Is it celebrities that are able to hone into the latest luxury sustainable market good, or is it BIPOC communities that have always integrated sustainability into their lifestyle and value system?
I’ve come to realise that true sustainability began at home – both as a cultural standard, and an economic necessity – far before we knew sustainability as the buzzword it is today.
That’s why I believe that true sustainability demands that BIPOC communities lead the narrative.
My Career
In 2013, I learned of the Rana Plaza Factory collapse. When the eight-story garment factory collapsed, more than 1,134 people were killed. It was one of the largest industrial disasters of our time. The day before the collapse, deep cracks had appeared in the eight-story building. The pressure from upper management to have workers finish orders facilitated this mass industrial homicide.
So my entry into the world of sustainable fashion was rooted in looking at the industry through a lens of social justice. After the 2013 Rana Plaza Factory collapse, my eyes were opened to the intersection between labour rights and marginalised communities (e.g. POC, women, immigrants).
From that point forward I decided that I didn’t want my love for creating to come at the cost of my values for justice, and my work became centered around the ties between style, sustainability, and social justice.
Now, I work as a full-time multi-hyphenate between a sustainable fashion blogger, journalist, photographer, and speaker.