“I think it’s really powerful to be a customer in 2024 and we should be using our power for good,” says fashion writer and content creator Maggie Zhou, an active voice in local conversations around slow fashion and sustainability. “You can use your money to support a certain cause or a certain business or a certain idea that you believe in.”
With so many online retailers at our fingertips, it’s important to take a mindful approach towards consumption even as the research becomes more and more time-consuming. If you’re looking to shop sustainable fashion, Zhou suggests using third-party sites like Good On You to simplify the process and help navigate greenwashing and other false promises.
The Aussie startup breaks down its criteria into three sections: people, planet and animals. “Sustainability can look like a lot of different things for a lot of different people,” Zhou explains. “I love this umbrella view because someone might be really interested in animal rights, whereas another person might be super interested in material make-up. I love that there are so many different ways you can enter the sustainability conversation.”
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For Zhou, prioritising brands that uphold ethical manufacturing processes – namely paying garment workers a living wage – is essential when it comes to buying something new. As is opting for natural, organic materials and high-quality, lasting design, and looking to a brand’s certifications.
New Zealand label Blunt Umbrellas ticks many of the boxes. The B Corp company – a certification that Zhou respects very highly – is committed to making products that last a lifetime.
“I really admire brands that do one thing and do it really well,” she says. “And I would put Blunt in that category.”
Blunt umbrellas have a modular design and aerodynamic structure that are engineered to last. Plus, they’re easy to repair, extending the life cycle of an often weak and disposable product. (How many times have you been caught in the rain, only to have your umbrella turn on you, flip inside out and “cause more grief than help” before you have to toss it in the bin?)
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the environmental and ethical impact of everyday items – even one as purely functional as an umbrella. But Zhou says we can be more mindful in almost every part of our lives. “Why not bring other lifestyle products into the fold as well? Everything that we buy has an impact on people or the planet.”
Not only does every Blunt umbrella come with a two-year manufacturing warranty, the brand also has a “repair before replace” ethos, meaning if anything breaks or goes wrong during the umbrella’s life cycle, it can still be repaired or upgraded. “If we are extending the life of our items and keeping them in circulation for longer, that’s ultimately better because we’re using less raw material.”
With so much information out there, Zhou acknowledges that shopping sustainably can feel overwhelming at first. Her top three tips? Take stock of what you already own and care for and cherish those things as best as you can; prioritise second-hand; and research before you buy.
This article was produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Blunt Umbrellas.
