What does it really mean?
We are often asked the reason behind our prices or more details about the real sustainability of our materials, compared to animal leather ones. Those who know us know that Miomojo was founded with the intention of offering an alternative that was kind to the animals and the planet, without sacrificing aesthetic and design. In fashion, ethics and aesthetics must go hand in hand and enhance one another.
Sustainability is a process. When we started our business back in 2012, the possibilities were much fewer than today. Despite this, our choices have always been made to be the least polluting possible, until today using recycled and innovative materials. From next year, all our items will be made only from recycled materials. We will soon become a B Corporation, being officially recognised as a company that goes beyond the profit, balancing economic and ethical benefits. Fitting.
But why do we talk so much about sustainability? Where does the problem come from? What does this word really mean?
We are depleting the planet’s precious resources, as the waste we produce increases. For this reason, it is inevitable for any company, but also for any individual, to find solutions to reduce their environmental impact. This is the pillar for a solid future. Or even just for a future.
Being sustainable therefore means having the lowest possible environmental impact, choosing renewable or recycled raw materials (with consequent positive effects on nature and mankind), using low-energy and optimised production systems, and reducing waste.
Being sustainable for a company also means supporting higher costs. In particular, our premium collection has higher costs because the expenses we incur to produce it are higher. Starting from the choice of the most innovative materials on the market, the made in Italy production, the sustainable packaging, the less polluting shipment method, the strict controls that we carry out throughout the production chain, the 10% we give to animals, and finally the management costs and salaries of the team. To achieve a truly sustainable product, each of these steps has a higher cost than what we have been used to, and being a (still) small brand, we cannot even benefit from economies of scale. Fast fashion has accustomed us to costs that come at the expense of the planet and also of workers; we follow the “buy less, buy better” philosophy and we are convinced that the more people buy sustainable fashion products, the more prices can decrease.
To date, when costs are low, it means that someone else is paying the missing price: the people with poor working conditions or the environment, polluting and using poor quality materials produced with high consumption.
Luckily, modern society is increasingly conscious of its responsibility to care for the environment and the eco-friendly movement is finding its way to all aspects of modern life—including fashion trends.
Ultimately, the aim of eco-friendly fashion isn’t to eliminate its impact on the environment, but to significantly and realistically minimise it. When you buy fashion items from green companies, you are supporting their efforts to make a lasting positive change on Earth.
We use fashion for self-expression, and yet it has the harmful effects of making our planet uninhabitable. It is up to us to reverse this trend.
Let’s buy less and buy better. Our individual choices matter.