Transparent shopping experience of sustainable fashion with an Eco+ Ethics guide

If you are done with what goes on behind the glamorous front the fashion industry, here’s your source of handmade, artisan, eco-textiles, zero-waste and ethically made fashion. There’s no brand at Revari that doesn’t go through extensive research to meet the Eco + Ethics guide, stories that you can read for a truly transparent shopping experience. 

We interview Eartha founder of Revari. She’s passionate about contributing to a world where sustainable fashion + stylish and chic is possible. We discuss all the positive impact and unique features she brings with her online fashion store, how she’s supporting a movement to go away from the culture of “disposable fashion”, what “ethical” really means and what stops us from buying more sustainable. Hope you enjoy this conversation and learn as much as we did! (Psssst! There’s a discount code towards the end!)

Hi Eartha, we’d love to hear a bit more about your background and what led you to start the ethical fashion shop Revari?

Ever since I was little I always loved playing dress-up and conveying a story through fashion. Naturally, this lead me to a career in fashion. After several years of working for various fashion companies, I started to research more about how exactly our clothing is made, who makes it, and how the textile and fashion industry affects our planet. The more I learned, the harder it became for me to continue working for companies that did not take sustainability into account. After spending extensive hours trying to find and research different brands and companies that are using fashion as a force for good for the environment and people I thought about how amazing it would be if there was a retail website that curated many different sustainable fashion brands all in one place to make shopping eco-conscious and ethical clothing so much easier, and quicker. That’s when a light bulb went off…why don’t I start that website! That’s how Revari was born.

What is the mission of the brand, what’s the type of positive change you are looking to create?

The main mission of Revari is to encourage people to live a more sustainable, ethically conscious, and compassionate life one garment at a time. I hope to create positive change by helping to educate people about the negative impact fast fashion has on our planet and people, and what we can each do to reverse this and change the garment industry, and hopefully many more industries as well, to be a force of good within the world. One of the goals of Revari is to share the stories behind brands, artisans, and garment workers to inspire people to truly value the hands that make our clothing and the earth.

With what kind of brands you partner with & what are the eco+ethical standards you seek in them? 

I partner with a variety of different brands, ranging from US-based small businesses, handmade, zero-waste jewelry companies, to brands that closely work with fair trade women artisans in Guatemala and India. All the brands I partner with must meet at least one, if not all, of the guidelines in the Revari Eco + Ethics Guide. The guide includes: Ethically Made, Fair Trade, Sustainably Made, Eco-Friendly and/or Recycled Fabrics, and Philanthropy.

How will your fashion online shop work and what features it enables for the people to easily access ethical clothing?

One of the main features about Revari that makes it extremely user-friendly and different from other e-commerce stores is the Eco + Ethics guide, mentioned above. I created the Eco + Ethics guide to help people make informed and educated decisions about the products they are buying and the brands they are supporting. Every product on Revari has the logos from the E+E Guide that correspond to how the product is made and it’s an environmental and social impact. This creates a very transparent shopping experience for people. Customers know exactly what went into making the products, from the materials used to how the artisans and workers are treated, so they know exactly the type of positive impact they’re making with every purchase. 

Another element that makes Revari unique is the clothing selection I carry. When I started Revari I really wanted to fill the void I saw in the slow fashion movement for an affordable stylish, unique, yet timeless clothing. I really wanted to prove that dressing chic and fashionable CAN be done sustainably. I carry clothing that caters to the motivated, passionate, and professional women of today who want to look great while also being environmentally and ethically conscious. The products I carry range from earthy casual wear to pieces that can easily go from the office to a night out.

What are some of the latest sustainable trends we are seeing between eco-fashion brands?

With technology advancing at lightning speeds nowadays, we are seeing a lot of brands using new and innovative ways to create textiles. Silky soft activewear made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles, handbags and shoes that look like leather but are made from Piñatex (a natural textile made from pineapple leaf fiber), and even zero-waste clothing made from leftover milk waste are a few examples of how brands are really starting to get creative to create the most eco-friendly textiles possible.

You also have a large range of jewellery. We are really curious about what makes it ethical, what have people to look out for when purchasing “ethical” jewellery?

”Ethical” can be a broad term, and unfortunately, thanks to greenwashing can be a confusing term to understand as well! When shopping any products that claim to be ethically made it’s important to make sure there is actual information provided to back up these claims. On Revari I strive to make it as easy as possible to confidently shop ethically made and fair trade products. All the jewelry brands I partner with are extremely transparent about their labor practices and advocate for the fair treatment of artisans. Ethically made means there is no discrimination based on gender or race, no child labor, payment of living wages, safe and clean working conditions, reasonable working hours, and no testing on animals. By upholding these standards, brands ensure that their artisans can support themselves and their families and contribute to their community. Also, some of the ethical jewelry brands I work with are woman-owned small businesses. The owner herself handmakes each piece of jewelry with care, love, and respect.

When it comes to textiles, what are some of the most valued materials between your customers?

Natural fabrics such as linen and Tencel, as well as 100% recycled fabrics,  are the materials most Revari customers look for. Linen and Tencel are both natural plant-derived textiles that use no chemical pesticides and very little water to grow and process. This makes them some of the most eco-friendly fabrics currently available. GOTS certified organic cotton is also very popular. Organic cotton uses no chemical pollutants and much less water to grow and process then non-organic cotton.

Digging a bit into the industry, what concerns you the most about the current fast fashion trends?

Something that bothers me the most about fast fashion is the idea of buying something just to wear it once and then throwing it away. Fast fashion has now created a culture of “disposable fashion”. This practice is extremely wasteful and harmful to our planet. Textile and clothing waste accounts for 5% of ALL landfill waste and US citizens throw away about 70 pounds of clothing a year, each, on average.  People don’t know why/how a piece of clothing was so cheap for them, or where their discarded clothing will end up. Through Revari I hope to educate people about what goes on behind the glamorous front the fashion industry puts up. Garment workers, 80% of whom are women, are some of the lowest-paid workers in the world and are regularly exploited and mistreated so that consumers can get clothing faster for cheaper prices. I believe that making the fashion supply chain more transparent so people know where their clothing came from, the conditions it was made in, and the impact it has on our environment will help steer people away from fast, disposable fashion.

Thanks to Fashion Revolution, there’s now a question buzzing in our heads “Who made my clothes”. What is your system to trace your supply chain and ensure fair trade standards?

Since I am a retailer sourcing from brands, open communication with brands and extensive research is extremely important for me! When I discover a sustainable brand that I would like to curate for Revari I first do as much online digging and research on the brand to make sure it meets the criteria of my Eco + Ethics Guide. I then reach out to the brand to get more in-depth information about their materials, manufacturing, and labor practices. I then share all the information I have accumulated with Revari customers via the “About the Brand” section in every product description. Eventually, my goal is to travel to the studios and manufacturing locations of the brands I partner with to share their amazing stories and document the love and care that goes into each and every sustainable product created. This way customers can see first hand how important and impactful it is to ask, “who made my clothes?”

In your opinion, what do you think is currently stopping people to buy ethical clothing? 

I think a big factor in stopping people from buying ethical clothing is price. Sustainable and ethically made clothing can tend to be more expensive than most fast fashion. With that being said, there are two factors about pricing that I think are important to address.

First off, it’s definitely important to recognize the privilege that comes with being able to buy sustainably. As a young entrepreneur, I myself find it hard sometimes to afford many sustainable products, from clothing to household items. Thankfully, if someone is passionate about slow fashion but finds it hard to afford most brands there are many budget-friendly alternatives such as thrifting, Poshmark and Depop, and hosting clothing swaps with friends. Secondly, I believe that it’s so important to educate people on WHY there is a price difference between fast fashion and sustainable, ethically made fashion. Many people don’t realize that if a shirt is being sold for $5 it’s guaranteed that the people who made it are not making a minimum wage, let alone a living wage. 

Slow fashion is usually more expensive because of the environmentally-conscious production process and payment of fair wages. Even though individual products may cost more money, sustainable fashion is made from materials meant to last. Investing in sustainable fashion pieces will save you money in the long run because it won’t fall apart as quickly as fast fashion does and you won’t have to buy new clothing as often.

You are based in the US, how does a social entrepreneurial venture look like there? Do you feel there’s a change happening in the country?

Starting a business in the US focused on social and environmental change definitely has its ups and downs. In today’s political climate, with many people in positions of power outright denying climate change and basic human rights to people, it can be scary. However, if I ever get frustrated or discouraged by the news I always shift my focus to the amazing people working tirelessly to make positive changes within the world. 

Over the past several years there has definitely been a growth of US-based businesses that have a focus on sustainability and social justice. I am currently based in Scottsdale, Arizona and even here there is a growing sustainable fashion community doing wonderful work to promote clean living and green fashion. This year, the mayor of Phoenix actually proclaimed August 22nd as Sustainable Fashion Day, which is amazing to see even people outside of the fashion industry recognizing the importance of taking a stand against the destructive nature of the industry and creating positive change. The fact that people are caring enough to learn, promote causes they believe in, speak up for their brothers and sisters who are voiceless, and advocate for the environment always encourages me and reminds me that what I am doing is impactful. Together we CAN make a difference. 

If each of you could write a message on a big wall that the entire world could read, what would it say?

Ahh so much I would want to say but I think what sums it all up would be: “Live in love, not in fear.”

Finally, where can we find you? Shops, online, worldwide…?

You can find Revari at www.shoprevari.com and on Instagram at @shoprevari. Domestic and international shipping is available. As a thank you to all the readers of Our Good Brands, please enjoy the discount code “GOODBRANDS” to get 15% off your Revari purchase! YAY!

If you had to find slow fashion, what are the top requirements you’d be looking at? Share your thoughts on the comments below!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Revari. Ourgoodbrands only features brands and contents that are aligned with ethical, sustainable, eco-conscious world, which means we have carefully researched and written the contents in this article, and specific product information is checked with the business. For the interviews, any opinions expressed are the writer’s own, generally being the founder of the brand. Images supplied and approved by the brand featured, or credited accordingly otherwise. For more information about our policies, click here.

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