Browsing Tag

Sustainable

Dubai’s Sustainable Kidswear and Toy Directory

Posted on December 11, 2024

Did you know that an average child uses over 200 pieces of clothing! Babies will outgrow 7 clothing sizes in their first 2 years, which is not sustainable at all.

The $200 billion global kid’s clothing market is growing faster than adult’s, expected to reach nearly $300 billion by 2030. 180 million+ pieces of kids clothing go to waste each year. That’s not all, most modern textiles exact some form of environmental tax. Regular cotton is grown using pesticides, but organic cotton must often be shipped consumes lots of water. Plus, human-made materials like nylon and polyester come from petroleum. Toxins also get involved in the spinning, dyeing, and overall production of many fabrics, which contributes to the release of greenhouse gases and can leach toxins into the soil and water supply.

But there is hope… for used outfits and items that remain in good condition, there is a thriving secondhand market for children’s clothing, toys and equipment here in Dubai, both on and offline.

Christmas is as we know, a very consumer heavy holiday and we could all be more mindful with the gifts we buy in order to make them more sustainable. For me, that means shopping local, ethically minded brands of course, and I get asked a lot of questions about just who and where I recommend for tots and babies here in the U.A.E., so have compiled a list of my favourites for you:

Ideal for clothes:

Beaux Desert

Beautifully made collections for the whole family using eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices

Birdsn’Bees

A local family concept store specializing in clothing, beachwear, and swimwear

Little IA

The perfect place for personalized gifts for little ones

Atlas & Maya

Exclusively creating collections using certified sustainable materials

Baby Bazaar

A monthly circular pre-loved pop-up at Times Square Centre, Dubai

Reloved

A marketplace for buying and selling second-hand clothes, baby items, furniture, accessories, and more

Bump and Baby

A pre-loved maternity & baby store

Anvi Baby

Quality, comfortable and sustainable essentials for baby

Bjerg & Hav

Hygge | Slow | Handmade | Organic

Carob

Effortless mummy and me summer fashion

Ideal for toys and equipment:

Made By Nature

Dubai’s only family concept store offering sustainable brands

Little Ones Arabia

Premium sustainable baby products, clothes and gift hampers

Maisontini

Experiential showroom and sustainably minded concept store

Eggs n Soldiers

Natural & eco-friendly baby products

Monki Box

Sustainably designed bilingual purposeful play program

Secondful

A secondhand online marketplace for pre-loved kids and baby gear

Secondgear

A secondhand online marketplace for pre-loved kids and baby gear

The Clean Beauty Brand At Sephora You Need To Know

Posted on December 5, 2024

The beauty industry impacts us in a whole range of environmental ways, Saie is Sephora’s newest clean beauty brand to really focus on a sustainable future.

Current practices can deplete natural resources, damage oceans, hurt wildlife, and produce harmful microplastics. One of the biggest challenges the beauty world faces is post-consumer packaging waste.

But what’s the answer?

Well one way is using more sustainable packaging, which is typically made from materials that are either biodegradable or recyclable. This includes materials like glass, paper, cardboard, metal, and certain types of plastic, like bio-based or plant-based plastics.

Saie, Sephora’s newest clean beauty brand, focuses not only on clean, good-for-you ingredients, but has also established their own ‘Saie Climate Initiative’ to take direct action to combat climate change.

“As a lifelong lover of Mother Nature, I believe it is our duty to be responsible for the impact we at Saie make on the planet. This unprecedented commitment is our way of taking action, because action is the only way to enact change. I know this is just the beginning, and I couldn’t be more excited to start this journey.” – Laney, Founder & CEO of Saie.

Saie is also committed to cleaning our planet of plastic waste through a three-year partnership with rePurpose Global. This initiative targets the impact of global plastic waste on communities while also investing in women’s development and empowerment. To put it into perspective, their goal is to reduce existing plastic waste by the equivalent of 120 million single-use plastic bottles that eventually end up polluting our oceans.

As well as production changes, Saie are also working towards net zero across all supply chain emissions by 2039 with the following:

Shipping Boxes
Kraft mailers are biodegradable and 100% recyclable.

Cartons
Their product cartons are 100% Recycled FSC-certified paper made in a carbon-neutral facility.

Cotton Balls
Their cushy, comfy cotton balls aren’t just for removing makeup; they actually use them as padding for the inside of the packages.

Paper Tape
Saie use kraft paper tape to safely secure all of their products in transit. The glue on the tape is made of water-activated cornstarch.

Eco Friendly Sustainable

Thankyou, Consumerism Reimagined

Posted on November 29, 2024

We all shop, we shop for what we want, need and also don’t need. But the idea that a product is shoppable solely to do good in this world is the main idea of Thankyou. (Currently) an Australian and New Zealand only based social enterprise, that bring’s consumers a product choice, for one reason only; “to help create a world where not one person lives in extreme poverty.”

In 2008, Daniel, Justine & Jarryd co-founded Thankyou to help bridge the gap between two of our world’s extremes; extreme poverty & extreme consumerism.

Still not quite sure how it works?

Step one: Thankyou makes necessary home, baby and body products you’ll love, like hand-washes, cleaning supplies, baby wipes and deodorants, that are designed to be kind to humans and the planet.

Step Two: Thankyou gives every cent left (after the costs in step one) to help end extreme poverty.

Thankyou is a social enterprise owned 100% by their own charitable trust, with 18.55Million AUD raised so far and donated!

How else are they sustainable? Thankyou focuses on consumer packaging by adopting goals to ensure packaging uses less resources, is more easily recycled, and uses materials which can be returned and reused, with the goal of minimising waste. As of 2020, Thankyou is a certified carbon neutral organisation for its operations by Climate Active. Carbon emissions associated with their products and supply chain estimations were also included and offset as part of this assessment.

Their new plan is to rapidly expand far beyond Australia and New Zealand, with their sights set on the U.A.E. in 2025!

fashion Sustainable

Dubai’s Sustainable Swimwear Directory

Posted on November 19, 2024

Have you thought about your impact on our environment? Choosing sustainable swimwear is one way to be a more conscious consumer, it involves understanding where you spend your money and on what.

Sustainable swimwear fabrics are important because they help reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion industry. Sustainable materials and production processes use less water and energy, and by prioritizing durability and recyclability, the impact of swimwear on landfills and ocean pollution can be significantly diminished.

When you look at the labels in our swimwear, fabrics such as polyester and nylon are what you’ll likely find. But here’s what you can look for instead to help reduce your carbon footprint:

ECONYL: This Italian product is created from regenerated nylon collected from the landfills and oceans around the world. The primary nylon products collected which create ECONYL are things like used clothing, carpets, and nets from fishermen!

Vita PL: Made by the same people that create ECONYL. Vita PL is made of 100% recycled polyester from pre & post-consumer materials.

Repreve: This unique material is made from recycled plastic bottles and turns them into usable fibers. Used by some of the largest global brands that create fashion apparel, athletic wear, and swimwear, emitting fewer greenhouse gases during production and conserving less energy and water.

*All plastic-derived fabrics such as nylon and polyester shed dangerous microplastics into our oceans.

Here’s my run down of Dubai’s slow and sustainable swimwear brands for you to check out:

Let’s Swim

The brand works to cultivate community projects, working collaboratively with divers, shark conservationists and charities to clean up beaches, making oceans safer for marine biodiversity and shark populations.

Salt Sister

They use premium recycled Italian fabrics for our swimwear, in collaboration with ECONYL®.

The Moeity

Making conscious and environmentally friendly choices accessible to everyone.

Solis Ecowear

Their swimwear is made and lined with 78% Recycled Polyamide and 22% LycraXtra Life, using Econyl Recycled Vita fabric.

Hunza G

Hunza G’s one size stance is not only an effort to remain an inclusive brand, but also reduces the risk of over-purchased sizing on a commercial level.

Edos

Each item is ethically made, under safe labor conditions with reclaimed Italian fabrics and small scale production.

Cocora Boutique

Based in the UAE, all their items are proudly made in Colombia, utilizing eco-friendly practices that harmonize with the environment.

Coega

All their signature pieces, including modest swimwear, are locally made here in the UAE (reduced carbon foot print) using sustainable fabric made of ECONYL® regenerated nylon.

Veda

Made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon fibers, is not only soft and comfy but also built to stand up against all your beach adventures.

Sapia Simone

The brand works with a substantial amount of high quality, environmentally friendly fabrics and employs ethical production methods.

Second Summer

Devoted to fostering sustainability and cultivating slow fashion, styles from their swimwear are conceived from the world’s first fully biodegradable yarn.

Oceanus (via So Much Trouble)

Each piece is made from recycled, eco-friendly materials and hand embroidered with Swarovski crystals.

**Updated as of November 2024**

fashion Sustainable

David Koma’s sustainable swimwear movement is called Let’s Swim

Posted on November 15, 2024

David Koma, Swimwear, Sustainable, sharks, ocean

David Koma’s sustainable swimwear movement Let’s Swim supports a love for sharks, the 80’s and the oceans.

Let’s Swim ensures ocean sustainability is their key focus, as the future of the brand lies in cultivating community projects, working collaboratively with divers, shark conservationists and charities to clean up beaches, making oceans safer for marine biodiversity and shark populations.

David Koma’s swim and resort wear collections offer “an exploration into the cinematic ocean environment, blended with artificial intelligence and the iconic swim images of the 80’s.” Founder and Creative Director, David Koma blends their enigmatic shark logo into each of his creations.

All for the love of sharks… David Koma prefers to highlight ‘influencers’ that offer diverse experiences that fit the mission of the brand, rather than the usual consumer facing bodies such as; divers, shark enthusiasts, and ocean conservationists.

fashion

The Moiety capsule wardrobe, a Dubai dream

Posted on November 8, 2024

Swimwear, sustainable, pool, summer, sunshine, Zulu and zephyr, the moeity

The capsule wardrobe, a Dubai dream.

By focusing on essential, versatile pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways, a capsule wardrobe can help you save money, save space and encourages more conscious consumption.

The Moiety aims to challenge the notion that exceptional style and a conscious approach to fashion must come with a high price tag. A capsule wardrobe also helps to remove the stresses of having ‘nothing to wear’, and allows you to invest in higher quality items that will ultimately last longer.

Viktoria & Woods is a brand stocked in The Moiety, as seen above, who are proud to highlight that the greater part of their designs are made in Australia. “We value sustainable textiles and manufacturing methods that leave a lighter footprint on the planet, a philosophy we are committed to.” Their aim is to create effortless wardrobe staples with a pared-back modern feel.

In chemistry, a moiety refers to a part or portion of a molecule that can be separated and exists independently. “In the context of the brand, it is interpreted as a curated selection of clothing that represents exclusivity, affordability and distinction.” A capsule wardrobe is an antidote to fast fashion and impersonal shopping experiences.

More than that, the brand champions the idea of “Conscious Alchemy”, where every piece of clothing is a blend of beauty, sustainability, and ethical production and will only offer brands that also fit within their ethos.

One of their brands Zulu & Zephyr, The Moiety’s latest addition, has been a proud member of 1% for the Planet since 2020. With a focus on a more sustainable future too, 81% of their ready to wear, sport and swimwear categories are sewn in socially compliant factories, where fair treatment and worker welfare is paramount, and are supporting their non-compliant factories in their ventures towards compliance. Global Recycled Standard certified recycled fibres are also used throughout their collections to reduce the use of virgin synthetic fabrications.

Eco Friendly fashion

Birkenstock’s 250 year focus on sustainable materials

Posted on November 4, 2024

Birkenstock shoe, sole, manufacturing process, environmentally friendly, sustainable materials

Celebrating 250 years of this iconic shoe, the focus for Birkenstock is becoming more and more about the environment and manufacturing their creations sustainably.

Dating back to 1774, every Birkenstock footbed is made of natural cork, natural latex, jute and suede, which is used as the top layer.

BIRKENSTOCK AND SUSTAINABILITY

The brand uses the highest-quality leather, working with textile materials, such as high-quality wool felt, made from pure merino wool. For those customers looking for animal-free products, there is our proprietary synthetic material Birko-Flor®.

RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN

A high proportion of the natural materials that Birkenstock uses are from sustainable sources: cork, natural latex, jute, leather and wool felt are among their most important materials.

One of the main raw materials used is cork – a natural and sustainable product that boasts high elasticity, outstanding cushioning, and excellent heat and sound insulation. It is comprised of dead thin-walled cells that have been filled with air. The cork layer is reproduced and can therefore be harvested again and again without harming the tree.

A single tree can provide 100 to 200 kilograms of cork during its life. To ensure that the cork is hygienically clean, the bark that has been removed is cooked thoroughly in tanks. It is then cut into strips that will be used to punch the bottle corks.Natural cork oak forests only exist in the western Mediterranean basin. The majority of the cork processed by Birkenstock comes from southern Portugal, the world’s largest raw cork-exporting region. Natural and planted cork oak forests in Portugal cover a total of some 750,000 hectares – about 8% of the total surface area of the country.

Then there’s jute, which provides additional stabilization of the cork and latex core in the original Birkenstock footbed. In addition, the plant fibers improve the moisture-regulating properties of the footbed. Jute is a renewable resource as well.

Natural latex serves as the natural binding agent in the production of the footbed. Like cork, natural latex is also a renewable resource. Natural latex is obtained from the resin of rubber trees.

Birkenstock also unveiled the ultimate Care Essentials line for body and mind, expanding its product portfolio beyond footwear. From nourishing creams to invigorating scrubs, using 100% natural origin ingredients and highly effective formulations, made in Germany.

fashion Fitness

Homegrown brand Tribe of 6 uses responsibly sourced and recycled materials

Posted on October 28, 2024

Homegrown brands are just the best. Not only do they help keep our carbon footprints smaller by reducing the logistical means of acquiring them, but also, you’re likely to be supporting a small startup with real people at the helm.

With athleisure here to stay it seems, choosing brands that use responsibly sourced materials and adopt sustainable production methods, is the least we can do. Tribe of 6 is a homegrown Dubai brand that uses materials such as Organic Loopback Cotton (certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)) and Jacquard Textured Fabric (made from recycled polyester).

They also integrate a variety of other recycled fabrics from Sedex approved factories and Global Recycled Standards (GRS) certified., such as; Recycled Polyester, which has a sueded and peached effect, providing a soft luxurious feel. Recycled Crinkle Nylon which provides a smooth, comfy finish that is also lightweight and Recycled Polyester Modal Stretch, which offers a premium feel and breathability.

Furthering the sustainability goals of the U.A.E., Tribe of 6 adopts a “limited stock” production strategy rather than mass production, which not only maintains the exclusivity and quality of their products but also minimises overproduction and waste. Some unsold garments are recycled and repurposed to create new products, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and further reducing its environmental impact.

Eco Friendly Sustainable

Why bamboo is the world’s most sustainable toilet paper!

Posted on June 14, 2024

Bamboo is the material we all need in our lives… We don’t think about where our toilet paper comes from do we? Did you know that 15% of all deforestation is caused by tissue manufacturing? Every single day, 27,000 trees are cut down to make toilet paper.

Introducing Bambuyu, who offer a sustainable & tree-free alternative – bamboo, the ideal solution as it’s a raw material that is sustainable and renewable whilst also soft & absorbent. Bamboo is actually a grass (not a tree), so it does not require planting after harvesting and can grow back naturally. It also has natural antibacterial properties, so it can be grown without the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides.

As bamboo is the world’s fastest-growing plant and grows x30 faster than trees, it makes it one of the most environmentally friendly materials you can choose. A grove of bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than a tree of a similar size which helps in reducing our carbon footprint too!

fashion

My sustainable lab grown diamonds collection with etika jewels

Posted on June 11, 2024

For Gaza, a poignant design of solidarity, the double ring represents togetherness and union. The ring also represents collective support, and the spirit of Hub (meaning love in Arabic) that is shared. Additionally, the ring’s sale proceeds will be going to organizations providing aid in the region.

Lab grown diamonds are as real as diamonds mined from the earth. They have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as mined diamonds and exhibit the same features and sparkle. Also, lab created diamonds consume significantly less water and energy per carat than their mined counterparts, which makes lab-grown gemstones the most sustainable choice for all your jewellery.

I collaborated with UAE based brand Etika Jewels that was founded in 2022, to design an exclusive capsule collection of rings. My designs were inspired from important elements in my life, such as; water, love and hope and peace. The rings showcase a shared commitment to reducing environmental impact and embracing solidarity during a challenging period in the region.

Each meticulously crafted ring tells its own story of commitment and beauty;

The Wave is a homage to my love for the ocean, encapsulating the majestic power and serenity of the sea. The Eye is a symbol of vigilance and self-protection, encouraging wearers to remain conscious of their environmental footprint. The Wrap adorned with vibrant red gems is a celebration of the ever-present, transformative nature of love. The Sun and Moon rings represent the enduring, cyclical beauty of the natural world. The Knot stands as a binding promise of personal and environmental integrity. The Trio, a set of and stackable singlets made for everyday wear, symbolizing elegance and flexibility and Crossroads – symbolizes the how the journey of life has many crossroads, that make it beautiful and unique.

My favourite, aptly named For Gaza, is a poignant design of solidarity, the double ring represents togetherness and union. The ring also represents collective support, and the spirit of Hub (meaning love in Arabic) that is shared. The red ruby helps highlight our love and additionally the collective loss we all feel. The ring’s sale proceeds will be going to organizations providing aid in the region.

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