fashion industry's status quo. With a background in fashion design, Julia was immersed in fast fashion and after she and Laura both began practicing yoga, the mindfulness behind their practices started to seep into their professional and personal lives.
Slowly but surely, they questioned where their clothes were made. Whether animals, people, or the planet were harmed in the process. And finally, what they could do to change it.
Their brand, meaning "power of the moon", grew to symbolize the connectivity of humanity and, in a way, was a result of their questioning the norm, instead of growing accustomed to it.
MiaKoda designs versatile basics using exclusively plant-based materials. Their pieces are meant to fit a wide range of bodies, for nearly every situation. I've been wearing their bodysuit and slim fit joggers for the past few months and to say that they've become true wardrobe staples is an understatement.
Pushing the envelope doesn't come naturally for everyone. And as revolutionary as the slow fashion movement is, a cleaner, kinder fashion industry is becoming a reality because of people who question the status quo. People who use their skills to create something better. People who use their voices to share about it. People who speak up with their dollars and vote for a better future.
These are the people (and brands) that I'm inspired by and the ones that I hope, like my daughters, will continue to push boundaries, question the norm, and create a better reality.
*This post was sponsored by MiaKoda. All opinions, photographs, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible*
