As a mom of two toddlers, shopping ethically for clothes for my kids has been one of the hardest areas of my transition into slow fashion. In the spirit of honesty, their closets are made up of very few ethically made items and, due to lack of availability and out of sheer necessity, I've turned to typical brands that you can pick up at Target or Wal Mart more times than I care to admit.
It's not everyday that a brand merges the two very founding principles of my blog — fair fashion and slow, simple living, but Marie Hell has found a way to do it effortlessly. The NYC based brand designs dresses and tunics that are meant to simplify getting dressed, with versatile pieces you'll reach for over and over again.
You all know how much I love a good brand launch and today I have the honor of introducing a brand new sustainable and ethical brand founded by Dina Chavez, an (ex-fast fashion brand owner and) fashion designer with deep roots in the fashion industry who is passionate about making fashion more transparent, ethical, and planet-friendly.
SixChel, launched their kickstarter campaign TODAY and the first collection features elevated basics that are perfect for everyday wear, paired with items you already know and love. Dina uses sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable materials for her pieces to create clothing that is both feminine and cutting-edge.
Authenticity is both the best and worst thing about having a portion (or all, lets be honest) of your life online. I say "best" because being truly real about your struggles and joys is the best way I know to create and encourage community and genuine connection. And I say "worst" because sometimes being your real self is down right scary and embarrassing.
I've laid the not-so-pretty parts of my soul bare before and each time I'm met with grace and encouragement, but this time, when it comes to something I shamelessly promote and wholeheartedly believe in, I'm finding it harder to say. But, like most things in life, it's easier to just "get it out" than worry so here goes nothing.
My Saturday morning coffee is one of my favorite rituals of the week. My husband works early mornings on the weekends, which is always a drag, but once I'm able to drag myself out of bed (usually at the beck and call for chocolate milk from my three year old who mysteriously crawled into bed with me sometime during the night...) my morning coffee is what gets me going.
For the past month or so, I've been drinking nothing but Ethical Bean coffee and I've been loving the variety and flavors that their coffees offer.
Watching new brands come to life is one of the most exciting things about being involved in the ethical fashion movement. I first discovered PonyBabe at the very launch of their Kickstarter campaign. I marveled as Rachel, the designer, owner, and one-woman show behind the brand, built her first collection, the "24-hour outfit," using the donations of backers, in women-owned factories in Brooklyn, NY. I saw her brand come to life, release that first collection, and lay out plans for the next one.
