Renting your wardrobe, a sustainable solution for the fashion obsessed

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Haven Hathaway from Tulerie about the benefits of renting versus buying new, and how I got into the sustainable world. I love having these chats because it’s a nice way to get the conversations flowing, beyond my inner circle, about the importance of our impact and these discussions also act as a reminder for myself to be conscious of my footprint.

Q: How and why did you start your brand, On Duty Citizen?

A: After our first Model Mafia group meetup, I thought it would be cool to have a website where everyone could access sustainable and ethical brands and learn about what made them better than a fast-fashion alternative. I began looking for courses online about sustainability. I found theFactory45 course that helps entrepreneurs learn how to start their fashion brand as sustainably as possible, and from this course, On Duty Citizenwas born. Initially, our name was Off Duty Model, On Duty Citizen (ODM/ODC), but from the inspiration of a great friend and mentor, we simplified it to On Duty Citizen so that no matter what industry you were in, you could feel a part of the environmentalist movement.

Q: What are the goals and plans for the website?

A: With anything I do in life, modeling, or my work with ODC, I never want to feel like I’ve “made it.” For instance, during COVID, I returned to school to chip away at my degree and learn more about sustainability. I believe there’s so much beauty in the journey; a lot can be discovered when you continually learn more about your craft.

That said, I’d love to continue learning more about environmentalism and sustainability and be more consistent with updating the website regularly. When I feel informed, I feel more motivated to spread awareness about the harms of climate change and share bits of optimism and joy. Modeling is my primary source of income, so it is easy to put ODC on the back burner, but I learn so much when I study more about the links between the fashion industry and our climate crises, which helps me be in a position to potentially change the industry from within. These two sides of Britt, the model and the sustainable activist are incredibly complementary to each other.

Q: What about Tulerie’s mission aligns with your sustainable practices?

A: Tulerie closes the loop on waste and gives life to products that may otherwise end up in landfills. I think renting is an incredibly innovative way to “shop” your community member’s closets, revolutionizing the entire fashion industry. Many people will buy a dress for an event and feel like they can never wear it again. While I try and shift that narrative by continually posting about how “sexy” it is to re-wear your clothes, I also think renting provides a solution to this dilemma. You can profit off your items by renting items out as well as rotating cool pieces into your rotation.

Q: What was your first experience like using our platform?

A: I was nervous! It was my first time renting, and I was going to the GQ party in LA and wanted to look sexy yet sophisticated. There were so many amazing options, and the whole process was incredibly seamless. I can understand the hesitancy with renting out special pieces, but with time, renting all our clothes will begin to feel incredibly normalized. There’s a lot of joy in knowing my pieces create new memories and stories with others in my community rather than potentially sitting in my closet for months untouched.

Q: What are some tips on how to have high fashion, style, and sustainability coexist in your daily life?

A: I love investing in sustainable basics and making my style unique by renting fun pieces for events and shopping secondhand. My style revolves around sustainable/ethical white and black tees, good denim, fun vintage jackets, and accessories. Timelessness is key, and I try and stay away from trends that will go out of style. If I like something trendy, I’ll wait a few months to a year to see if I still love it and then try to find a secondhand option instead of purchasing something new.

Q: As a model whose presence is important on social media, how have you seen social media play a part in the negative or positive impact of sustainability awareness?

A: Social media is a blessing and a curse in that you can use it as a medium to inspire those around you to adopt better habits and be conscious of their footprint. However, the pressure to stay relevant and post in new outfits all the time, as well as traveling all over the world and posting your best moments, can feel overwhelming. I try and find balance. When you follow @brittbergmeister, I want you to feel like you’re seeing all sides of Britt.

Q: How have you seen or experienced sustainability and mental health impact each other?

A: Sometimes, in the climate world, forgetting your reusable coffee mug can send you into a spiral of anxiety. On the other hand, sometimes your actions of bringing that mug can feel so small that it doesn’t feel worth the effort. Climate anxiety is a real feeling that can leave you feeling paralyzed in fear. My friend Anne Therese Gennari, a climate optimist, hosts talks on optimism within the climate space and shares the importance of taking small individual steps that will hopefully lead to a huge wave of action. While we have to hold big corporations and government officials with a lot of power accountable by protesting or voting, there is also a lot to be hopeful for. If you find yourself in a wave of anxiety, take a breath and have a moment of pause. We can’t be perfect 100% of the time, which is okay. 

Q: How does sustainability affect your lifestyle and work as a model?

A: Although I wish I could work solely for sustainable brands, I hope that by working with less sustainable brands, I can inspire them to change. I don’t believe in shaming others into action, but I think a conversation on set about how passionate I am about sustainability can go a long way. Modeling also gives me a platform with thousands of individuals, and I use this privilege to share things in the sustainable space that mean a lot to me. The sustainable journey is never-ending, and I always try and be transparent about what I’m continuing to learn, when I’ve been wrong, and how we can all improve.

Q: What do you hope the future of fashion looks like?

A: I think digital fashion is an incredibly exciting innovation in the very near future, and I hope we can rely on clean energy in this space before it’s too big an industry to adapt. I’m a big proponent of prevention versus reaction and think that with any new trend or innovation, we should look at how we can execute in the most sustainable, economical, and inclusive way.

Q: What is one thing you would say to those just starting their sustainability journey?

A: Find something in your lane that excites you and become an expert in that field. There is room for everyone in this movement, and every action counts in positively contributing to the climate change movement.

This or that?

Looking for the better option? Try these small swaps in your daily routine to help cut back on your carbon footprint and live a mindful life.

Category is: home goods

There are so many things we do in our day-to-day lives that have simply become the norm because they are our habits. These activities may seem harmless at first, but when you think about the collective impact of every person using a handful of single-use paper towels daily, the waste can add up. It may feel silly to change your habits that have become easy in your daily routines, how big of a change can one person make? However, the collective actions of us all, however big or small, add up and that ripple effect can be the change we need to create the biggest impact. The collective act of us all to switch to reusable dish cloths can shift the consumer market and that may have an incredibly powerful influence on our environment.

Here are some shifts I’ve made at home that are small, yet mighty with their positive impact.

Swedish dish cloths:
While paper towels themselves don’t have a huge impact per sheet, the detrimental impact of them as a whole can add up quickly. This can account for deforestation, global warming, and an increase of waste. Recycled paper towels are a great option but reusable is even better! Check out this article for an in-depth look at the life-cycle analysis on the paper towel.

Secondhand furniture:
Nowadays nearly all of furniture is produced overseas so in addition to the actual production processes that ontributes to deforestation, shipping globally has a huge carbon footprint. Buying secondhand locally from places like Facebook Marketplace helps reduce waste in our landfills as well as significantly reducing the distances furniture has to go to reach our homes. To reduce costs of furniture, many companies will source cheaper materials that are ultimately more susceptible to damage and harder to recycle. The EPA cites that more than 12 million tonnes of furniture were thrown out in 2018, 80% of that ending up in the landfill. Secondhand furniture is a better option both environmentally and sometimes economically as well. CNN has a great article about the detrimental aspects of the ‘fast-furniture’ market.

Hang drying clothes:
A recent study by Neil J. Lant et. al suggests dying clothes in a dryer may in fact increase microfiber pollution to the external environment. There have been extensive studies on microfiber pollution from the washing machine draining but this latest study suggested that the moist air coming out of the pipework linking the machine to a vent in an external wall is in fact polluting our air. In addition, if you’re unsure if your energy usage is coming from renewable sources, hang-drying your clothes is an easy way to significantly cutback on your household footprint.

Stasher bags:
On Tiny Waste blog, I read about how traditional zip baggies like ZipLoc have a significant impact on our environment. Firstly, they are made of plastic (made from crude oil), which generates lots of pollution as well as the fact that the product itself is not biodegradable. Because plastic bags take on average 400 years to break down, that means that none have broken down since the creation of plastic. Stasher bags are a fabulous alternative that are freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Reusable cotton rounds:
When looking to reduce your footprint at home, look for things you do daily that often create waste and see how you can find a reusable alternative. I used to rely on cotton rounds to take off my makeup, add toners and serums, however now I rely solely on the reusable alternative. The Better Goods team shared on a recent blog post that cotton requires a lot of natural resources like water to produce. A t-shirt for instance may use 20,000 L of water to make. Disposable makeup wipes may be even worse as they are made with polyester, polypropylene, cotton, wood pulp, and rayon and are not biodegradable.

Tommy Hilfiger Taps Into Sustainability

I recently got to work with Tommy Hilfiger on their latest campaign for sustainable fashion.

The jacket I got to model is padded with 100% recycled down and the outside is made of 50% recycled polyester. I love when companies, especially bigger companies like Tommy Hilfiger, realize the positive impact they will have if they push for more sustainable solutions. They have a HUGE audience of people eager to listen, so to have that much of a reach to spread something I’m so passionate about meant the world to me, and is exactly why I model. To have a platform like I do is such a privilege and to be able to partner up with likeminded companies, that sometimes have an even larger reach, means we get to spread information on climate change to that many more people and makes me SO PROUD and thankful that there are companies out there willing to adjust their business practices for the better when it comes to sustainability. This is only the first step, but it’s a huge one and will without a doubt create a ripple effect with other companies similar to Tommy Hilfiger. Soon enough, those who aren’t mindful of their environmental impact will be OFF TREND. And the sustainable trend is here to stay!

I Modeled For Amour Vert

On my recent shoot with Amour Vert, I got to talk all things sustainable, why we started ODC along with my involvement in the Model Mafia crew. Here are some of the talking points we discussed…

I’m so thankful a company was willing to sit down and talk about these things with me. Slowly but surely, companies care about the model as a whole, more than just their looks. It’s beautiful to be able to share our passions and beliefs, especially on touchy subjects like the environment and sustainability. Join the conversation by leaving your comments below!

Getting To Know Amour Vert

As a model, I get to work with so many different types of companies. That’s what I love about my job, I’m a chameleon and I get to change for every brand to represent their image the best I can.
However, this is what opened my eyes to the sometimes wasteful nature of our industry.

A lot of the times, I can feel firsthand the difference between a product that was made with love and one that was made to disintegrate to potentially fuel the overconsumption nature of our economy. I am however a firm believer in working with those who we wish to inspire. It’s not about working against the companies that “aren’t doing it right” but by inspiring them to change and be better! And sometimes, I’m lucky enough to work with companies that I TRULY believe in, like Amour Vert. It was an absolute dream to shoot with a company that is so in alignment with ODC and our values. Scroll down for my interview with Emory Cooley from Amour Vert and see for yourself why the Model Activist group is obsessed with this company!

1. Tell me a bit about how you got connected with Amour Vert. What’s it like working for them? 

I studied Fashion and Textile Management in school and took a course on sustainability. After taking the course, I was shocked at the corruption within the industry. Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to work for a brand with a larger vision at hand, and I found Amour Vert. I moved from North Carolina almost 2 years ago to join Amour Vert in their quest to change fashion. 

It’s been an amazing experience working at Amour Vert. My co-workers have become close friends and the office has amazing energy. Teams collaborate frequently and ideas are shared and formed throughout the office and between teams. We have a company-wide meeting every Monday and every Friday there is a family-style lunch. When you work for Amour Vert, you’re a part of a family. 

2. What are some of the core values to Amour Vert and how does the company ensure they’re sticking to them?

Our core values are to be sustainable in everything we do. From the factory to the fibers, we are sustainable. We stick to this by having transparency and close relationships with our mills and factories. 

3. I love the fact that the company partners with artists on limited-edition prints. I especially love the print you just did with Buckley for Women’s Day! Tell me a bit about this process and some of the collaborations the company has done in the past and what you have coming up in the future.

We work with value-aligned women to develop prints. The collaborative process is between our design team and the artist. The prints are developed based on the season, designs and story we have planned for the collection they are designing into. 

We have had so many collaborations it’s difficult to speak to all of them, but most recently in March, we partnered with Kate Miller from Elworth Studio. She developed our Mojave Floral print which we love! We will definitely continue this program in the future, while also developing in-house prints. 

4. Tell me a bit about the fabrics Amour Vert uses. They’re so incredibly soft it’s hard to believe they’re sustainable!

We partner to use fiber blends to create new exclusive fabrics that are fashionable, durable and of course, sustainable. We are excited for our exclusive Tencel and Modal blends for the spring season. Tencel comes from eucalyptus trees and Modal comes from beechwood trees and both are created in a closed loop process using sustainable yarns and are biodegradable. We have brand new fabrics from each of these fibers to look forward to this spring.

5. I love the fact that 97% of the clothing is made near the San Francisco office. What’s the importance on producing locally and what are some of the advantages of being so close to the factories? 

Producing locally allows in-person conversations, which we believe are crucial and allow for creative minds to collaborate together. It also allows us the opportunity to touch, feel and see the softness and drape of the fabrics.

6. I also love that you showcase the women in your community who live and breathe the Amour Vert ethos. Tell me about some of these women and why you’ve chosen to highlight them in some of your campaigns

In January we launched the “It’s Not About Us” campaign, it’s a campaign that has no end date and will continuously highlight women who live the ethos of Amour Vert. We believe models are more than a pretty face, and we want to give them a platform to tell their story. 

7. What are the criteria for choosing like-minded companies like Agolde denim, Vitamin A swim, Veja shoes, etc. to sell on the site?

We partner with companies that share the same sustainable and ethical standards. That means these companies are aligned in their values. We work hard so that our customer can shop online and be effortlessly sustainable. 

8. In your opinion, what is the most unsustainable part of the fashion industry? What are you doing to combat this?

There are so many aspects of the fashion industry that are unsustainable, but something that we like to focus on shifting is fabric production. We work with only 100% Certified Organic Cotton (only 1% of the world’s cotton is grown organically), and natural fibers that are produced in a closed loop process, such as our signature Modal, and Tencel. 

These fabrics are not only better for the environment and the farmers, but also for every person working with them along the supply chain, and eventually the customer who purchases and wears the piece. In terms of ethics, we ensure that the factories that we work with respect to their workers by providing safe and clean work environments, a living wage, reasonable hours and breaks. This shouldn’t be unique in the fashion industry, but sadly it is. 

9. For someone new to the sustainable world, what are some key small steps they can look out for when shopping to ensure they’re investing in a good company?

We would encourage consumers to ask for transparency. Ask if the factories are sustainable, understand the fiber content. Customers should educate themselves so they can ask companies the harder questions that often times no one is asking. 

10. What are the next steps for Amour Vert? How do you see yourselves evolving in the next five to ten years?

To continue to grow, open stores and spread awareness about the importance of sustainable fashion, etc. 

Getting to Know Tribe of Lambs

When a makeup artist friend of mine came to me with a project he was helping produce, I was immediately intrigued. Tribe of Lambs is a project founded by a Canadian who was passionate about creating jewelry and giving back to different communities in India, all whilst bringing awareness to the HIV+ epidemic especially for children. The specific project my friend was asking about was for their upcoming shoot and I was more than honored to be a part of it. So much of my job requires me to shoot for brands I don’t always have the same beliefs in. This was something I was proud to promote, support, and share with all of my community. Meet Bobbi, Co-founder of Tribe of Lambs….

Founder Bobbi Paidel and Director of Marketing Philip Haley

1) Tell me a bit about how Tribe of Lambs came about? Where did everyone in the company come from and how did you all transition into the sustainable/ethical world? 

Tribe of Lambs started over 4 years ago as a crowdfunding project to raise money for two orphanages in the Himalayas of India. I was volunteering there and felt a real pull to do something more meaningful in life. Phil came to India when the campaign was finished and helped me complete the donations. Initially we were selling a variety of different artisan made accessories and supporting a variety of youth based causes but we’ve since streamlined our mission and our products. Nearly 3 years back we became aware of the issues HIV+ children face and we felt very strongly that this was something we needed to put all our efforts into. The initial campaign was so well received we came home and registered as a nonprofit, along side our 3rd friend who used to be quite involved. As the team is now just Phil & I, we’ve had to boot strap it, working full time jobs and growing the organization on the side. My background is Fashion and Phil’s is marketing, so we have complimentary skills, which can both easily transition into this type of social venture. 

2) I couldn’t believe reading about the treatment of HIV positive children in India… It’s atrocious and stunning to read they’re often segregated or left to fend for themselves. Tell us about some of the NGO’s you’ve been working with that are helping to make a difference. How did you choose who to partner with? 

We currently have one partner organization – Rays Aasha Ki Ek Kiran which translates to One Ray of Hope. It is a small privately run organization, which works solely for the lives and rights of HIV+ children in and around Rajasthan. It is absolutely incredible to see how the life of a child can be completely transformed when provided a loving home, a sense of family, proper nutrition and health care and quality education. Beyond that, the children we work with are constantly reminded that their lives matter, that they can lead by example, that fear and stigma do not have to be the societal norm when it comes to a person living with the HIV virus. Rays currently house 38 boys, 16 girls & employs 8 HIV+ widows to work as caretakers in the home.  We’ve met and worked with a handful of organizations over the years and in India the culture of personal connection runs much deeper than in western partnerships. We first must have a “good feeling” about an organization, their presidents or founders and administrative staff before we will even consider moving forward. This means regular meetings and conversations to see if these small NGO’s are aligned with the Tribe and then we move forward ensuring transparency and ethics are being maintained so that we can build a trustworthy partnership. The founders of Rays and their families have now become our families. We know our project funds are being properly allocated and we love spending time there to experience first hand what’s made possible through our generous contributors around the world. 

3) I think it’s beautiful that the artisans you work with are oftentimes giving back to their very own communities. That must be special to see. How do you find artisans to work with and is their work volunteer based seeing as 100% of the funds are donated to your projects? 

100% of our donations are donated to our projects. As we are a nonprofit company, we contribute our jewelry sale profits (after expenses) to our projects, which works out to be between 10-40% of each purchase. We pay our artisans 3x minimum wage in India, we connect with small family run producers to ensure that work ethics are met to our standard.  We only move toward partnerships once a mutually agreeable and trustworthy relationship has begun. Empowering local artisans and bringing economic growth into the communities we work to support is how we operate a full circle business model. The artisans know that their work is contributing to children who are in need in their communities. There is a lot of corruption in India, and we work hard to ensure we’re part of the solution, not contributing to the problems. 

4) What materials are you using for your jewelry Tand how do you choose each one? 

We use Indian 925 Sterling Silver, 18 Carat Gold Plating, Semi-precious stones and brass detailing. We use silver because it is an affordable price point and a high quality, hypoallergenic metal. We source our gems from a gem wholesaler who’s family has been working in the industry for more than 40 years. 

5) In your opinion, what is the most unsustainable part of the fashion industry? What is Tribe of Lambs doing to combat this?

Overconsumption & waste due to fast fashion, advertising & greed in our society. The mass impact on the environment and garment workers overseas are becoming more common knowledge however, we have a long way to go in making simple lifestyle choices which will help make long lasting change. 

a) What about ethically?

Tribe of Lambs is working towards a consumer industry, which focuses on quality over quantity. We want our customers to both understand our strengths and our areas for growth in the production of our products and also know that their purchase is contributing to a global issue.  We encourage our customers to look for quality when making a purchase so it is long lasting.  

6) What’s the best way you ensure your workers are treated well?

We have close working relationships with all our producers who disclose the payments, agreements and schedules of the workers they employ. All our producers sign Tribe of Lambs supplier standards documents. As we contract our workers, we do not have total control over these issues however, it is in our 5 year plan to develop our own jewelry cooperative where we can shift this. 

7) What are some initiatives you’re working on in Canada, UK and India to spread awareness?

Our whole business is our awareness initiative. Our mission is to raise funds and awareness for HIV+ children through the sale of our jewelry. Our jewelry acts as a platform to create meaningful conversations about HIV and other global issues and how we can come together to inspire change. 

8) What’s something different (or special) about Tribe of Lambs from other companies you’ve worked at in the past?

Since founding Tribe of Lambs I’ve really been focused on showing consumers that ethical & sustainable can also mean quality & style. 5 years ago when I was working in the fashion industry, ethical had a “hippie/granola” vibe to it and people weren’t responsive. Now it’s totally possible to support smaller brands with bigger missions. Tribe is different that we are supporting such a small marginalized group of HIV+ children while maintaining a quality product, at a competitive price. It IS possible to use business for change if you strategize correctly. People will always want to shop, and they want a platform to give to…that is what we offer.

9) For someone new to the sustainable world, what are some key small steps they can look out for when shopping to ensure they’re investing in a good company?

Research! Read about a companies values and standards before you give them your money. If the information isn’t available online, send them an email. I appreciate getting emails requesting more information about what we do and how we do it.