As if looking good and feeling good wasn’t reason enough to shop with us, we are giving you five more reasons! These brands happen to be good for you and good for the planet.

So, who’s new to the crew? Check out these epic brands below:

1. Arture

Arture believes that every small step has the potential to make a huge impact in the long run. By making sustainable choices at each and every stage of their supply chain, they are committed to making a huge difference to the planet. They are also a PETA-certified vegan brand and ensure that no animals, plants or people are harmed in the making of our accessories.

Every purchase from Arture goes towards helping an animal in need through the ResQ charitable trust.

When it comes to sourcing, they try to always source materials that are as sustainable as possible, that is 100% cruelty-free materials. Shivani (Co-founder of Arture) checks about the root sources and production process of each raw material (linings, reinforcements, hardware, threads) and tries to use as less of synthetics as possible.

 

Arture has partnered with an NGO called Yein Udaan in Chennai who use some of our wastes and scraps to make key chains. They provide employment to women of lower income communities, bettering their lives.

Their packaging is made with handmade paper (which does not come from trees). They’re made from recycled cotton rags.

 

2. ReCreate

ReCreate empowered the people of Dey Tmey in Cambodia. They were originally slum dwellers who lived in Phnom Penh, the capital city. To improve tourism in modern Cambodia, the government relocated many people to rural areas, which quickly resulted in desperate situations for the disadvantaged community with very little room for employment or education.

As the years passed and the community developed, opportunities for women to find rightful employment remained scarce. So in 2013, after several years of working alongside a local non-profit organisation within Dey Tmey, the founders of ReCreate, Erica Gadsby and Deborah de Graaf, became inspired to establish an opportunity for women. The ReCreate sewing centre was launched and the first intake of students began their journey of learning a new skill in order to transform their lives.

ReCreate is not just about meeting minimum ethical standards. They are committed to people and seeing their lives transformed. Each year they train and employ new students from within the Dey Tmey community who have a desire to learn a lifelong skill that will provide for themselves, their families and their futures. In addition to full sewing training, students receive lessons in money management, reading and writing, and basic healthcare. Alongside these students, our core team of skilled garment makers are employed in an empowering work environment, earning a living wage while continually being provided with opportunities to improve their skills.

ReCreate’s fabrics are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), as well as denim sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), so you know that our garments are kind to the environment as well as the people who make them. They operate in conjunction with a New Zealand Registered Charitable Trust and as members of the Fair Trade Association (FTAANZ), we are committed to providing fair and empowering employment under excellent working conditions.

3. DECE

DECE’s mission is to produce the highest quality handmade products using the best possible materials. From start to finish they use environmentally friendly materials.

DECE worked alongside the poor, listening to the stories of their lives, and were provoked by one question: How can we help to restore hope and empower people living in poor communities? DECE (which means “WHY?� in Romanian) became the bridge to helping people escape from cycles of generational poverty, developing skills and potential in individuals, restoring dignity and empowering people to provide for their families.

DECE is part of a holistic community development program developed over many years of working alongside families living in very difficult circumstances. Many families live in small mud-brick houses with earth floors and no running water or drainage and struggle through winters where the temperature can go down to -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit).

The DECE apprenticeship program is the team of DECE workers passing on to others the things they have learned. Teaching their neighbours the skills they need to become a DECE artisan.

Teaching them about different kinds of leathers, how to handle them and care for them and to produce beautiful timeless products that will only improve with age.

4. James&Co

James&Co products use ‘faux â€™ leather, a good word and in this context, carries good vibes. A French word adopted into English, retaining its French spelling and pronunciation (‘FO’), meaning false or fake. So false-fake-faux leather is good because you know it’s not real leather from animals and it’s a cruelty-free product. If you add high-quality cruelty-free fabrics, including 100% polyurethane vegan leather, you have a brand that can save the future.

James&Co is  Peta-approved Vegan  and a member of the  Ethical Fashion Forum.

In addition, James&Co has strong relationships with its manufacturers, ensuring that workers are treated fairly and quality remains high. James&Co manufacturers are engaged under a  Supplier Code of Conduct.

James&Co is also a strong supporter of a number of mental health awareness organisations, such as beyondblue,  Lifeline  and  batyr.

The brand was inspired by Anne Hurley’s son James, who was a unique individual who cared unassumingly about others and whose natural inclination was to show humanity – and of course, like most 24-year-olds, James liked to dress with style. In his talented writing, James exhorted us to ‘Live Life & Love It’ – he inspires James&Co now to uphold that legacy.

5. Mister Timbuktu

Mister Timbuktu prioritises people and planet over profit and believes business can be used to create change, creating positive impact throughout the supply chain, ensuring ethical conditions for its makers, using fabrics made from recycled plastics and minimising it’s environmental impact, in addition to donating 20% of profits to people and planet based charities.

Whilst launching with a small product range thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, there are big plans in the pipeline for range expansions to cater for all outdoor adventures.

So that’s all of them – we hope you’ll love these new brands as much as we do!