Rare The Sustainable Issue '21 by TrooRa Magazine

ISSUE 3 | VOLUME 4 | SUMMER ‘21

T HE SUSTAINABLE IS SUE TROORAMAGAZINE.COM

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

Innovative engineering, Design, and Technology defining a new class of vehicle.

Photo Credit - Photographer Clarke Drahce - @clarke_drahce Styling - Etienne Jeanson JNSF Fashion - @jnsn_fashion Model - Samantha Malfoy - @malfoysamantha Make-up Artist - Sandrine Bo - @sandrinebo.makeup Hair Stylist - Jonathan Herzog - @jonathanherzogcoiffeur Assistants - Michel Delcambre & Elodie Lelièvre - @cocofoliiiiie Accessories - Earrings “Bonbon” Martine Brun - @martinebrunjewelry Wardrobe - Tony Ward Couture - @tonywardcouture Special thanks to - Thomas Gonzalez @tomz.gonzalez Shot for - Rare Magazine Paris France - Spring 2021

GABS: Bag G3 print Trip shopper convertible Size L 465 Stockist: Bulo Shoes San Francsico, California Model: Deja Peters Photographed by: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation|: Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare Magazine

A V A I L A B L E AT B U L O S H O E S . C O M 4 1 8 H AY E S S T R E E T S A N F R A N C I S C O C A 9 4 1 0 2

gabs.it

Imagination will take you everywhere

Randall Wide Cuff Crafted with pheasant feathers. Cuff is 1.5” wide and is 7.88" in circumference. 24k Gold Plated hardware. Randall Thin Cuff Cuff is 0.5” wide and is 7.63" in circumference. No dyes are used, giving each cuff a unique coloring. All Brackish pieces are handcrafted in Charleston, SC. Our cuffs take between four and five hours to complete. Every feather is hand selected by our artisans, making no pieces exactly alike. $195.00 brackish.com

Crafted to reflect the natural beauty of each feather

MMXIV

kaloud.com

Krysalis Eltheria The Kaloud Krysalis® Eltheria® is not a Hookah... It’s a Krysalis. It draws upon more than 500-years of tradition and innovation and emerges reborn as something new; something unknown. L U X U RY H E AT M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M S I M M E R S I N G A D V E N D U R E S E E K E R S I N T O T H E S O C I A L T R A D I T I O N O F T H E H O O K A H E X P E R I E N C E

Transform To Transcend

Left Fortuna pendant earrings Right Corella hoop statement Available in various colors Shown in Pine Green & Pomegranate Red ayrtan.com

Instagram Pinterest Facebook Linkedin Spotify Rare magazine LLC • A Fortunest Group PO BOX 152 • Brisbane, CA 94005 • 833∙755∙7273 inquiries@raremagazine.com raremagazine.com

Welcome It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to Rare magazine. As we embark on our third year of publication, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Rare magazine, my vision to create a space for the voiceless has always been a passion. I aspire to provide a platform that amplifies voices that are yet to be heard. My team and I forage the corners of the world for inspiring stories packed with individuality to bring to our exclusive audience in search of their Rare. By partnering with passionate creatives, artists and entrepreneurs who are looking to gain exposure through an organic lens, we proudly connect the unheard with individuals that admire Rare's diverse inclusive exclusivity. By reading Rare and Rare Living magazines we hope to motivate your mornings, inspire your afternoons, energize your evenings, and spark your curiosity at the turn of every page. Against the grain of the mainstream, Rare magazine features a wide range of lifestyle topics, thoughtprovoking articles, beautifully curated and presented, immersing our readers in a sophisticated and luxurious experience.

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Relaxed Jacket 100% Linen | Scrubbed Horn Buttons our Relaxed Jacket is your wardrobe go-to for effortless style and cool, crisp elegance. Unwashed linen quality maintains a crisp linen touch.

Relaxed Top 100% Linen With raglan sleeves and neat trims, this sweatshirt-inspired top has exactly the right balance of style and comfort. Light and easy to wear, our Relaxed Top is sure to become your wardrobe staple this summer!

Linen Crew Neck 100% Linen | Donegal linen A simple crew neck featuring a subtle reverse stitch shoulder detail and weighing in at just under 500 grams, it is lightweight and easy to wear.

Warmth from the edge of the world

inismeain.ie

No Planet B EDITOR’S LETTER BY JEANETTE SMITH

“We no longer live in a world where climate change can be ignored.”

Dearest reader and fellow Earth-dweller,

elcome to Rare magazine! In this issue, we’re talking about everything sustainability. We no longer live in a world where climate change can be ignored. With severe weather events accelerating, plastic filling our oceans, and governments and corporations doing too little (or often nothing at all) to protect the environment, it has fallen to individuals like the people within these pages to make a difference. Come on in and read about how living in a tiny space can feel like a big dream for lovers of the environment (“Nano Living”). Explore the future of sustainable fashion with Elsa and Pauline of LunelVintage (“Eyes on the Prize”) and Sandra Lettow of AYR TAN (“Cradle to Cradle”). You can learn how to make a difference too when you read about LastObject’s mission to go green (“Long-Lasting Is Sustainable”). Within these pages, we bring you the movers and shakers of the environment. These are the designers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who believe in a sustainable future and are putting in the work to take us all there. Join them in the fight by reading their stories right here in Rare.

Enjoy!

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Marina Debris portrait of Marina PH Jim Rolon

Photo credit: Lisa bevis

R A R E M A G A Z I N E T H E S U S TA I N A B L E I S S U E

Story Behind the Cover Born In Detroit Michigan, Marina Debris is an artist and environmental activist, She is an artivist and anti-plastic campaigner who’s art is made from materials that have been discarded or washed up on the beach. Her passion to stop pollution is used in her art to draw attention to the way our careless behaviors directly affects the health of our planet. Originally born in Detroit, Michigan, Marina studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design before moving to New York City. Her career in design led her to London, Los Angeles, and eventually to Sydney, Australia.

This haute mess was created in an effort to raise awareness about the massive amount of waste that is ending up in our oceans by Marina. All of these garments were made from litter she picked up off the beaches of Los Angeles & Sydney, Australia. She teamed up with Photographer Lisa Bevis, hair stylist Nina Paskowitz & makeup artist Andrew Shulman. Lisa shot these in a recycling center, while rats scurried through the piles of garbage. Unfortunately, none of them stayed still long enough to be in the shots! Models Kelli Kickham & Aria Love braved the broken glass, rats, stench & uncomfortable outfits to tell the story. Rare Magazine 19

The World's Finest, Consciously Made Handbags

behno.com

Contents WELCOME LETTER

15 EDITOR’S NOTE

18 CONTRIBUTORS

34 PHOTO CREDIT

37 HOME DESIGN & DECOR

52 PUTTING THE ABILITY I N S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y S U S TA I N A B L E H O M E G O O D S CRISTINA DEPTULA

LaToya Tucciarone, affirms the value of creating solid jobs and allowing people to participate in the economy and in their communities

CULINARY

NANO LIVING VICKI SLEET

This nano home is a mere 17m2 but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with a host of ingenious small space living solutions.

FARMHOUSE LAB CARY WONG

Consciously farmed & crafted meet Farmhouse lab dressings

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116 O N LY W H A T Y O U N E E D LIVE OWYN CARY WONG

Not all plant based products are created equal - Owyn A new way to look at protein

76 CHEF SHEPHERD OF U N D E R B E L LY CARY WONG

Ideas from the Underbelly – The Generous Brilliance of Chef Chris Shepherd

108 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TAY S T. TAY S T C O F F E E CRISTINA DEPTULA

Single serve coffee goes ecofriendly. 22 Rare Magazine

Sustainable Issue

120 RECIPES D A N I E L A K R ATZ

SF Bay Area-based mom of two, Daniela Kratz, the mastermind behind Farmhouse Lab shares some of her delicious recipes

ART MUSIC FILM

88 CHEF COSS OF HUSK NASHVILLE CARY WONG

Chef Katie Coss: On The Big Stage

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152 TRASHION A R T I V I S T, M A R I N A DEBRIS MICHAEL DAKS

Environmental activist Marina Debris

98 CHEF HAN OF LABYRINTH CARY WONG

Family, History and Sustainability – How Chef Li-Guang Han Achieved Culinary Stardom

310 POEM ‘ THE MASKS OF SORROW’ MICHAEL DAKS

A Post Pandemic Poem by Michael Daks

SPECIAL INTEREST

294 GREEN IS THE NEW BL ACK GARY MORTIMER

Why Retailers want you to know about their green credentialsScience & Innovation

298 PANDEMICS OF OUR OWN MAKING SHANNON BENNETT

Why we must address our broken relationship with nature Rare Magazine 23

The World's Finest, Consciously Made Handbags

behno.com

FA S H I O N & ACCESSORIES

166 B E H N O - W H E R E LU X U RY DESING MEETS ETHICAL THINKING MICHAEL DAKS

Shivam Punjya, founder and creative director of behno, takes us through the journey that lead to Behno

194 AY R TA N NEHA SURADKAR

“Kind to the Planet, and it will be kind to you!” Sandra Lettow, Founder Ayr Tan

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YO U R W AST E I S S O M EO N E ELSE’S RESOURCE - ELSA AND PAULINE, FOUNDERS L U N E L V I N TA G E NEHA SURADKAR

T R AV E L

French chemical engineering graduates, take the concept of sustainability to the next level

136 W H I T E P O D EC O - LU X U RY HOTEL N I Z I E LO K M A N

A unique travel experience in high altitude above sea level - Exploring Whitepod Eco Friendly Hotel

WELLNESS

284 GLOW FROM THE INSIDE OUT! E M I LY B U R C H F E A R O N

What to eat to improve your skin

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178 MODERN ROMANCE S A R A H C H AT H A M CRISTINA DEPTULA

From Fast Fashion To Sustainable One Of A Kind Creations

208 ARTISINAL AND SUSTIANBALE - LOL A MOHE DESIGNS CRISTINA DEPTULA

Lola Mohe’s Nature inspired jewelry

202 KHANUN BY MIMI CRISTINA DEPTULA

Scraps - Turning scrap fabric into sustainable

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The Sustainable Issue 2021 FA S H I O N

214 V E G A N L E AT H E R C O M P A N Y CRISTINA DEPTULA

Anger to faux leather goods.

228 BANKERS WHO GIVE A SHIRT K AT I E L I ST E R

And All founders husband and wife team based in Hong Kong have made it their mission to design a gender-neutral line of shirts

220 TO M F O O L E RY - W H E N S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y M E E T S FASHION FUN CRISTINA DEPTULA

Tom Foolery’s dropseat jumpsuits are both practical and sustainable 88

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240

BEAUT Y

TONLE - CLOTHING WITH A CAUSE CRISTINA DEPTULA

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How Tonle is disrupting the idea of fast fashion

HONUA - SKINCARE WITH N AT U R A L P R O D U C T S NEHA SURADKAR

A Hawaian girls disruption in the skincare industry brings us Honua

250 FUNGUS TO FASHION M I T C H E L L P. J O N E S

How Mushrooms are moulding the sustainable fashion movement

268 LONG-L ASTING IS S U S TA I N A B L E - L A S T OBJECT NEHA SURADKAR

Co-founder of last object Isabel Aagaard is reducing single use pollution

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Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @ lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

The Art Of Wearing vicnate.com

Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

The Art Of Wearing vicnate.com

Contributors FOR THIS ISSUE

03 04

MICHAEL DAKS

Contributing Writer/ Photographer

02 SHANNON BENNETT

PhD | Writer Cal Academy Of Sciences

03 NEHA SURADKAR

Beauty Contributing Writer

04 NIZIE LOKMAN

05 34 Rare Magazine

Travel & Wellness Contributing Writer

05 CA RY W O N G

Culinary Contributing

06 07 09

Writer

06 DANIELL A K R AT Z

Recipe Contributer

07 T RY S TA N N E CUNNINGHAM

Editor In Chief

CRISTINA DEPTULA

Contributing Writer

09 VICKI SLEET

Home Design/ Decor Contributing Writer

10 10 SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO

Editorial Design Director

11 K AT I E LISTER

Contributing Writer Global Brand Consultant

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Welcome to your new Favorite shirt

wearandall.com

The Digital Oxford Shirt

Modern prints, gender-free fit and responsibly made from fiber to thread.

Photographers Credit IN THIS ISSUE

K F E D F H

KHANUN BY MIMI KIN EUPHORICS GABBY K

FARMHOUSE LAB ANTONIAS FERRET JESSE FINE TH FINGERSTUDIOS

ECO-PEBBLE @ENCOREANKUR

MICHAEL DAKS THE DIARRABLU DLISH REBECCA DOUGL AS CLARKE DRAHCE DRNXMYTH

ANTONIAS FERRET JESSE FINE TH FINGERSTUDIOS FABLE & BASE

W A R R E N H E AT H H E S TA N HONUA SKINCARE LOVE IGUEHI ISTOCK

L P J M-N A-B C O S G T R V-Y L ANDA BAGS LAST OBJECT LUNA SUNDARA L U N E L V I N TA G E LO L A M O H E J E W E L RY

ALI PANZANI PEXELS P I X I B AY D A M E O N P R I E S T LY

CLOE JACKMAN

INIS MEAIN SILENT MODE LUCID MOTORS

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ALL AY R TA N BEHNO B E L L A B E AT LISA BEVIS T E D DY B L A K E BRACKISH MARTINE BRUN KYLE BUNTING

BASHIR OLAWOYIN M O R G A N O TA G B U R U A G U LIVE OWYN

ELIAS GURROLA

TA M M Y R A H M A N DANIEL A REYNA ARMIN RIMOLDI JIM ROLON

S A R A H C H AT H A M CLICK A TREE COCOACENTRIC JASMINE CURTIS GREG COX C E R TA I N S TA N D A R D

S A LT R E S O R T S ANNA SHVETS SKINAMITY JULIE SOEFER K E T U T S U B I YA N KO S U S TA I N A B L E H O M E G O O D S

F R A N K I E TA V A R E S TAY S T C O F F E E KRISTIN TEIG @THEGINSTRAP NICKY THOMAS L AURA TILLINGHAST TONLE TO M F O O L E RY

JAIDENE VEDA V E G A N L E AT H E R C O W H I T E P O D EC O LU X U RY H OT E L E LSA YO U N G

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Live the Life You Were Meant to Lead life-organized.com

yoursustainablehome.com

MOVEABLE FEAST Dreaming of a beach house without the massive price tag? Many a tiny home (and this one too) is a modular, prefabricated build with most of the legwork done offsite. This makes them easy to transport and easier to build in their chosen environment. Design Notes • Tiny houses offer the opportunity to immerse oneself in an environment. This particular pod feels like the perfect pad for watching nature go by, yet it’s easy to envisage it perched on an urban rooftop, too. • The beauty of a portable pod is that it could be placed in any number of diverse environments ranging from gardens to game reserves—all you need is permission to proceed, some flat ground, and a flatbed truck to get it there. TIP Whether it’s used as a spare room for guests or a studio space, there’s no denying the charm this cleverly conceived housing solution brings. Before embarking down the pod path, decide what its purpose will be. A place for work or a pod for play will have different needs (especially when it comes to elements like cabinetry).

Nano Living

Eight Big Ideas from One Tiny House TEXT VICKI SLEET PHOTO CREDIT GREG COX

This nano home is a mere 17m2 but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with a host of ingenious small space living solutions. 42 Rare Magazine

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY F O R M E D The immense thought process that has gone into the design of this contemporary tiny home is impressive. It’s a living, eating, sleeping, working, washing, and chilling space that occupies a mere 17m2 ! Design Notes • Many of the design solutions in this small space are reminiscent of life on a boat—from the clever cabinetry (notice there are no knobs for a sleeker experience) to surfaces that fold up and away as needed. • Ingenious design details include the foldaway table on the left, a space saving ladder (instead of stairs), and even slatted floor boards so shower water can drain away. TIP Shelves with a lip are a clever device to create a sense of orderliness and provide much needed space for storage without occupying wall space like a fixed cabinet would.

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ownsizing and small scale living is not a new trend but what’s so exciting is the way in which some 21st-century designers are addressing the desire for simpler spaces that still function as hardworking homes. This compact space features eight great ideas that will inspire you to live more with less.

LESS IS MORE This spot may be small in stature but it’s big on style and brimming with brilliant ideas. The mezzanine is a cosy bolthole that’s just the right size for two on a romantic retreat. Design Notes • The all-white palette is an easy-on-the-eye choice that helps create a sense of cohesiveness while cutting down on visual clutter. •Pops of interest and colour are brought in thanks to the use of plywood, the introduction of black as a contrast, and the clever use of strong linear design elements like the black window frames. TIP A porthole is a practical and eye-catching addition to this ultra cool cabin.

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SLIDING SCALE Part of this compact country escape’s enormous appeal is just how many elements are so thoughtfully conceived. This kitchen has everything a chef would need from essential tools to suspended shelves for storage—all in arm’s reach. Design Notes • The interior walls are lined with an ingenious bracketing system, meaning shelving units can be added or removed according to needs and preferred heights, giving the user a sense of autonomy over their space. • Countertops are a rare commodity in a tiny house, which is why maximising wall space is so important. Here, the drying rack does double duty as a spot for plate storage while freeing up prep space. TIP A small space can feel poky which is why the bank of windows is such a spoil. By installing them low down on the wall, light still streams in but there is no compromise on the hardworking wall bracket system.

WORKS SMART As if this modern cabin wasn’t clever enough, the designers have even thought of a foldout (and away if needed) place to work. Design Notes • This work zone was conceived as the ‘task room’ in that it can be used for any number of activities, from home office to dining area and even a laundry room. • There is just enough space to pop a mattress to expand the pod into a sleepover spot for four. TIP The ingenuity of the sliding bracket system comes to the fore in the task room. Stools are a must for any small space, and they are especially useful here.

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AHOY SAILOR Some of the most eye catching and practical wins in this mini home are reminiscent of the solutions boat builders use. Design Notes • An upstairs space requires a safety rail. The solution? A rope ‘curtain’ that occupies hardly any space, performs an essential function, and also adds visual interest. • The porthole window is a design feature of its own—letting in light and breeze without occupying unnecessary wall space. TIP The utilitarian lighting solution is turned into a design feature thanks to the use of a bold coloured cord. The solar-powered POD-Idladla is a modular nano home, designed and manufactured by South African architect Clara da Cruz Almeida in collaboration with product design company Dokter and Misses.

REST EASY For the designers of this modern, modular tiny home, fitting in everything that’s needed to make it a weekend escape was an exciting challenge. The upstairs mezzanine has enough room for a bed for two, plus there’s even a place for clothes and essentials. Design Notes • There’s no need for a fitted wardrobe unit thanks to the simple yet super effective storage solution of utilitarian crates mounted on a simple shelving unit. • Graphic patterns and the simple monochromatic scheme are repeated with the décor elements in the upstairs part of this miniscule home, resulting in a cohesive aesthetic. TIP Hooks are always a good idea in places with a little less space.

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BRAND EXTENSION While small space living means less floor area, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in some outdoor time as well. Design Notes • A simple elevated deck and a retractable awning are all that’s needed to add another living space onto a pod. • The outdoor area feels all the more homely with the addition of all-weather seating and a stool and textured rug that can easily be stashed away. TIP Treading lightly on the environment is a hallmark of this style of home where less really is more. This deck is elevated off the ground, eliminating the need for costly and environmentally invasive foundations.

The solar-powered POD-Idladla is a modular nano home, designed and manufactured by South African architect Clara da Cruz Almeida in collaboration with product design company Dokter and Misses.

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Plant-based designs bringing the outside in & celebrating the natural world fableandbase.co.uk

Authentic Botanicals and Essential Oils lunasundara.com

SustainAble Home Goods Putting the Ability in Sustainability BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

PHOTOGRAPHER RALUCA RODIL A

“We believe that every man and woman has been given gifts that they can use to bless others and themselves. Being able to provide for your family is not just a necessity but a matter of dignity.”

LaToya Tucciarone

he founder of SustainAble Home Goods, LaToya Tucciarone, affirms the value of creating solid jobs and allowing people to participate in the economy and in their communities. The company’s name emph asiz es ability (along with environmental sustainability) and that we are all capable of contributing to the world we share. This housewares company relies on a network of fairtrade suppliers to bring the handcrafted, quality goods of people around the world to a global market.

LaToya Tucciarone is the Founder and CEO of SustainAble Home Goods, a home decor store located at Ponce City Market in Atlanta. Motivated by the conviction that capitalism can be used as a force for good, Tucciarone launched SHG in 2017 as a means to connect her customers to talented artisans, makers, and artists in marginalized communities both locally and globally. Today, her store features a curated collection of fair-trade, ethically sourced, and handmade homewares from over 25 countries around the world.

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Terra Cotta Mango Planter with Stand

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They offer everything from dishes and blankets and rugs to children’s to ys and essential oils. A n d they create a magazine entitled Bravery that celebrates people who have spoken truth to power and created change and justice in the world. Ecological sustainability is also a crucial part of their mission, and they only purchase and resell goods produced in ways that care for the environment. As Tucciarone explains, “I just knew from an early age that the world was a beautiful place that is meant to be enjoyed and preserved. I was the kid in high school who was not a star athlete but the president of our International Club.” She remembers the many artifacts in her childhood home which her par ents collected from various cultural groups in Africa and the music her parents would play from artists around the world. As a young adult, she traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa for

a month with some college friends. There, she met, learned about, and came to love a different culture. As she tells it, “It was a life changing experience because I experienced what it was like to fall in love with an actual group of people and their culture. I began to see with my own eyes how big and beautiful the world really is!” Now, over a decade later, after marriage, children, and some maturing, she still has that passion to, as she describes,”‘unite the world,” and she views her business as a tool towards that end. “SustainAble was born out of a deeply held belief that all men and wome n are made in the image of God and have inherent worth and value, skills and talents. We all have something to offer each other. To me, the retail industry is the perfect place for the world to meet.

Moroccan Pile Knot Sunset Rug

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Plato De Reina Plates

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Felt Flowers

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Marginalized people groups all over the world have been creating magnificent works of art for centuries! Unfortunately, a l o t o f t h e s e g r o u p s l i v e i n s o m e o f the poorest places on t h e g l o b e . C o m m e r c e gives us the opportunity to bring dignity and financial stability to these people groups, while also getting to have a beautiful piece of their culture in our homes.” Tucciarone has maintained this business in a workable, sustainable way since 2017 and encourages customers to make a difference through their shopping choices. “Let’s eradicate world poverty, one purchase at a time,” she says. She also encourages people to stay active in the world above and beyond shopping, with a link to register to vote o n the S u s t a i n A b l e H o m e G o o d s w e b s i t e . h t t p s : / / yo ursustainablehome.com/

Avery Tea Towels

I N S TA G R A M : @ S U S TA I N A B L E H O M E G O O D S F A C E B O O K : @ S U S TA I N A B L E H O M E G O O D S

Intertwined Candles

W E B S I T E : W W W .Y O U R S U S TA I N A B L E H O M E . C O M

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Hand Rolled Palo Santo Incense lunasundara.com

kylebunting.com

T h e

W o r l d ’ s

F i n e s t

H i d e

R u g s

Consciously Sourced & Crafted Meet Farmhouse Lab Dressings BY CA RY W O N G

armhouse Lab offers certified organic, 100% vegan, real food dressings. It was started by Daniela Kratz who says that it “combines my passion for plant-forward food— especially for salads—my passion for functional foods, my knowledge about Ayurveda diet, and my professional skills in sales, strategic procurement, and sustainability.”

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If things worked out as originally planned, however, we would not be talking with her today. She was working in a sustainability leadership role with Shell Oil. They changed the corporate structure in 2015, and it did not work for Kratz’s family situation at the time. This made her reevaluate what she wanted to accomplish professionally. “I really liked my job and probably would not have had the courage to leave it unless this reorganization happened,” she says. Their blends of premium oils (including raw, organic pumpkin seed oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, and fresh Californian extra-virgin olive oil) and outstanding ingredients (like pomegranate balsamic, apricot, stone ground mustard, white wine/

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apple cider vinegars) are rooted in a commitment to sustainability. They are also gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and made with no garlic. “I crafted our Real Food Dressings to make healthy eating tasteful, playful, and beautiful,” Kratz says. “I believe that with all our senses awakened, our food truly becomes nourishing. You can pour on a burst of brightness and effortlessly create unforgettable meals.” The research-and-development at Farmhouse consists of experience, trialand-error with new ingredients as well as local and in-season products. The creativity is backed by science, s trict food safety protocols, and sustainability practices. “I develop all the recipes myself,” she says. “I started helping in my mother’s and my grandmother’s kitchen at a very young age. I always enjoyed trying out certain spice combinations. As a young adult, I loved traveling to foreign countries and I always try to get involved in some authentic cooking. Over the years, I have been studying many cookbooks and recipes as well as spending a lot of time in the kitchen with friends and family.” Over 45% of each bottle of dressing is made up of premium oils plus premium ingredients. This is the reason why the dressings have prices on-par with olive oil and artisan products. The standard mass-market dressings often contain water and GMO soybean oils. In addition, they can contain preservatives and high ratios of sugar, salt, and dried garlic for flavor. Another differentiator comes from how the products are made. “We work with a local and certified-organic production facility that puts farmers first. They also support ways to get carbon back into the soil,” she says. “This is a critical step to fight the climate crisis.” “Their mission is to support small, local farms by utilizing the whole harvest to make gourmet food products. We also partner with small family farms to directly source local ingredients. Rare Magazine 67

The result is local, fair-trade, sustainable products that our customers love,” Kratz says. The brand prefers to work more with independent grocery stores than with big chains because the former values quality products and has more capability to communicate with customers about the benefits of Farmhouse Lab products. “We worked with established online grocery

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stores like Good Eggs from the beginning. They were so encouraging and supportive to our small food start-up,” she says. During the pandemic, Farmhouse also started working with new online grocery stores like HIVE, which specializes in sustainable grocery shopping, and Zippy Pantry, which focuses on healthful and functional snacks. The brand also benefited from online wholesale platforms like FAIRE, which connects them to many independent retailers. As for their future, they are currently expanding by shipping more volume to the Southern California and East Coast markets, including some specialty grocery chains. They are also collaborating with other crafters 70 Rare Magazine

and makers during the pandemic and are planning to continue these partnerships. Staying true to their motto “Consciously Sourced & Crafted”, Farmhouse Lab is making great products and doing good for the environment. “Sharing food is building a community, so we love to play an active part and contribute in a positive, inclusive and sustainable way,” she says. Rare Magazine 71

dlish.us

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life”.

Providing sustainable kitchen and household products from around the globe

Ideas from the Underbelly The Generous Brilliance of Chef Chris Shepherd BY CARY WONG P H OT O C R E D I T J U L I E S O E F E R , C O O K L I K E A LO C A L

Photo credit John Davidson

I N S TA G R A M @ U N A A A D E R B E L LY H O U @ C S H E P H E R D 1 3

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f ter being born in Nebraska and growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chef Chris Shepherd has now planted his roots firmly in Houston, Texas. As the chef and owner of Underbelly Hospitality with UB Preser ve, One/Fifth, Georgia James, Hay Merchant, Georgia James Tavern, Blacksmith Coffee, a few more yet-tobe-named concepts and co-founder of the Southern Smoke Foundation, he never felt a strong career direction as a young person until he star ted cooking.

Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings

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Cha Ca Style Snapper

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that features fish sauce) and peanut sauce was the beginning of a whole new c ulinar y world opening up to him. “Once you star t to understand your palate, and understand flavors that are impor tant, the freshness, the herbaceousness, the funky, the spicy, the sweet, the salty, that (helped me) to progress as a cook,” he says. After experiencing such exciting food, he kept expanding his horizon. He recalled an experience at a Thai restaurant where he ordered something that Don, the owner, refused to ser ve to him.

Spicy Garlic Cucumbers

“Back in the early ninetys, I knew I didn’t want to work on computers, and I knew I didn’t want to do taxes or what have you. So, I enjoyed cooking for friends and then I got a job as a dishwasher in a sushi bar and peeled shrimp and scrubbed pots,” says Chef Shepherd. His then-boss showed him ever ything possible and told him to go to culinar y school. “I (said) ‘I don’t know what that is.’ And he was like ‘that’s where they teach you to cook.’ I was like, ‘yeah, I like that a lot.’ And so, I moved to Houston,” he says. Working through the ranks from the bottom of the industr y all the way up to executive sous-chef and sommelier at Brennan’s and executive chef at Catalan Food & W ine, he got more informal education before opening his own restaurant in 2012. “Going to culinar y school, it’s just basically French technique: baking and searing and sauteing and braising and all of these proper French culinar y things,” Chef Shepherd says. “And what really enthralled me (was) after dinner ser vice, we go to Mai’s and it was, still is, this beautiful little Vietn amese restaurant in Midtown.” The oppor tunities to tr y different ingredients like nước chấm (a Vietnamese condiment

“(He said) that’s for the Thai. That’s not for you,” said Chef Shepherd. “And I was like, but I want that. And he was like, alright, fine… It was a dish called naem which is pickled, preser ved sausage. Raw. But it had a lot of onion and ginger and peanuts and herbs and fish sauce and it was delicious. (After that,) I wanted ever ything else that I’m not supposed to eat. And he’s like, all right. The door opened… I star ted eating around the city.” At the same time, he was working on a culinar y tour with the Houston Convention and Visitor ’s Bureau. This gave him even more oppor tunities to understand the immigrant restaurant scene. “The initiative was for tourists. People were going to read about our restaurants and come anyway, but they really need to see the underlying par t of the city,” he says. “They need to see all the people live in Houston because Houston is the most culturally diverse city in the countr y and it’s through its food as well. And so I said, let’s just take people to where we go to eat.” As Chef Shepherd visited these various restaurants, he would star t talking to the owners and the conversations often turned to ‘Hey, can you show me how to do that?’ There were a lot of no’s until they were finally worn down. “So, I’d go and stage (like) people go stage all over the world in these fancy restaurants. I went staging in Vietnamese restaurants and Szechuan restaurants and Thai restaurants and Indian restaurants. And these people became my family,” he says.

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“And that was more about understanding the people than it was food at the end of the day, right? You have to star t somewhere and that was my thing—you have to star t with food. Food brings ever ybody together,” Chef Shepherd continues. “Be cause… at the end of the day, what you think about political values or human values, whatever it may be, w e can always sit and talk over food. And so that was ver y impor tant to me.” It is a very salient point considering the current heated political environment, where cultural appropriation is a common topic and Anti-Asian sentiment is running high. “Underbelly was the side of things not seen. To me, that’s what Houston was and still is today. It’s still undiscovered by most people because they live on freeways (over the town). But if we can star t to talk about here’s this gochujang and here’s something that I can create. I’m never gonna give somebody a bowl of pho and say, ‘Haha I made pho.’ I’m gonna give you the flavors of pho and then say, you need to go tr y this person down here (and) you need to go tr y the real thing. I’m just going to give you a little taste. I’m going to get you acquainted with it but now your world is open,” he says. When he opened Underbelly in 2012, it presented unique challenges as a 220-seat resta urant that only uses local products. All the staples—with a few exceptions like flour, sugar, and garlic— all come from local farms. And his quick thinking and experience in the Asian pantr y has paid off. He wanted to put a Vietnamese chicken wing with caramelized fish sauce on the menu. However, at six wings per plate, this would have required more than for ty whole chickens per night. So, he made a brilliant pivot. “We did it with fried vegetables,” Chef Shepherd says. “Our farmers always say, ‘Hey can you use more Brussel sprouts? Green beans? How much okra can you take?’ … I (also) got a lot of broccoli.” A decision was made to use fried vegetables instead of chicken wings for this course. 80 Rare Magazine

“If we do fancy little broccoli dishes, it’s gonna suck, like you might go through two heads (of them) but now I can go through two cases. It got (our guests) to taste fish sauce,” he continued. “And there was a stor y behind it. And we told the stories of all the people (behind that).” Despite the success of Underbelly, Chef Shepherd never stopped looking for challenges. That was evident in One/Fifth, his other venture. As opposed to ser ving a defined cuisine, this restaurant featured rotating concepts —from a steakhouse, a mix of French, Spanish, Italian to Southern cuisine, and more. In his words, it star ted as a “stupid idea.” It came as the real estate owner offered a two-year lease instead of a five-year one and Chef Shepherd offered to change the menu drastically ever y year. “So, I thought it was something fun, you know, but (Katherine, my then-fiancé-now wife and I) also realized that that was an oppor tunity for us to change things and (we) like to keep changing because I like to change,” he says. They also felt the need to expand and shift into other concepts like a steakhouse (Georgia James) and a smaller restaurant (UB Preser v) to elevate what Underbelly was doing, and this represented an oppor tunity to change the face of the company. As luck would have it, the rotating concept helped Chef Shepherd to prepare for the difficult days of COVID-19. “If I were in the kitchen completely when this pandemic came, we would have been screwed. (Having dealt with the rotating experience), I have been able to see the business as a whole and not just focus on food. I think that’s been really impor tant. And seeing the growth oppor tunity of the restaurants at this point has been beneficial.” “ N o w i t ’s m o r e i m p o r t a n t a b o u t h a v i n g t h e t e a m g r o w, a n d l e t t i n g t h e m b e w h o they are… because I’ve already done it (with) twenty five years of cooking. N o w, i t ’s , h o p e f u l l y, t w e n t y f i v e y e a r s o f helping other people accomplish their g o a l s ,” h e s a y s .

Crispy Ham Ribs with Honey Sriracha Glaze

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Crispy Ham Ribs with Honey Sriracha Glaze

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To the point of helping others, his generosity does not stop at the kitchen. He also contributed to the society-at-large with the Southern Smoke organization that he co-founded in 2015. The charity began as an event for a friend who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It star ted as a small dinner, then turned into a backyard barbecue, and finally became a 1000-person festival that donated $181,000 in its first year. By the second year, it became even bigger and more successful, donating $284,000 to the cause. When Hurricane Har vey ravaged the area in 2017, Chef Shepherd star ted getting text messages from some friends around the countr y asking how could they take care of people in the industr y. “I figured out a way to put an application process together where there would be vetting committee, made sure that they actually did work in the industr y… and we took in two hundred and fifty applications, granted one hundred thir tynine families (a total of ) half a million dollars that year,” he says. “I’ll never forget, Katherine walked up and handed me a stack of envelopes. And I was asked, ‘What is this?’ She’s like, ‘These are all the checks that are going out to help all these people.’ And I said, ‘That’s really cool. Let’s get them to the post office. Let’s go give these people some money.’” Thanks to its previous knowhow, the foundation’s COVID relief effor t has received over 35,000 applications nationwide so far and provided 5.5 million dollars of assistance to 3,000 families since March 2020.

Overall, they granted a total of 6.4 million dollars to food-andbeverage workers since the crisis star ted. And now they have also set up a Chicago fund with $4 million in it. “That was the goal—let’s take care of our industr y; because I don’t think we realize how fragile an egg the hospitality industr y is and so it got cracked a little bit. Now just we got to figure out how to not let that happen,” he says. W ith a wild 2020—one that included a false diagnosis of COVID, a wedding. selling prepared food at grocer y stores, and obviously closing opening restaurants—behind him, he is thinking of how to work in a post-pandemic world. “I think you got to stick to like the casual comfor table,” he says. “For the next year or year and a half, I think we’re still gonna be (figuring out if things) need to be that opulent. What does food look like now?” “I think we’re in for a few restaurants this year, just to work on some things. Making a smaller version of Georgia James and calling it Georgia James tavern, more relaxed atmosphere. Then there’s gonna be W ild Oats, which is going to be a new look at Texas cuisine which I think is gonna be super fun. And then… we’re working on doing a takeout market now, almost our own Underbelly Hospitality grocer y store, if you will, the Underbelly Pantr y market.” W ith Chef Shepherd’s unique ability to anticipate and lead, there is no doubt that he will have tremendous success with all these exciting ventures.

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On the Big Stage Chef Katie Coss Makes Sustainable Southern Food BY CARY WONG

ith as much grace and control as Chef Katie Coss exudes in her kitchen, one could see that she is used to the spotlight and the pressure. The fact that she used to train in ballet may have something to do with it. “I was three or four (when I) started training. They really drive into you about discipline and memorization, and the enjoyment of long hours and of preparing for moments of enjoyment. So, it just really transferred over to all this hard work that I put in ahead of time and then watch someone else enjoy everything that you work so hard for. It’s such a similar feel ing from ballet to culinary,” she says. 88 Rare Magazine

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Let us start, however, from the beginning. Originally fro m Oklahoma, Chef Coss grew up in the countryside. Aside from dancing, her other passion since a tender young age was food. During her ballet classes, she would dream about what she was going to eat afterward to the point where she would “lose track of the place just because I was thinking about it.” So, she started cooking out of the Betty Crocker cookbook obsessively. And since he r grandma was an amazing cook and canner, she got an early start in culinary education. From there, she attended culinary school in New York and staged at different restaurants around the country. Soon though, she started to have doubts about that process. “I kept asking myself why that was the path that people keep choosing. The first (answer I thought of was) they want to gain more experience. And that is true in most regard, but… a lot of times when they leave, it’s… the environment, the work culture or their chef is not sustainable,” she says. “We are still trying to move past that negative environment in this industry. We have just started, about six to seven years ago, taking a good look as to why people don’t sustain in kitchens.” “There’s that old school mindset of ‘This is how I was treated, so this is how I’m going to treat this other person.’ And so those actions and emotions just keep getting passed on to one person after the other. We had to get to a point where—every time that would happen (to me)—I would say, ‘I’m never going to do that to someone else’,” she says. Chef Coss th inks that improvements in key areas are gradually changing the industry. The first was the natural changing of the guard where “younger chefs like me are being put into places where we understand what we’re worth and we’re not going to be taken advantage of.” 90 Rare Magazine

Second is looking at the pay for cooks and food- and beverage workers. “Getting out of culinary school, you don’t make any money whatsoever. As you grow and develop, you should be gaining more, not only with your experience, but with yo ur pay and what is it that you’re worth,” she says. Last but not least, the improvement of work-life balance was another factor. It was rather common for kitchen staff to work more than 55 hours per week. As one can imagine, burn-outs came fast and furiously. “You can’t grind people into the ground. I worked out in the Florida Keys (for) one hundred and nine hours a week and I did that for my entire internship. That was not a good experience… that wasn’t how I was going to be treated ever again,” she says.

“So, it’s just like the younger generation coming up and going, ‘No, I don’t think we’re going to be doing that anymore’, and taking a stand for it.” Eventually, Chef Coss started working with then-owner Chef Sean Brock at Husk Charleston. There, she knew she landed at a great spot. It was a learning environment that allowed her to study everything from gardening to butche ry and from charcuterie to fermentation. It was a splendid opportunity that provided access to these different areas along with the necessary equipment and expertise. On her off days, she would go back to the restaurant without pay and soak up all the knowledge. So, she remained with the organization and steadily moved up the ladder. Eventually, she relocated to Husk Nashville, where she has now worked as the executive chef for more than two years.

“The reason why I stayed is because I never stopped learning. I kept pushing. (Even when I was) a mundane line cook, I’d say I want to learn how to butcher,” she says. “If you keep finding all these different variations (and) find something that you’re really passionate about, how could you get bored at a restaurant?” With that variety comes the tremendously diverse menu at Husk Nashville. “The challenge is like when you’re writing an essay, you just keep looking at it over and over and over again, and it doesn’t really come together,” she says. “It comes together in your mind, but it might not come together on the plate. So, the advantage is that in my kitchen, I like the opinions of everybody and everybody has something to say about it.” It helps her to start the thought process in different directions when Rare Magazine 91

it comes to creating dishes. It gives her fresh perspectives and ideas that she might not have thought about. Moreover, it allows her to look past her own ego “because one other person’s opinion could make or break that dish.” These creations all have to fit into her kitchen’s mantra of “if it doesn’t come from the South, it doesn’t come to the door.” Fortunately for Chef Coss, there is an embarrassment of riches that she can work with. “I get my soy sauce from Kentucky; I get my maple syrup from Kentucky— it’s bourbon-barrel-aged. We have benne (sesame) seeds, which are phenomenal… We have a wonderful company called Proper Sake that’s just down the road so I get all my koji from them,” she says. “You can do anything with Southern ingredients. I don’t think I really miss anything that I don’t traditionally cook.” The local farmers around the restaurants are also great resources. If there are things that she truly wants, 92 Rare Magazine

she can talk to them to see if they could be grown—except for avocados and artichokes: “(The farmer) went through to get ten artichokes, it was not worth it to him, and it was not worth it to me… but I’m going to make sure I make a big deal out of the ten artichokes that I did get!” For Chef Coss, Southern food is a labor-intensive cuisine. Imagine one’s grandmother cooking on the stove for three hours and the whole house smells of everything that she’s making, “that’s what I think of when I think about Southern food.” The epitome of that is a proper fried chicken. “It’s truly an art form… and it really takes time and patience to get it just right,” she says. “You can’t just like dredge it in flour and then drop it in some hot oil or in the fryer.” To do the chicken justice, one has to be patient to brine, season, and flour it with the right amount of time—not to mention the need to control the temperature along with the type of frying fat. Aside from the Southern traditions, her o ther

love is Asian cuisine.

the emphasis.

“What’s really interesting is that Nashville is on the same latitude as Tokyo. So, a lot of the similar things grow here,” she says. Some of those examples include the aforementioned sesame seeds, bamboo, and bananas. As a result, she often mixes in different cultures while still keeping to the root of the Southern ingredients and spinning them in a different way. That unique mix becomes clear in things like Kentucky Yaki, a Southern style teriyaki sauce and house-made collard green kimchi.

“Anything more than (fifty-five work hours per week) is not sustainable,” she says. “We’re still doing fine dining, but we’re doing it in such an earlier stage ahead of time to where it’s less on our cooks during service.”

Looking to the future, Chef Coss and her team took a step back to investigate how to improve their process and re-evaluate the menu as some of the old items were not sustainab le in the post-COVID world. The menu now focuses on things that require less commitment from the line cooks but can be prepared earlier. Dishes that take two or three days in advance to get ready but could be picked up quickly on the line are now

Outside of the kitchen, she is a very active person who spends a lot of time outdoors both mountain biking and dirt biking. She is also a huge Dolly Parton fan. “(Dolly) came in here one time. I dressed up like a server and I didn’t say one word to her,” Chef Coss says. “Her ice cream is coming out today… as soon as I get done with this, I’m gonna be going to go get her ice cream!” And she sounded just as enthusiastic as when she sees the moments of silence from her guests as they get their first bites!

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Family, History, and Sustainability How Chef Li-Guang Han Achieved Culinary Stardom BY CA RY W O N G

hef LiGuang (LG) Han has come a long way in his unusual culinary journey. Growing up in a family that has a rich history with food and beverage, one would imagine he would pick up the mantle from the start. Surprisingly, however, that was not the case. “My granddad used to own a couple restaurants back in the heyday (including) Singapore’s most premium steakhouses back in the 1960s and it ran for almost thirty years. He also had a Szechuan restaurant and a more casual W estern restaurant,” Han says. “My grandma, she’s a fantastic home cook. She cooks for the family every week, the extended family— uncles, aunties, cousins, myself. She’s my hero.”

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Not only that, but Chef Han’s father also worked in the hotel industry, managing finance and corporate assets. Having graduated from the London School of Economics with a degree in accounting and finance, the plan was for Chef Han to have a comfortable and stable life working at a desk. His passion for food was so great, however, that he decided to quit the

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finance industry and began apprenticing at Garibaldi, an Italian restaurant and bar, despite not having any formal training. “Cooking has always been a passion of mine since schooling days and I made the jump to the F&B industry... because of pure passion. I really like to create, trying to find an outlet to express my creativity and cooking,“ he says. “The feeling and the joy when I cook, it really transported me to a different dimension, and that’s what made me fall in love with cooking.” After stints of apprenticing at events, attending cooking school for six months, and la unching Tanuki Raw, a modern Japanese restaurant/bar, he felt it was time to start his own place. The family was hesitant at the beginning as his father “saw how hard it was for my grandfather, in terms of running a business.” Undeterred, he opened Labyrinth in 2014 with a “dine-in-the-dark” concept. It was a rocky start so he decided to pivot to serving molecular cuisine. Even though 100 Rare Magazine

the change proved popular and won the team their first Michelin star in 2017, something was amiss. “They weren’t techniques that I invented. They were basically techniques that were around in books and online around the world, and (I applied) it to playbooks that already existed in Singaporean hawkers (food stalls). So, it wasn’t really my own voice,” he says. With that, he decided to alter his approach to one that emphasized local produce and sustainability, marrying them with the Singaporean culinary heritage. That change, however, presented lots of challenges. To start, the Singaporean government did not particularly care about sustainability back then. In addition, the guests did not think that these products warranted the price premium. In order to change that market, he had to build close relationships with the farmers and understand that part of the equation. It required more than understanding the farming methods or having open dialogues with the farmers ;

he also needed to do extensive research on his own. For examp le, he learned about various natural farming techniques and what makes things tasty. He also investigated why natural soil and nutrients make food taste better than hydroponics. Most importantly, however, he checked out the producers in person. “I made sure we see every farm… it’s not just about the farming methods tha t (could) convince me. I wanted to make sure the farmers ain’t bullshitting,” he says. “The farmers needed to be able to respect their own produce that they’re growing and be proud of it, the same way we chefs are proud to cook our dishes for our customers.” If the restaurant was to work with farmers who were there purely for commercial gains, that trust would be lost. Being a smaller restaurant with a menu comprised of up to 80% local products, order size was an operational issue that also had to be solved. “We’re not a big restaurant but we want the produce to be as fresh as

possible. We have to do smaller orders almost every day or every other day of the week. From a farmer’s perspective, with limited resources and costs, it doesn’t make sense to (harvest) two kilos or something all the way from the north (and send that) down to where we are.” For the concept to work, Chef Han and his vendors need to have trust and close personal relationships. “Whenever I meet with them, I don’t ask about the price,” he says. “The relationship is important and sometimes, things do fall apart… sometimes people just have a different direction of where they want to go (that is different than mine). But (those who stayed behind) are the farmers that I’m really close to and they will stick their necks out for me whenever I need them.” All his hard work dedicated to such a radical change in culinary philosophy paid off. While Labyrinth has kept its Michelin star every year since 2017, it was also ranked at #46 by OAD

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Asia’s Top 100+ in 2020, as well as entering Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list at #40, and winning Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Sustainable Restaurant of the Year in 2021. As a token of his appreciation to the suppliers, he paid out of his own pocket to invite them to the 2021 Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants ceremony. “I told them, ‘this sustainability award is for you guys. I would not have won it if you guys did not support me this much,’” he says. These awards have provided more notoriety and a bigger platform from which to spread the gospel on local produce and Singaporean flavors. It allows him to support the farmers, increase awareness on human and product sustainability, as well as drive local heritage forward. Singapore’s unique geographical and historical legacy provides fertile ground for Chef Han to play in. Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, British and other cultures played significant political, cultural, and culinary roles, so there are many different techniques he can apply. Consider that during Singapore’s early days, Chinese immigrants from Hainan province (known as Hainanese) oft en became chefs. So, they adapted their native cooking style to the British palate to create British-Hainanese dishes such as pork chops served on a sizzling plate . It may also be surprising that the famous Singaporean Hainan chicken rice is another local creation with “nothing (similar to that) of Hainan 102 Rare Magazine

island.” The Singaporean version emphasizes the aromatic rice that is cooked with ginger and pandan leaf, while the chicken plays a supporting role. Chicken, however, is the indisputable star of the original Hainanese dish. Asked what his favorite Singaporean foods are, and the answer was both predictable and unexpected. “Hokkien Mee, Bak Chor Mee, Nasi Lemak, and chicken rice—these four things I crave in Singapore. The only downside with cooking is that I stopped craving local

food because I had to taste it every day in my own kitchen (as I work on them)!” he says.

rice—the signature Labyrinth dish that tweaked his grandmother’s reci pe—as tributes to his family.

Chef Han finds different ways to express the rich Singaporean history through menu testing, with new dishes and new ideas. In fact, the “Lab” in Labyrinth stands for laboratory. The restaurant runs tests on how to produce better with recipes new and old. “We a lways have R&D stuff going on,” he says. “The moment we stop doing R&D is the moment that I feel that Labyrinth will no longer exist… because that means I’m not in the restaurant anymore.”

Looking further in the future, Chef Han is working on a couple of new restaurant concepts – one more casual and the other in the higher end. “I always say one of my dreams is to open a steakhouse (like my grandfather’s),” he says. Though steakhouses are costly to open in Singapore, it is something that is constantly on his mind.

His latest creation is a steakhouse dish served on a sizzling hot plate in the shape of an ox. It is a play on his grandfather’s old restaurant. “I convert the table into a mini-steakhouse ambiance with checkered tablecloth and red-colored classic candle,” he says. It stands with Ang Moh chi cken

Outside of the kitchen, he likes nice cars, though he is not fanatical about them. “Cars are my dad’s passion… but I like how cars look,” he says. “(When I) have enough money (for a) Lamborghini, I will paint it pink with Hello Kitty stickers on top of it… just because I can.” “(But for now, I’m) focusing on cooking. I’ll focus on the car later.” Rare Magazine 103

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“It all starts with the bean, the people who grow it, and the soil it is sown. We only select the finest beans from some of the most fertile soil on the planet, giving our beans the roasted coffee flavors only the Gods have dreamt. Our perfectionist roasters coddle the beans every step of the way until the grindmaster crushes and grinds them to the perfect feel to properly extract the flavors into your cup. We know, sounds like poetry right!”

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ayst Coffee, a small business with the goal of eco-sustainability, explains the high standards to which they hold themselves and their roasted beverages. “We’re taking strides in changing the worl d’s perspective on single serve coffees. Because it’s convenient doesn’t mean it has to taste crappy. We’re using innovation to make single serve coffee great.”

as their favorites after tasting over 1000 varieties of coffee, and they feel these flavors represent their brand and style. Tayst drinker Jaime G. says proudly on the Tayst website, “Better than Starbucks, less bitter than Dunkin’, bold, earthy, rich but not overpowering. Very reminiscent of a fresh cup of french press-- from a Keurig!”

Many people love the variety of flavors and the convenience of single serve Keurig or Nespresso coffee, but regret the waste the cups create. An average home goes through about 60 single use cups a month while offices can use up to 1000 cups.

A reviewer at The Daily Meal says of Tayst, “On top of its environmental benefits the pods brew a rich and flavorful cup of coffee. Tayst offers two dark, and two medium roasts, a decaf, and a naturally flavored vanilla coffee. Each different roast offers a unique flavor profile ranging from smoky cocoa to fruity mocha.”

Tayst Coffee has created a line of compostable cups made from organic resin and compressed corn starch. Their founders say the cup design leads to a smoother and better-tasting cup of coffee.

Tayst buys coffee beans from farms certified through the Rainforest Alliance, an organization that audits coffee growers regularly to ensure standards for ecological sustainability, safety, and treatment of workers.

“Unlike the punch hole most single serve cups use, our mesh filter allows for even water filtration, producing fuller flavors and smoother mouth feel.”

According to Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance president, “By choosing to source coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, companies are having demonstrable impacts on the ground, conserving natural resources and improving the lives and livelihood of farm communities.”

Tayst’s coffee comes in several dramatic flavors, including Bold and Brazen, Medium and Magnificent, Vi ntage Vanilla, Happy Hazelnut, and Defiantly Decaf. They’ve selected these 110 Rare Magazine

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model is designed to make ordering coffee as easy as possible for businesses and individual customers. You can try different flavors or find one you like and stick to it—’set it and forget it,’ as they say. And you can order any where from 30 to 2400 cups per month depending on your coffee-drinking needs or choose gift packages or subscriptions to send to friends, family, or your company’s clients. And Tayst ’s prices are roughly comparable to regular majorbrand single use

coffee, with discounts available for new subscribers. Tayst carries their eco-sustainability values into their packaging, using recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible. As reviewer Kelly C. says, “We are happily greeting each new day with a truly great cup o’ Joe and have less guilt about our footprints on Earth. It starts the day off right to think about doing good deeds and making good choices. The packaging is artful and amazing and I plan on re-using the materials for gift wrapping.”

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WYN, an acronym for Only What You Need, is a very unique product that stands out in the nutritional space.

“Not all plant-based (products are) created equal—most food and beverages are manufactured on shared equipment lines. For example, right before your favorite plant-based milk was produced, there very well could have been seafood bisque produced on the same line,” says Nichole Moss, OWYN’s Director of Social Media & Influencer marketing. “Unless someone is cleaning the manufacturing lines and testing the finished products to ensure there are no trace contaminants of ingredients that aren’t on the ingredient

statement, you really have no idea what truly winds up in the foods and beverages that you consume.” By testing all of their ingredients before manufacturing and all of their finished products after manufacturing by two independent third parties, they ensure there is no presence of the top eight food allergies—dairy, soy, gluten/ wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish. Their plant-based protein drinks were created to truly replace the dairy alternative. “We use a blend of pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, and flax to provide all essential amino acids in the correct ratios so that our consumers are getting a complete serving of protein,” Moss says while emphasizing that no soy is used in the drinks. Rare Magazine 117

These drinks also include six grams of healthy fats and have organic kale, spinach, and broccoli to provide an extra nutrient boost. Most importantly they have great flavors without tasting like other plant-based beverages. In order to improve food labeling standards, OWYN partners with FARE, the largest non-profit dedicated to food allergy research & e ducation. They also work with a number of nutritionists, dietitians, allergists, and the larger medical community. The team at OWYN is constantly innovating and evaluating how they can make better products with

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superior nutritional ingredients. Recently, they have launched the Pro Elite line—a 35 gram, zerosugar ready-todrink, high protein shake for the performanceoriented athlete, fitness lovers, or keto dieters. It should be available throughout the US soon. As for the best way to enjoy it, Nichole loves using OWYN as an added protein boost in the morning with breakfast. “I replace the oat milk that I ordinarily would use in my favorite cereal with OWYN. My kids love doing that too!” she says.

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Recipes By Daniella Kratz of Farmhouse Lab @FARMHOUSE_LAB FARMHOUSELAB.COM

RECIPES

Roasted Kabocha Squash Salad Ingredients (4 Person): 1/2 lb herb salad 1/2 kabocha squash 3 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds 4 tbsp grated Manchego 4 tbsp EVOO 6 tbsp FHL Green Pumpkin Real Food Dressing

Di rections: 1.

Wash and dry the herb salad

2. Half a kabocha squash and remove seeds 3. Cut thin slices of one half of the squash, assemble on a baking sheet and coat with EVOO, roast on 375F for about 25 mins, or until golden brown 4. Assemble the herb salad on a platter or in a bowl 5. Layer with the roasted squash 6. Dress with our Green Pumpkin D ressing 7.

Sprinkle with raw or roasted pumpkin seeds

8. Grate some manchego cheese over everything

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Snap Pea & Radish Spring Salad

Directions:

Ingredients (4 Person):

3. Trim the ends of the snap peas, crack them open and fold them open

2 heads of Red Butter Lettuce 2 large radishes 1 English cucumber

Wash and dry the salad and the produce

2. Assemble the butter lettuce in a bowl

4. Slice the radishes and the cucumbers

1 bunch of pea tendrils

5. Layer, snap peas, radishes, cucumbers onto the salad, top it with some pea tendrils

6 tbsp FHL YUP!Please Real Food Dressing

6. Dress with our YUP!Please Real Food Dressing

10 -15 snap peas

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Flower Power Quinoa Bowl Ingredients (1 Person): 1 cup cooked white quinoa

Directions: 1.

Cook the quinoa per instructions

2. Wash and dry the spinach and produce 3. Assemble the quinoa in one place in your bowl of choice

1/2 avocado

4. Cut the persimmon in pieces and set next to it

1 bunch of raw spinach

5. Half the tomatoes and set next to the persimmons

1 carrot 1 pear

6. Place the spinach next to the persimmons

4 yellow and 4 red cocktail tomatoes

1 persimmon 2-3 tbsp FHL Sunny Avocado Real Food Dressing 1 tsp FHL Flower Petal Salt

Mandoline Slice the pear thinly across the core and slice the carrot in the same thickness and set next to the spinach

8. Half the avocado, remove the pit and place next the the carrots 9. Dress with our Sunny Avocado Real Food Dressing 10. Sprinkle with our Flower Petal Salt

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Radicchio Salad with Purple Daikon

Directions:

Ingredients (4 Person):

3. Thinly slice the daikon radishes

1 head Radicchio salad

4. Layer the sliced radishes and the micro radishes onto the salad

1 small head of red butter lettuce 2 purple daikon radishes 1 bunch of micro radishes

Wash and dry the salad and produce

2. Assemble the radicchio and the butter lettuce in a salad bowl

5. Dress with our Red Sunflower Dressing

4 tbsp FHL Red Sunflower Real Food Dressing

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Blood Orange-Cantaloupe & Arugula Salad Ingredients (4 Person): 2 bunches of wild arugula salad Half cantaloupe melon 2 yellow squashes 2 blood oranges ½ block of feta, crumbled 2 tbsp hemp seeds 6 tbsp FHL Berry Olive Real Food Dressing

Directions: 1.

Wash and dry the salad and produce

2. Half the cantaloupe melon, take out the seeds and slice in thin wedges, about 10 3. Thinly slice the yellow squash lengthwise 4. Peel and slice the blood oranges 5. Place the arugula, melon, squash and oranges in a bowl and lightly toss with your clean hands 6. Dress with our Berry Olive Real Food Dressing 7.

Crumble the feta on top of the prepared salad

8. Sprinkle w ith the hemp seeds

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Staying In Place

Innovation • Value • Service

Apply now at luxurycard.com or call 844.LUX.CARD

by - studio | Istock by Getty Images Luxury Card marks are property of Black Card LLC. BLACKCARD is a registered trademark used under license. Luxury Card products are issued by Barclays Bank Delaware pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated, owner of registered trademarks MASTERCARD, WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD and the circles design. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2019–2020 Black Card LLC

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Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel Break boundaries in this true and rare eco escape BY NIZIE LOKMAN

he undeniable truth is that most of us are tired and uninspired by the so-called “new normal.” We crave connections outside a familiar environment. We need to break away and have a rare travel experience that will give us a new shift of perspective after our current mundanity.

Named one of the six best eco-friendly luxury hotels around the world, Rare Magazine e x p l o r e s the Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel that

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speaks sustainability at every touchpoint. Targeted at the ecoconscious, status-quo squashers, this may be the best time to explore a rare travel experience in a high altitude above sea level alone, with loved o n e s , a n d i n gro u ps f o r bu siness a n d l e i s u r e . Here are some of the highlights you can expect at this u n i q u e sustainable hotel. Rare Magazine 137

B E F R E E W I T H N AT U R A L V I E W S

Located at the beginning of the Swiss Alps, at the foot of Dents-du-Midi mountain range you will be intrigued by the canton of Valais in the village of Les Carneirs. It’s approximately a 90-minute drive from Geneva Airport. Surrounded by nature, it has a spectacular view of Lake Geneva and scenic mountain views. The snowscapes are truly magical especially during winter. Nestled away from the crowd, you will enjoy the lowimpact location of socially distanced remoteness. 138 Rare Magazine

FUTURISTIC, ENERGY-EFFICIENT IGLOOS

Your first impression of the futuristic igloo homes, called pods, may take your breath away. You will marvel at the architectural details of the geodesic domes. The intertwined glass triangles form a structural frame that creates an energy efficient space with a low impact on nature. Then curiosity sets in—the how. The domes are able to maintain an even temperature and require less energy due to the free airflow and lack of stagnant corners. The cozy po ds and suites range from deluxe, family, swiss pod suite, forest pod suite, as well as the futuristic and uncluttered 007 pod suite. Rare Magazine 139

E C O L O G Y I N E V E RY D E TA I L

Everyday at the Whitepod you have the chance to explore how “hospitality and environmental conservation can coexist to create a unique and positive experience. The use of energy and water is controlled. The waste is recycled. Ingredients are purchased locally. The staff lives nearby and simply walks to work. Motorized transport is limited and more.”

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ENJOY THE ELECTRIC DEFENDER DELIVERIES

Fresh croissant, levain bread, homemade jams and pastries—it’s just what you need to spark your morning up in the mount ains. But the experience doesn’t stop there. Your morning will have another spark of joy when the electric 4x4 LandRover drops by. The Rover is the first in Switzerland that is 100% electric. Those who book in-suite chalets will enjoy this service. Amazingly, W hitepod EcoLuxury Hotel is powered by its own hydroel ectric turbine.

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C H A L L E N G E YO U R S E L F T O A N A LT I T U D E A D V E N TURE

For the statusquo squashers who want to add a new adventure experience, you will definitely enjoy choosing a range of activities including snowshoe hiking on short and long mountain trails with a certified mountain guide. Not only that, you can explore ski touring courses with Touring Tracks. Interestingly, you can also experience hiking with husky, guided by a sleigh dog. Connected with a supportive dog, the animal’s strength will help you progress up the mountain. If you travel with children, it would be an enjoyable experience for them.

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If you feel that you are emotional and mentally drained in your world, it’s time to do something new. What hinders us from taking intention into action is not the lack of motivation—it’s the unexpressed emotion and limiting beliefs. Once you deal with that, making changes on a behavioral level becomes easier. If traveling to a new destination helps you move the needle and get a new perspective, then the Whitepod E c o - L u x u r y H o tel w ill inspire yo u to immerse yourself into a rare and unique eco escape where nature is luxury. Rare Magazine 145

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Collection: I WANT YOUR MONEY AND YOUR CAR KEYS dameon.co.uk

Artist

Dameon Priestly

martinebrun.com

Old Glory_2552 PH by Lisa Bevis

Making Trashion Marina DeBris Disrupts the Art World with Her Ocean Trash Creations

M Portrait of Marina PH Jim Rolon

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arina Debris is an artist and environmental activist, an ‘Artivist’ by her own definition. She is a fervent antiplastic campaigner whose art is created from materials discarded or washed up on the beach. Her work is a direct response to her love of the sea, her driving desire to stop human pollution, and is used to draw attention to the way our careless behaviour is directly affecting the health of our planet. Marina chose her apt and humorous pseudonym to reflect the work she makes and also to separate her art persona from her commercial work and identity.

StormBrewing PH by Stephen Wong

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Originally born in Detroit, Michigan, Marina studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design before moving to New York City. Her career in desi gn led her to London, Los Angeles, and eventually to Sydney, Australia where I spoke to her early one morning in April via video link. It was when she moved to Los Angeles, California and to Venice Beach specifically, that Marina noticed how much garbage was washing up or being left on the beach. He r thoughts: “Woah! Have I been living in a bubble or something? How is this okay?” She started collecting discarded plastics, bottles, and cans on her morning runs, eventually joining ocean advocacy groups like Heal the Bay, which is a non-profit environmental advocacy group based in Santa Monica, California dedicated to protecting the local coastline and surrounding watersheds.

Rescued_2268 PH by Lisa Bevis

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One of the major oceanic problems stems from the five Gyres, the garbage patches of accumulated trash (mostly plastics and microplastics) that collect in different parts of the oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch lies in an area between Hawaii and California and currently is about twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France. It is estimated that between eight and twelve million tonnes of plastic enters our ocean every year, adding to the estimated 150 million tonnes that are already floating there. The WWF calculates that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Already, 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone. White Trash_2446 PH by Lisa Bevis

I really found much of my own research incredibly depressing and my anger levels rising as my Facebook feed is now full of sea turtles trapped in discarded netting, herons and pelicans with fishing lines wrapped around their beaks, and seals with plastic bags tied around their necks. Even the fish we eat is now full of microplastics. Aquarium of the Pacific Gyre PH MArina DeBris

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Marina began to build sculpture s from the trash to draw awareness to the problem. Her work first started getting media attentio n when Heal the Bay asked her to design an outfit out of washed-up trash for a shopping mall display in 2009. This work became a project that she called Trashion. “At the time no one was really talking about ocean pollution. It was such a niche little thing, but now you can’t not know about it! It is a great subject in schools as well. Every day I get at least one email from a kid at school who’s doing a project on the reuse of materials found on the beach.”

MarinaDeBris with head mask PH Louie Douvis

Where other fashion designers like Galliano, Westwood, and Moschino might have made collections inspired by trash (these were considered glamorous and chic), Marina is more out to shock. “I use materials exactly how I fi nd them, which can be pretty disturbing, but I want it to be. Most of the artists

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Rags_to_Itches_2212 PH by Lisa Bevis

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AotPG PH by Andrew Worssam

now working in this genre sanitize the plastic.”

involved with Extinction Rebellion and Cube for Truth.

DeBris’ still smell of the sea!

“It’s about disruption and making people feel uncomfortable, so they have to address the issue.”

As well as the Trashion outfits like “White Trash” and “Old Glory,” one of my favourite pieces is “Aquarium of the Pacific gyre,” a fish tank installation on Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia with suspended, washed-up items hanging from discarded fishing lines. It has a Duchamp quality but carries a serious message. In 2013 Marina returned to live in Sydney and continued her campaign to clean up the beaches there. She is most concerned that since the Covid pandemic we have lost an enormous amount of traction with environmental issues, particularly with the disposal of single-use items like facemasks and coffee cups. Marina has also been

In 2017, Marina won the Sydney Water Environmental Sculpture subsidy and Mayor’s prize for her “Inconvenience Store.” That work, a spoof on a convenience store but full of discarded objects, is now on display at the National Maritime Museum where she recently had a solo show, Beach Couture: A Haute Mess, in 2021. “I can’t stop and do nothing. That’s my bottom line. Not doing something will ensure that nothing will happen! We just need the governments to listen.” Personally, I think it is time we all make a stand!

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MARINA DEBRIS “BEACH COUTURE: A HAUTE MESS” ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: LISA BEVIS PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR: NINA PASKOWITZ MAKEUP: ANDREW SHULMAN

Crustacea_BagLady_2356 PH by Lisa Bevis

MODELS: KELLI KICKH A M & A R I A LO V E

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Think Out Of The Frame lunelvintage.com

Structural Cuts, Bold Prints, Colorful Accents Sustainable Solids diarrablu.com

HANDMADE

CURATED

VINTAGE

ACCESSORIES

COCOACENTRIC.COM

Behno Where luxury design meets ethical thinking BY MICHAEL DAKS

ehno is a NYC-based handbag company whose goal is to bring ethics and sustainability to fashion and to set a new standard in manufacturing for the industry, specifically the way garment workers are treated. They call it ‘The behno Standard’. This ethos is broken down into six categories: health, garment worker mobility, family planning, women’s rights, worker satisfaction & benefits, and eco-consciousness. On 24 April 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed five garment factories, killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500. Most of these were women earning less than $1 a day.

PHOTO CREDIT: @ENCOREANKUR TA L E N T: @ DA N I E L L AG U I P S H A I R : @ L I LOV E SYO U M A K E U P : M I N A KO K I U C H I 166 Rare Magazine

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At this time, Shivam Punjya, the founder and creative director of behno, was studying for his masters in Global Health at Duke University and writing his thesis on women’s health in India. This tragic event touched him in a significant and emotional way; so much so that his close family advised him to either accept it or to do something about it. His father said, “Either you make peace with it or you do something about it.” So, in 2014, Shivam founded behno to show how highquality clothing could be made ethica lly in India. He partnered with non-profit Muni Seva Ashram (MSA) and industry veteran Mukesh Kothari to build a factory called MSA Ethos. At its factories, each female colleague is addressed by the surname behn (“sister” in Hindi), symbolizing the sisterhood of empowered employees the brand strives to create. Initially set up as a ready-to-wear business, they now specialize in handbags.

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“Originally we were designing readyto-wear, but the market was extremely difficult to penetrate and we were also sampling handbags just for fun. A lot of the buyers were taking interest in the bags, so as a company we decided that it made more sense to pivot and concentrate on the bags.“ They partner with nine factories in India, which all comply to ‘The behno Standard,’ and their leather comes from one of the world’s finest tanneries in Italy. It is a Gold Member, the highest status aw arded by the Leather Working Group, a consortium that develops and maintains rigid protocols to assess the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers, to promote sustainab ility and transparency. “I had a conscious vision to challenge the stereotype that ‘Made in India’ meant hippy dippy like the Tibetan store down the street, so the collections were deliberately tailored and minimal.”

In 2018, the Queen invited Shivam to Buckingham Palace for The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange to present an ethical fashion evening wear look to HRH Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge. behno incorporated elements from the Commonwealth countries of India and Tuvalu, an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, into a look that was presented to the Royal family and celebrated in a reception attended by industry leaders, including Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful of US and UK VOGUE. In 2019, behno won Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards in accessories. “We are pretty young in the handbag space but there is a lot of innovation happening and I am very curious to see how we can use non traditional materials. There are a lot of new textiles that we would love to experiment with.”

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The design team is led by Ashley Austin, who previously worked for Kate Spade, and Saumya Sharma, who recently graduated from F.I.T. with time spent at Proenza Schouler. Working closely with Shivam, the designs are stylish, pared back, and minimal but with a real sense of luxury and craftsmanship. behno designs each collection to promote ‘slow-fashion’ where consumers buy what they love but knowing that each bag will la st for years. They also design them for different weather conditions across a global marketplace.

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“The softest Spring T-shirt is also the most ethical” – VOGUE behno is a company with a fast rising visibility especially with the patronage of actresses Emma Watson, A shley Benson, and Whitney Port, & singer Tory Kelly who wore one of their bags when she sang the national anthem at The Kentucky Derby in May 2021.

As well as their handbags, behno also have a range of T-shirts called nanamota (small, big), which are made with the highest quality, ultrasoft micromodal fabric. Micromodal is a specialized type of modal rayon that is prized for its incredible softness and resistance to shrinkage. Like other types of rayon, the pr imary constituent of micromodal is cellulose from hardwood trees. This cellulose is extracted and subjected to a complex chemical process, which transforms it into a yarn that can be woven into fabric. By partnering with Canopy, a leading environmental non-profit, they ensure that their micromodal is not sourced from any ancient or endangered forests. Their motto is “soft on your skin and the planet” and they are endorsed by VOGUE magazine.

With the current state of the natural world, it is really great to see companies like behno addressing the need for sustainabil ity and ethics in manufacturing, especially as the fashion industry is one of the worst offenders. I would especially like to commend them for their ethos in providing for the needs of their workers. Let’s hope other companies are paying attention!

I N STAG R A M : @BEHNO_OFFICIAL W W W.BEHNO.COM

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Structural Cuts, Bold Prints, Colorful Accents Sustainable Solids diarrablu.com

Modern Romance From Fast Fashion to Sustainable, One-of-a-Kind Creations BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

arah Chatham, founder of clothing label Modern Romance, is inspired by 19th-century romantic sensibilities, especially in literature.

“I think romanticism is exciting because it was the first time in history that people really started to speak on the emo tio ns that make up the human experience and the sheer beauty of nature. The art is inspiring to me because the works were made with the heart in mind, as opposed t o t h e m o r e l o g i c a l r e a l i s t w o r k s of the enlightenment era. I think that

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the things that you can’t explain in life through logic are often the most powerful and moving.” Chatham grew up in the 1990’s, and her older brother was a Goth who listened to The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order, and other similar bands. This aesthetic, which she believes also harks back to the Romantic ag e, left an impression on her. “As with the romantic era, there’s an air of melancholy in my work which makes it a little on the darker side. I tend to use a lot of florals contrasted with more masculine styles like ca mouflage and stark plaids. To me this represents struggle along with love. Life is full of beauty and ugliness and ordinariness all at the same time.” 180 Rare Magazine

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This is part of her commitment to ecological sustainability, a crucial part of her company’s missi on. Lessening the need for factories and mass production through reusing and repurposing clot hes and fabric at a manufacturing and a consumer level can make a large difference. “It’s very important in my opinion to be mindful of the clothing choices we make. We live in a time where many natural resources are almost completely destroyed by industry produced pollution. We absolutely can at least help this by resisting fashion and things that drive mass factory productions that are extremely wasteful. Buying one used item of clothing instead of new reduces six pounds of co2 emissions, the equivalent of taking 500,000 cars off the road for a year.”

Chatham is determined to keep her prices fair for consumers, although she feels each article of clothing she creates is a work of art rather than simply a functional piece. In the future, she may develop a system for small production runs that save her time and will allow her to lower prices. She does not buy anything new to create her designs, only using re claimed fabric from thrift or vintage stores or scraps. “I only buy new fabric when I absolutely have to have hardware, such as zippers or buttons.” 182 Rare Magazine

You can see more of Chatham’s creations by visiting her website www. modernromance. shop

I N STAG R A M @MODERN_ROMANCE_

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Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Jewelry: Nikki E Designs Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation | Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare magazine The Diarrablu - Finetti Mules - Kailua Blue

Our mission is to remake, re-use, recycle and repurpose for a prolonged life cycle diarrablu.com

Eyes on the Prize Meet the vintage sunglasses making a sustainability splash BY NEHA SURADKAR

ustainability is a buzzword these days. Business owners are trying to make their products and services as sustainable as possible, be it ecofriendly techniques, organic raw material, environment-friendly packaging, cruelty-free processes, etc.

Elsa and Pauline, two French chemical engineering graduates, took the concept of sustainability to another level with their brand LunelVintage, where they recycle and renew vintage sunglass es. From the name, Lunel is a city in SouthEast France, where the duo had some good memories, and it sounds similar to ‘Lunettes’, which is French for glasses. Additionally, vintage defines the style of glasses they love working with.

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They studied together, and it was during that time they started to become more aware of how their purchases impacted the environment, becoming more conscious of what and how to buy. Once, while looking for affordable sunglasses that would protect the eyes but would not have a strong environmental impact, they met a few opticians who could not help them find sunglasses that ticked all the boxes. The duo then decided to renew old frames found in the flea market, and a business idea flourished out of this personal project. Finding out that ten million frames are thrown away every year in the US and Europe, they decided to change this and LunelVintage was born. Elsa and Pauline renew only those frames that are older than the 90s because of their style and quality. As chemical engineers, they did not know the structure of the glasses’ frame and the lenses. They got their training from local opticians and spent a lot of time observing them and reading about optics.

For Elsa and Pauline, sustainability is about respecting human and natural resources in whatever they do. They are the believers in the circular economy. They focus on circulating the existing resources and they value human labour. Economic viability is crucial for any business to survive and grow. Sustainability usually comes with added costs, but hardworking founders like Elsa and Pauline put in all efforts to bring down the production costs so that their products can reach consumers at a reasonable price range. Instead of working on new glasses, they solely focus on renewing whatever exists. They try to source frames from different channels at a reasonable price and put in most manual labour themselves. They negotiate with opticians based on the volume and give them continuous work. They have kept an entry price of USD $80 on their website for unique vintage glasses with optician quality lenses and a handmade case. At LunelVintage, they can renew customer’s glasses also if desired. Rare Magazine 189

Their customers are usually in the age group of 25 to 40 years, and they are typically fascinated by the sustainability aspect or the vintage style of sunglasses. All appreciate the uniqueness of the product, and the customers get a pair which no one else has. LunelVintage is working hard to gain visibility, make people aware of their project, and increase their impact. 190 Rare Magazine

A pair of glasses selected for renewal should be of good quality to last long, as a lot of efforts go into the renewal process. Elsa and Pauline love to go for original vintage shapes, but they also keep simple shapes so that everyone can find a pair of LunelVintage to fit their style. The website usually has at least 4050 unique sunglasses at any time, with a good mix of colours, sizes, and shapes. LunelVintage has recently launched the blue light filter glasses to protect our eyes during extensive use of screens.

better!

As partners, Elsa and Pauline get along very well thanks to their friendship. They love to go on bike trips and, as good French people, love their wine. When it comes to business, El sa, a dynamic and creat ive person, usually takes care of communication, social media, and press. At the same time, Pauline, who is cheerful and loves precision, is more hands-on with renewing and sorting glasses. They both love to thrift and look for old frames. The more eyes on it, the

Like most entrepreneurs, most of the work is shared between the two of them. From visiting thrift stores to renewing frames, from planning social media to shipping products, the duo handles it all. Elsa and Pauline desire to make a change in today’s economy and consumption patterns. They believe if you want to see a change, then you should be part of that change. So much more than what we think can be reused, and “your waste can be the resource for someone else!”

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tomfoolery.com

Cradle to Cradle

Making Sustainable Jewelry from Recycled and Recyclable Materials BY NEHA SURADKAR

hen an architect turns into a jewelry designer, sustainabil ity starts at the design process. The products that are designed are long-lasting, which can be repaired and be fully recycled after their use and therefore can last a lifetime, based on the cradle to cradle principle. Such is the concept behind AYR TAN, a sustainable jewelry brand founded by Sandra Lettow, an architect with a decade’s worth of experience. Lettow was raised in the Black Forest region of Germany by an Italian mother and a German father. She studied Architecture at 194 Rare Magazine

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environment and breathe clean air. With her knowledge about sustainable materials, she plunged herself into her business with this goal in mind.

the KIT (Tech nical University), worked as an architect in Frankfurt, and later moved to Paris to work for a prestigious architecture firm. She has been based in Paris since. Looking at all the jewelry sold in her neighbourhood, she always wondered why weren’t any local jewelry brands offering statement jewelry made out of solid silver and other sustainable materials without being super expensive. She started her research, began experimenting with designs and eventually launched her brand. Losing h e r f a t h e r t o a r a r e l u n g d i s e a s e m a d e L e t t o w v a l u e simple things such as the right to live in a safe and healthy 196 Rare Magazine

AYR TAN is sustainable jewelry developed out of a strong interest in materials and circular design. The pieces are versatile and inspired by architecture, nature, and urban culture. AYR refers to the “air” we breathe. By using recycled materials there is a reduction in environmental impact as compared to the use of conventional materials. TAN is an homage to summer and the skin. Its different tones give the

jewelry a unique look for each person, just as perfume creates your scent. Lettow loves to use abstract elements from post-modern architecture and building materials. She also draws inspiration from contemporary art and minimalist design, nature and all its beauty. For AYR TAN, Lettow believes in ethically sourcing the materials that are produced in a way that inflicts minimal impact on the earth. She only uses 100% recycled acrylic, made from ‘pre’ and ‘post’ con sumer acrylic waste and cast again into new sheets. This material lives up to the cradle to cradle standard because it is fully recycled and can be recycled again to close the loop. She combines the pieces with recycled, responsibly, and ethic ally sourced 925 sterling silver parts. She does not use gold-plated p arts because of durability, but rather uses gold-filled parts, which are made from

recycled gold and are much longerlasting (from 10-30 years) depending on how much it is worn. There are not many suppliers for recycled materials for small businesses, so Lettow had to dig deep to find suitable suppliers who supply small quantities. She often has to rely on her resourcefulness in materials by figuring out ways to use them economically. Most of the materials are sourced from Europe. Her knowledge of architecture comes in handy here with her awareness of different materials and the manufacturers who produce material in the most eco-friendly way. It is an ongoing process for Lettow to continually improve and educate herself and her customers on eco-friendly design. The pieces are cut a n d a s s e m b l e d b y h e r in Paris, and the packaging is plastic free and recycled.

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Lettow believes that sustainable products should be available for everyone. Sustainable materials are often more expensive than the rest due to demand and because they are made more carefully and are made to last. As a small brand, it is difficult for her to compete with bigger brands with higher production volume and lower production costs or more significant brand equity. Making all the products on her own keeps the prices re asonable but educating consumers on the value of sustainable materials is an ongoing task for her.

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Lettow started by creating designs for like-minded consumers who are eco-conscious with a modern design sensibility. Her style appeals to lovers of minimal design who like monochrome, bold, clean, and playful aesthetics. AYR TAN jewelry is contemporary yet timeless, with designs made for various ages and genders. Lettow keeps evolving the product line to keep up with changing consumer trends without feeling outdated. Some of her designs from her Heart Collection are modular pieces, where looks can be changed, mixed, and reinvented by just replacing the pendant instead of buying a whole new earring. Usually, new designs or collections are added every four to six months. Lettow likes to bring in bright and hot colours for spring-summer and burnt and cooler colours for fall-winter. Seeing her jewelry being worn by people, especially strangers, is the most rewarding experience for Lettow, in addition to the whole design process. She loves when people ask questions about where their jewelry is coming from and how important it is for humanity and the environment to choose sustainable pieces over unethically produced mass production pieces to follow a trend. In the coming years, Lettow wants to experiment with innovative sustainab le materials. She wants to evolve the brand beyond jewelry into other design product areas for lifestyle, interior design, and household products. She is trying to connect with global consumers through social media and build awareness about sustainability through her blog so the consumers understand their choices. She works hard to differentiate AYR TAN and find a unique identity and style amongst all the other brands.

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Zero Waste Fashion

Spring 2021 - Style For Brighter Days tonle.com

Fashion Scraps Turning scrap fabric into sustainable clothing BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

i mi, founder of Australian sustainable fair-trade clothing line KHANUN, finds inspiration for patterns from a variety of materials. She collects pieces such as tablecloths, bedspreads, linen from the 60s and 70s, as well as vintage caravan curtains and repurposes them into new, one-of-a-kind clothes. ‘Bringing fabric back to life’ is how she describes that process. Now 26, Mimi began gathering interesting items in her early twenties: flower power fabrics, terry cloth towels, handcrocheted bedspreads. She taught herself increasingly complex sewing skills, feeling inside that somehow sewing came naturally to her. Recycling fabric scraps reflects Mimi’s other passion besides sewing—environmental sustainability.

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“Not only are you buying sustainable and ethically made products but you are purchasing one-of-a-kind items that no one else will have or wear. By recycling the old, this enables us to be kind to the earth. Through re-purposing we are creating less landfill.” The names of her collections—Crimson and Clover, Island in the Sun, When The Moon Was Blue—reflect that unique combination of nature, relaxation, enjoymen t, and hippie nostalgia. They’re a mix of feminine and elegant florals and more sporty rompers and patchwork outfits. She’s an animal lover, and KHANUN is named after an elephant in a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, the Surin Project, where she spent quite a bit of time. Mimi hopes that she can

raise awareness of the Surin Project and other similar efforts through her clothing line. She mentions that she’s seen poor treatment of animals and unethical, unsustainable to urism and wants to show more positive alternatives. According to KHANUN’s mission statement, “Mimi hopes to restore happiness & rights to all animals worldwide one garment at a time.” She’s committed to keeping her company a no-waste operation, recycling fabric into tops or hair scrunchies. “Not one bit of fabric goes to waste,” Mimi proudly affirms. Rare Magazine 205

Participating in the local community is important to Mimi and KHANUN. She also donates some fabric scraps to local preschools for art projects and to local artisans to make jewelry fr om them. And she brings her clothes out to local art fairs and festivals, meeting and talking with the people who buy them. KHANUN’s aesthetic is comfortable and flattering for people of various body sizes. Mimi lives near the beach and has felt the call of the ocean throughout her life. She intends the clothes to be easy to throw on after a surf or a swim.

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The company’s Facebook page reflects that gentle, comfortable style with encouragement to be oneself and live one’s dreams. The models smile and often pose outside on the beach, showing the joy Mimi intends people to find through her clothes. She also showcases a few of the artisans who have received donated fabric scraps, as she considers them part of KHANUN’s extended community. You can follow KHANUN on Facebook and Instagram and see when Mimi will come out to a festival or art faire near you.

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Artisanal and Sustainable Lola Mohe’s Nature-Inspired Jewelry BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

“My main source of inspiration is nature, with its thousands of wonderful forces and materials, creating the most beautiful sculptures in the world.”

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ola Mohe, founder of Spainbased Lola Mohe Joyeria Artesanal y Sostenible (Artisanal and Sustainable Jewelry), has a passion for nature as well as for the work of the various modern artists she emulates in her jew elry designs. She describes her creative journey in enthusiastic terms. “I have always been excited about everything related to creation and design in different artistic manifestations— painting, sculpture, jewelry. However, it is in the latter, the world of jewelry, that I found my true vocation and immersed myself co mpletely. I continue to create Rare Magazine 209

and make different types of products and techniques, because for me, there is the fun and pleasure of t he creative universe through which I bring to light my emotions and thoughts.” She studied jewelry design and development in different sch ools, including the Cordoba Jewelery School and the Center D ́Enseignement Secondarie Leon Mignon in Liège. Mohe has shown her work at various international art exhibitions: Tremplin 2007 in Mouscron, Galeria World Craft Council- Francophone in Mons, and 1001 Diamants Léon Mignon at Chateau Colonster.

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Art, including the works of Miro, Klee, Kandinsky and others, inspire some of her designs, while others come from natural forms or unique patterns in Mohe’s own imagination. Her goal is to “leave you with a range of colors that leaves your mouth open.” One of her favorite jewelry collections is her line of Earth Designs which include miniature balls that resemble elegant globes. She expresses her care for the Earth through a commitment to sustainably produced jewelry, which she outlin es in great detail in an essay on her company’s website. Environmentally friendly jewelry starts with responsibly harvested metal and wood. As Mohe explains, ‘‘The basis of being able to carry out our sustainable

project is the search for the raw materials with which we will work.” In Spain, Fairmined is the organization that certifies mining operations are conducted in a sustainable way. Mohe uses Fairmined-certified metal and also recycled metal and glass to craft her pieces. Mohe chooses wood from forests logged responsibly, certified by the Programme for the Enforcement of Forest Certification (PEFC), as well as bamboo, which grows more rapidly and is thus more replaceable than trees. Bamboo also absorbs 30 percent more carbon from the atmosphere than trees, so growing it for use in art and industry helps to slow climate change.

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She also suggests that jewelry artists select resins that are water-based and nontoxic, options that are widely available. Mohe packages the jewelry in organic, non-plastic materials which will biodegrade. “The techniques and materials one uses in packaging should represent the ethical and sustainable image that brand wants to give. It is quite a thought, a way of doing and consuming that should be reflected throughout the whole process, from design to final packaging.” She encourages her customers to keep and maintain these handcraf ted products over time, with a guide to cleaning jewelry on her site’s blog.

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According to Mohe, jewelry buyers in Spain are increasingly aware of environmental issues in jewelry making and are requesting and buying sustainable products. Mohe affirms the power consumers have to influence jewelry production by shifting their buying habits. “The consumer plays a very important role in this whole process. He or she is the person who will acquire the jewelry, which will give him the courage he or she needs to live out all these necessary and important principles that the earth demands of us so that we can all continue to live in harmony and can continue to create ethically, sustainably and ecologically.”

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Amy Camilleri Jarrod Holdsworth

Cactus Leather Hemp Lining Zip Purses

They used theirAnger to Faux Leather Fashion H OW T H E V E GA N L E AT H E R C O M PA N Y I S C H A N G I N G W H AT W E T H I N K O F A N I M A L - BA S E D FA S H I O N BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

“We have a community of like minded people that care about their health, environment, and animals. We know the life of another being is not worth the momentary pleasure in our mouths or the devastation animal agriculture causes on the planet.” 214 Rare Magazine

Unity Tote Khaki

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Milk For Humans Sweater

W ith that signature mixture of toughness and wisdom, the Vegan Leather Company brings us their unique line ofhandbags,, wallets, tote bags, and other accessories all handcrafted in Bali.

Weekender Khaki

Co-founder Amy describes how the company got started and what she loves best about Vegan Leather. “Pak Yono & I started out seven years ago with the intention to unfuck the clothing industry in Bali. We wanted to create a space for each staff member to enjoy coming to work & create quality products. It feels good to trust that each Vegan Leather Co. piece we have to offer is made with the highest quality.” Vegan Leather Company’s ethos focuses on empowering customers to live out and spread their values while enjoying high-quality, handcrafted products and clothes. “The common excuse of ‘one person won’t make a difference’ is a lazy person’s cop out. 216 Rare Magazine

Pineapple Leather Hemp Lining Ocean Sabbath

Womens Apparel

Cholesterol Mens Tank

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Each small act accumulates to big impact. Together we are making a difference.” Doing right by other living beings is an even more important aspect of these products than the aesthetics, although the company has a solid, rugged, durable look. They also emphasize how they use premium fabrics (cotton, cactus fibers, and most recently, pineapple leather) and quality threa ds and hold themselves to the highest standards of craft. To the Vegan Leather Company, using plant fibers rather than animal leather is an ethical and ecologically sustainable imperative. They seek to support people in making the right choices. “Now we know that a quick shower won’t do shit when compared to the impact on the environment we can make by cutting out animal products. Each piece we create are tools to connect with other vegans to feel that you are not alone in a world that is fuelled by anti-vegan marketing and the people that believe it.”

Cactus Leather Hemp Lining Sand Hendrix

Cactus Leather Night Long Purse

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Pineapple Leather Hemp Lining Star Night Zip Purse

They bring the same wholesome determination to how they treat the employees who make these vegan accessories. “Sweatshops are fucked. So we refuse to use one. Instead we decided to make our own production house so that we can be certain every person comes to work feeling valued and safe.” The Vegan Leather Company website includes a section introducing the ‘Epically Ethic al’ people who s ew the clothes and accessories and showing the Indonesian workshop. As mentioned, the company employs 30 people now and pays them two to four times the local going rate for what they do. Vegan Leather’s team pulls strength from their anger at the current state of our world and uses that as a force for creativity. To them, it’s a lie that we cannot change the status quo. According to the co-founders, “No longer do we believe the lies. We were angry for being lied to and now we have transformed that anger into the power to inspire change.”

Backpack Midnight

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Fashion Fun

Tom Fooler y’s drop-seat jum psuits are both practical and sustainable

he idea for Tom Foolery’s major product, a drop-seat jumpsuit, occurred to founder Shannon Ashford while studying marine biology in Southeast Asia. “A friend of mine picked up a pair of Thai fisherman pants and showed me how the side seam overlaps and you essentially hold the front panel to your stomach, pull the back panel through your legs, and tie the wrap belt at the front. As soon as she showed me I thought, “this is it! just slap a top on this and problem solved!”

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This design makes it much easier to use the bathroom without entirely removing your jumpsuit. Not too long after she returned home, Ashford took the plunge into creating her clothing company. “Tom Foolery was one giant leap. I was twenty-three, had about six months experience working for a costume designer, a few semesters of business classes, a paltry amount of money saved up, and one sewing machine. I really had no business starting a company but I decided to jump and hope I figure out how to fly on the way down. The drop seat jumpsuit was my first product and although designs have changed, we’ve stuck with the same design concept.” One of the most common questions she gets concerns the origin of the business’ name. “I get this question a lot! I started making my own clothes in high school and one night a friend of my dad’s came over for dinner. He is one of those boisterous, always-entertaining men who talk without listening to

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themselves. He started to tell me what my future was going to look like, that I would sta rt a clothing company and I would call it Tom Foolery! Of course, at sixteen I never thought I would start my own clothing company, so I just chalked the night up to a good time. When I came up with the idea for the drop seat jumpsuit I started asking friends what they thought of the name Tom Foolery and got a resounding ‘yes’. It was fittingly cheeky for a company selling easy access playsuits.” Ashford’s interest in and commitment to ecology continued long beyond her biology studies as she developed the company. “When I was starting the business, I realized fairly early that I had a huge responsibility as a designer to deliver a product that honored both plan et and people.” A big part of Tom Foolery’s environmentally friendly business practice involves how they source the fabric. “I started to research more about Rare Magazine 223

sustainable fabrics and found Thread International. They invited me to Haiti to meet the thousands of people they’ve employed and the process of taking plastic bottles from landfills and turning them into fabric. Their efforts in Port Au Prince are truly remarkable and shaped so much of T om Foolery’s mission. I started the company to solve a simple design problem but left Haiti knowing I had the opportunity to positively impact so many lives.” Creating solid career opportunities for people around the world at a living wage is also an important aspect of Tom Foolery’s sustainable mission. “When I was fifteen, I was fortunate enough to go to Kenya on a mission trip, and the people I met had so much joy and resilience I knew I had to c ome back. It took about a decade, but when I received an invitation to show at Paris Fashion Week, I decided I wanted to find a way to work with Kenyan artisans to make the collection.”

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This idea came out of a period where Ashford struggled to find a reliable manufacturer for Tom Foolery’s jumpsuits. She even ended up sewing the jumpsuits herself for three years. After a while, through a serendipitous connection, she developed a business partnership with students at a Kenyan sewing college. “I was telling my Aunt about this goal and she put me in contact with a friend of hers that works for a nonprofit based in Kenya called Elimu. I met this friend for coffee and told her all about my big plan. Within a month we had an itinerary planned and I was headed to Malindi for thirty days. The students I worked with were unbelieva bly talented and driven and I wanted this to be a beginning rather than a one-time trip. Throughout the pandemic we have been donating

thirty percent of our proceeds towards tuition bills, and I am counting down the days until I can return. A big goal of mine is to establish a sewing shop in Malindi and employ graduates of Heri Sewing College. Far and away what I am most proud of is our partnership with Elimu.” Ashford remains optimistic about the possibility of producing eco-friendly clothes, paying a living wage to the garment workers, and also having the finished product remain affordable to consumers. “There is a bit of a higher price tag on sustainable fabrics and ensuring living wages to all makers. But the discrepancy is not an excuse to cut corners. Creating affordable clothing is entirely possible while remaining ethical and sustainable.” Rare Magazine 225

18k Gold Vermeil & Sterling Silver nikkiedesigns.com

Bankers Who Give A Shirt: Gender Neutral Fashion Label AndAll’s

Impact Investment Founders Are Betting Big on Sustainability and the Conscious Consumer W R I T T E N B Y K AT I E L I S T E R

“Money doesn’t grow on trees” as the saying goes. Perhaps, though, the conscious use of tree fibers to make a premium fashion line can turn a nice profit. Sustainably sourced eucalyptus tree fibers converted into FSC & PEFC certified TENCEL™ lyocell fabric, to be exact. 228 Rare Magazine

The founders of Hong Kong-based fashion label AndAll, husband and wife Kyros Shirazi and Christine Yu, have made it their mission to design a gender-neutral line of shirts that are not only of superior quality and deliver serious street credit, but also have social responsibility and conscious consumption built into the very fabric

of their line (no pun intended). The shirts are made from 100% TENCEL™ lyocell—one of the most sustainable fabrics of modern technology, right down to the thread. The buttons, made from another sustainable material (mother of pearl) are the only components not made from TENCEL™ lyocell.

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THE WHY

The former investment banking duo is not only the mastermind behind AndAll, they are social impact investors with their own fund, Lapidary Limited, under which AndAll lies. Their overall mission is to marry social responsibility with commerce. They believe that impact investing will pay off both in terms of global impact and financial benefit. UBS investment bank and financial services found from their own research along with 2,000 other studies that “sustainable investors see no tradeoff between their personal values and their returns. A full 93 percent believe sustainable investments can generate equal or better financial performance when compared to traditional investments.” Doing good for the planet is good for the wallet, too. Fading away from consumer behaviour (thankfully) is the desire to buy la rge quantities of cheap clothing frequently—goodbye buying the sa me style in every colour—only to throw

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them away to the landfill as soon as the fashion season is over and the items are no longer considered “on-trend.” In fact, this is becoming a big so c ial and corporate faux pas. The fashion industry to date has been one of the biggest contributors to pollution. A new era is being ushered in with Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, driving 85 percent of global luxury sales growth. They are increasingly demanding luxury and premium brands align with their values. Sustainability and social responsibility is “the new black” with a values-driven motive when making purchase decisions. The new musthave items are from brands that not only deliver the highest level of cool factor, but also whose business and products resonate with the consumer’s sustainability and social impact values. To retain their status, high-end brands need to carve the way for ethical and sustainable luxury. AndAll is leveraging this.

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Despite sustainability being an integral part of our everyday conversations, Shirazi an d Yu were not seeing the marriage of sustainability and commercial or profit motive. AndAll is their first attempt to put into place their idea of creating a 360-degree sustainab le business across all touchpoints, from the way it is run to the final product, with a long-term perspective rather than a shortlived one. With a circular design business model, every measure is taken to ensure minimal footprint and harm to the planet, from their mill manufacturer in Portugal to the design process, the bio-based and

biodegradable materials to the ir digital textile printing method (saving up to to 60 percent of water use), and their packaging and delivery methods to the garment’s “after-life.” G E N D E R - F R E E S H I R T S S TA R T E D W I T H A S H I R T

Yu started wearing Shirazi’s shirts when they stepped out of their investment banking careers and into the entrepreneurial life. His shirts were the only things that fit her ‘new normal’ career, but she quickly realized that they didn’t quite fit her shape. The elephant in the room—why should something as classic and timeless as a button-down shirt have a gender Rare Magazine 233

identity? Moreover, why should brands tell you to shop in the women’s or the men’s section? Gender stereotypes=so over it. The idea to make a unisex shirt in a much more sustainable way was born.

Their four print designs at launch— Urban Glyphs, Geo Dots, Triangulate, and Ulam’s Polka—all have origin stories inspired by art, architecture, culture, and everyday life. Read the stories on AndAll’s website.

THE COLLECTION

Every shirt gives you the best bang for your buck. You will always love it, you will always wear it, and it is made ethically and sustainably. Shirazi and Yu are contributing everything they can to the fashion industry’s half of the whole by providing a product and company that is sustainable and impactful.

W ith a quality-over-quantity smallbatch ethos, AndAll is a gender-free line of artisanally crafted shirting, made with respect for people and planet, designed with modern prints. Their shirts, by design, have timeless appeal, versatility, and can be styled in many different ways. AndAll stripped away any gender assumptions and stereotypes within the shirt architecture and design. Instead, they focused on the numbers, measurements, and style to bring their products to life. Their “made for all ” philosophy provides a spectrum of sizes ensuring that there is a shirt for every body shape and size. The rest is up to the customer to determine how they want to style it to express their individual identity. 234 Rare Magazine

The other half lies in the hands of the consumer to do their part. Only if the consumer is buying into conscious consumption and is looking to make a change will we see the apparel industry change. The duo believes we are at an inflection point now, especially with the younger generation. Together, the fashion industry and the consumer have the ability to change the g ame and heal this planet in the most stylish fashion (again, no pun intended).

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eliasgurrola.com

Clothing with a Cause Cambodian brand tonlé is disrupting the idea of fast fashion with ethically made clothing BY CRISTINA DEPTULA PHOTO CREDIT CHLOE JACKMAN C H LO E J AC K M A N P H OTO G R A P H Y C H LO E J AC K M A N .C O M @ C H LO E J AC K M A N P H OTO S

lothing company tonlé goes beyond recycling fabric and builds sustainability into its entire way o f operating. As founder Rachel Faller explains, “tonlé means ‘river’ in Khmer. Rivers are central to life in Cambodia and also represent the circular and regenerative nature of our business.” Tonlé offers several elegant, flowing collections of wraps, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, and accessories including hand-sewn facemasks. They offer a line of clothes in versatile tans, greens, and blacks for those who wish to buy and own fewer items of clothing to be more sustainable, and a new, more colorful and hip, nature-inspired “Plant Queen” line intended to accommodate gender-fluid people.

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Tonlé has pioneered ways to reduce waste, including a program where customers can swap with each other clothing that is still high-quality but which they no longer wear. They also buy fabrics that would otherwise go to waste for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the cloth. Faller points out the many different ways perfectly good fabric ends up becoming scrap, are picked up by remnant dealers, and sold to businesses such as tonlé. “U sually fabric goes to waste beca use of the separation of design and production. In traditional fashion houses, bran ds design, sell, and market clothes; factories produce them. At the end of the day, this separation causes la rge amounts of perfectly good fabric to go to waste, simply because if a fabric is produced specifically for a brand and for whatever reason a brand cancels, changes, or otherwise

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alters an order, the factory can’t turn around and use it for anything else. Similarly, if garments fail quality control checks, you may end up wi th garments that are half made, and go to landfill or incineration. Or, if a fabric is slightly the wrong color, it may be perfectly good quality, but not according to spec for that order.” They also encourage customers to consider clothing purchases as longterm investments, seeking out quality and durability rather than expecting to toss and replace their wardrobes with every change of season. “Since the majority of a garment’s carbon footprint occurs at the customer use stage, the most important question we should all ask ourselves when buying new clothes, is, ‘will I love this and use it for a long time?’” Tonlé seeks to buck the ‘fast fashion’

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trend, asserting that the whole concept of fashion itself is problematic and leads to ecological waste. “The whole concept of what is ‘in fashion’—of the idea that what can be ‘in’ in one generation, year, season or seemingly minute can be ‘out’ the next—is a mindset of waste. That our clothes are disposable to us even when they maintain their total functionality is the result of an industry giving us permission to waste as much as we like in the name of relevancy, status, fads and even, unfortunately, often under the guise of self expre ssion.” Instead, tonlé creates clothes to be loved, cared for, and mended, believing that this shows respect for the people who make them as well as reduces waste. This respect for the clothes makers who sew garments has permeated tonlé’s culture since its founding in 2008 as a collective of five women in Phnom Penh creating garments from repurposed materials. Since then, the business has taken

many forms: a cooperative, a nonprofit, a Cambodian-based company, and now a US and Cambodian business partnership. However, the underlying value of mutual collaboration and power sharing has stayed the s ame. “What never changed throughout all of this was that the makers at tonlé are central to our decision making. It is what drives us—instead of customer demand, as in most traditional businesses. We always look at what’s good for our team first, and then see how we can make that work for our customers within the capacity and constraints that we have.” As Faller explained earlier, tonlé’s culture does not separate design and production in the same way as other companies. This is intentional, to build a culture that rejects colonial and exploitative practices and business models. “Most fashion companies refer to the people who make their physical product as external ‘costs’; not taking care of them when times get Rare Magazine 245

tough. We believe that profits from a business should be more evenly distributed according to risk and work put in and challenge the assumption that those who invest money in a venture should automatically get more profit, when workers invest their creativity and labor. This is why we resist the mainstream conception of designers as ‘creators’ whose ideas are more valued than the labor of makers.” Faller also believes that all who are part of tonlé can learn from each other and that those who sew the clothes can lead and teach skills as much as anyone else. “Tonlé makers are strong, capable, and resilient. We center them as leaders in the sustainability movement. We emphasize a horizontal leadership approach, avoiding top-down thinking and terminology. Our workshops are structured to be like sewing circles 246 Rare Magazine

instead of assembly lines. We support skill-sharing and encourage each other to learn and grow. We ensure mutual benefit, respect, and fair compensation for all who contribute to tonlé’s success.” They will soon update their website with the names and bios of each person who sews the clothes. Tonlé is also setting up a Brand Ambassador program where customers can earn credit towards buying clothes by, among other things, taking part in activism for social causes. They se ek to promote regeneration and restoration in the world, starting with the fashion industry. “While we can’t create widespread systems change on our own, we hope to inspire others and collaborate with them to build a fashion industry where everyone benefits and thrives.”

I N STAG R A M : @ TO N E L D E S I G N , @ R AC H E L _ FA L L E R

BODY PARTS DESIGN

TWITTER: @TONLEDESIGN

LINDSEY ANTRAM & MIKE LAMBUTH @BODYPARTSDESIGN

HTTPS://TONLE.COM H T T P S : / / W W W. R E C L A I M C O L L A B O R AT I V E .C O M

M U L X I P LY

H T T P S : / / M E D I U M .C O M / J U ST - FAS H I O N

TA N J A C E S H @ M U L X I P LY

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Welcome to the Vegan Revolution

Purses Wallets - Cactus & Pineapple Leather veganleatherco.com

Fungus to FashionHow Mushrooms Are Moulding Sustainable Fashion Vegan leather made from mushrooms could change the future of sustainable fashion BY: MITCHELL P. JONES

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even millennia since its invention, leather remains one of the most durable and versatile natural materials. However, some consumers question the ethical ramifications and environmental sustainability of wearing products sourced from animals. This shift in social standards is the main reason we’re seeing a wave of synthetic substitutes heading for the market.

Leather alternatives produced from synthetic polymers fare better i n terms of environmental sustainability and have achieved considerable market share in recent years. But these materials face the same disposal issues as any synthetic plastic. So, the leather market has begun to look to other innovations. As strange as it might sound, the latest contender is the humble fungus.

farming. Making it also requires environmentally toxic chemicals.

Research by my colleagues and I, published in Nature Sustainability, investigates the history, manufacturing processes, cost, sustainability, and material properties of fungusderived renewable leather subs titutes, comparin g them to animal and synthetic leathers.

Still, it’s worth noting the main product of cattle rearing is meat, not leather. Cow hides account for just 5-10% of the market value of a cow and about 7% of the animal’s weight. There ’s also no proven correlation between the demand for red meat and leather. So a reduction in the demand for l eather may have no effect on the number of animals slaughtered for meat.

How unsustainable is animal leather? How sustainable leather is depends on how you look at it. As it uses animal skins, typically from cows, leather productio n is correlated with animal

The livestock sector’s sustainability issues are well known. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the sector is responsible for about 14% of all greenhouse emissions from human activity. Cattle rearing alone represents about 65% of those emissions.

According to 2019 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 49% of all Australian farms carry beef cattle and these manage more than 79% of all agricultural land. That said, leather tanning is still energy and Rare Magazine 251

resource-intensive and produces a lot of sludge waste during processing. This gives leather a higher environmental impact than other minimally processed animal products such as blood, heads, and organs (which can be sold as meat products or animal feed).

From spore to mat Fungus-derived leather technologies were first patented by US compani es MycoWorks and Ecovative Design about five years ago. These technologies take advantage of the root-like structure of mushrooms, called mycelium, which contains the same polymer found in crab shells. Mycelium is the vegetative body for fungi that produces mushrooms. Fungal colonies made of mycelium can be found in and on soil and wood. W hen mushroom roots are grown on sawdust or agricultural waste, they form a thick mat that can then be treated to resemble leather.

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Because it’s the roots and not the mushrooms being used, this natural biological process can be carried out anywhere. It does not require light, converts waste into useful materials, and stores carbon by accumulating it in the growing fungus. Going from fungal spores on a Petri dish (left) to a natural fungal mat (right) takes just a couple of weeks. Going from a single spore to a finished “fungi leather” (or “mycelium leather”) product takes a couple of weeks, compared with years required to raise a cow to maturity. Mild acids, alcohols and dyes are typically used to modify the fungal material, which is then compressed, dried and embossed. The process is quite simple and can be completed with minimal equipment and resources by artisans. It can also be industrially scaled for mass production. The final product looks and feels like animal leather and has similar durability. MOGU is one company producing materials and products from fungal mycelium.

Mushroom for progress It’s important to remember despite years of development, this technology is still in its infancy. Traditional leather production has been refined to perfection over thousands of years. There are bound to be some teething problems when adopti ng fungal leather. And despite its biodegradability and low-energy manufacturing, this product alone won’t be enough to solve the sustainab ility crisis. There are wider environmental concerns over animal farming and the proliferation of plastics— both of which are independent of leather production. Nonetheless, using creativity to harness n ew technologies can only be a step in the right direction. As the world continues its gradual shift towards sustainable living, perhaps seeing progress in one domain will inspire hope for others.

Will I be wearing it anytime soon? Commercial products made with fungi-derived leather are expected to be on sale soon. The real question

is whether it will cost you an arm and a leg. Prototypes were released last year in the US, Italy, and Indonesia, in products including watches, purses, bags, and shoes. US-based startup Bolt Threads has used mycelium leather to successfully create products such as this bag. And while these fundraiser items were a little pricey—with one designer bag selling for US$500 —manufacturing cost estimates indicate the material could become economically competitive with traditional leather once manufactured on a larger scale. The signs are promising. MycoWorks raised US$17 million in venture capital last year. Ultimately, there’s no good reason fungal leather alternatives coul dn’t eventually replace animal leather in many consumer products. Major fashion houses will sell products made from mushroom leather by next year. So, next time you pass the mushrooms at the supermarket, make sure you acquaint yourself. You may be seeing a whole lot more of each other soon.

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lastobject.com

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Natural Skincare

How this Hawaiian girl is disrupting skincare with her natural products BY NEHA SURADKAR

“Sustainability is not a trend or a buzzword. Sustainability is about leaving our home, our community, and our Earth in a better way than we found it. It means we have to learn and act so that we can sustain ourselves and our future generations to come.” These are the words of Kapua Browning, Founder of Honua Hawaiian Skincare. 258 Rare Magazine

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An avid surfer and a beach lover, Browning was born and raised in Palolo Valley on the island of O’ahu and was immersed in the Hawaiian culture from a young age. Due to surfing and playing in the sun, Browning started noticing sun damage on her skin and wanted to learn about holistic ways to heal her skin. She joined an aesthetics school and got trained as an aesthetician at the age of 25. 260 Rare Magazine

She also studied skincare formulations and cosmetology using both traditional and modern ingredients and technology. After a dec ade of experience as a licensed aesthetician and extended training in herbalism and product development, Browning began laying the foundation for her own hand-crafted skincare collection, Honua Skincare.

Honua means Earth, Land, or Foundation. At Honua Skincare, they believe that Mother Earth is the foundation of the company. All ingredients they use come from the Earth, so it was only fair to give credit where it was due. They strive to honor and give back to the Earth and named the brand Honua Skincare. At Honua Skincare, the approach is to treat skin concerns at the root and fix the underlying cause of the skin condition rather than just masking it. They

combine the traditional art of La’au Lapa’au (Hawaiian healing with plants) with modern skincare technology. The ingredients are sourced from different farms to make sure not to over harvest one. They are always in communication with the farms on supply and how they can he lp to support the farms. Honua Skincare also supports farms and projects that don’t supply their ingredients, ensuring that natural resources are not depleted.

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As explained by Browning, “Ancient Hawaiians were true pioneers of sustainability. We have this saying in Hawaiian- I k a wa ma mua, i ka wa ma hope; we look at the past as a guide to the future.” As a company, Honua Skincare uses sustainable packaging and source ingredients mindfully. It supports the communities and farms following practices like reforestation, ecological restoration, regenerative farming, and cultural roots to restore la nd and ecosystems.

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Sustainable products can be heavy on the pocket, making consumers shy away from them. Still, Honua Skincare tries to keep their prices as affordable as possible to reach a good consumer base and help customers move towards sustainable options. They work with a small team and low-profit margins to give the price advantage to consumers. They cater to anyone looking to heal their skin. Their clientele ranges from men to women to children of various

ages, and even to babies who need extra love for sun protection, eczema, psoriasis, or other skin conditions. The clients love the fact that the products are calming and hydrating yet resultsoriented. The products are also said to make people feel like they are taking a virtual vacation to Hawaii!! How much better can it get? Consumer feedback is taken positively by the team, and new products are often designed keeping in mind what consumers are looking fo r. An adventurous person, a loving mother, and a passionate entrepreneur, Browning believes in spending quality time with kids and family. She tries to bring kids to her field visits and finishes up every workday on time to go home and be with her family. Often entrepreneurs wear multiple hats, and Browning is no differe nt. Her day at work could be spent in a taro patch, working with

labs on formulas, filling bottles and boxing, conducting online or in-store training, or just sending hundreds of emails. If she encounters a problem, she likes to take a step back, breathe and focus on the things in her control that can be changed. She feels that communication is the key to solving most issues. For Browning and Honua Skincare, the future is full of opportunities. They are looking to get their product range to resort spas to give consumers a holistic experience and are also trying to spread their retail base around the globe, mainly to Europe and Asia. They are already connected with their global consumers through the newsletter and social media and ship internationally. At Honua Skincare, they are doing their part in making the Honua a better place for all. As for Browning, “It’s about the journey, not the destination!”

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Farvel, Goodbye Single use Why These products Should Be Yo u r L a s t O b j e c t BY NEHA SURADKAR

ustainability is not only about what raw materials are used for making a product and how it can be disposed of, but it is also about how long it can be used. A sustainable chair is not one made of cardboard; it is the one that has lasted for decades, that has been used in multiple homes, and sold between families. Working on the same concept of sustainability, LastObject offers you sustainable solutions for everyday one-time use items. Isabel Aagaard (Co-Founder of LastObject) grew up in a little town outside of Copenhagen in a family of design entrepreneurs. She has a Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Design in Collaborati ve

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Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media and Design from the IT University. She has worked in the hospital segment, designing everything from bags for patients to take their chemotherapy treatments home in to an entire maternity ward. The Aagaard family is into businesses in which every family member can be involved at some stage. So starting LastObject with her brother happened very naturally for Isabel. Isabel, who was designing medical equipment, Ni colas Aagaard (Isabel’s brother), and Kaare Frandsen, who was into furniture design, were all not very happy with their jobs. They wanted to do something meaningful for the environment and started researching single-use items that were the most harmful to the planet. They found that cotton swabs were surprisingly high on this list. Main ly because people didn’t discard them properly. As these are so small, if flushed down the toilet, cotton

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swabs usually don’t get caught by filtration systems and are dumped directly into the ocean, later ending up in the stomach of sea creatures. The trio felt that by working on a sustainable option for this, they could positively impact marine life and reduce single-use pollution. They started working on creating durable reusables like swabs, tissues, cotton pads, etc. so that you never have to buy singleuse products again. This product becomes your last swab, your last tissue, your last cotton round,

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they had low upfront costs and quick turnaround, which helped them get started and keep costs down.

and hence came the brand name— LastObject. At LastObject, the raw materials are chosen with durability in mind. Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), a very durable material with hygienic qualities and the ability to stick very strongly to the rod, is used to produce LastSwab, their bestseller. The products come with a case to make them easy to carry, so you are never left without it. Even the cases are made from repurposed oceanbound plastic. In the beginning, the products were produced in China. Then the production was moved to Denmark to cut emissions and the overall environmental footprint. In China, 272 Rare Magazine

The team at LastObject aims at launching three products per year. They want to go after all the singleuse products that pollute the environment and design sustainable and reusable alternatives. People who care about the environment and want to live a zero-waste and more sustainable lifestyle love the products from LastObject. Using these reusable products, they feel like they can make a difference on a daily basis . Most customers feel that LastObject products are easy to use and work just as well or better than the disposable versions. It is said that “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” Every unique business idea is bound to get copied, and it was no different for LastObject. Imitations emerged immediately after launch, and the team had to struggle with that during and after the campaign. They have spent a lot of time and resources

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2019, LastObject has helped eliminate over 1 billion single-use items, and its goal is to make that 50 billion by 2023. They want to make a difference with their products, and for that, they are investing in good product designs and scaling up operations. They have quite a few product ideas in the pipeline and are constantly looking at increasing distribution. They plan to sell their products through 7000 outlets by 2023. LastObject is partnering with other companies that are also making a difference for the world. They are doing a blast-for-blast setup and sharing each other’s products in their network. This collaboration has attracted the perfect customer groups and is a win-win deal for both.

on protecting their designs. The trio learned from this, and now every time a product is launched, it is with trademark and design registrations. Since launching its first product in

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Our overconsumption is taking a significant toll on our planet. But the best thing is, if we each make a slight difference, it can have a huge impact! So, look at your habits. You can make a considerable difference by exploring a sustainable lifestyle and creating a less trashy world. Go for a more sustainable and reusable option and let that be your LastObject!

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F A N TA S Y I S C R E AT E D I N T H E M O M E N T. WE BESTOW THE JOY YOU DESIRE AND THE PLEASURE YOU DESERVE

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Health Check: what should I eat to improve my skin? E M I LY B U R C H F E A R O N

“Get radiant skin!” “Banish your pimples!” “Glow from the inside out!” These are so me statements that pop up when asking Google the age-old question: what should I eat to improve my skin? Recommendations usually include cutting out chocolate, other junk foods and dairy products. But is there evidence to actually support this? Chocolate Researchers started exploring the link between diet and skin health, particularly acne, in the mid-1900s. Dermatology textbooks from the 1930s advised restricting carbohydrates, 284 Rare Magazine

sweets and junk foods to improve acne. But these recommendations were based on doctors’ experiences and observations, not quality research. Chocolate is one junk food that often gets blamed as an aggravating factor of acne. In a 1969 study, 65 people with acne were asked to eat one chocolate bar per day for four weeks. They were either given a bar that contained ten times the amount of chocolate found in a typical bar, or a bar that looked identical but contained no chocolate. Results showed participants who ate the chocolate bars did not have more breakouts than those who didn’t eat the chocolate. Studies on whether chocolate has an effect on your skin are so far inconclusive. Similar results were found in a 1971

study. Twenty-seven students w ho reported being sensitive to dietary acne triggers ate large amounts of chocolate, milk, roasted peanuts or soft drinks for one week. No significant difference in the number of breakouts was observed between the groups. But these studies also had some

major limitations. The 1969 study was sponsored by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America. And both studies did not assess participants’ intake of other foods during the study period, which may have influenced their complexion.

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R E A D M O R E : R E S E A R C H C H E C K : D O E S E AT I N G C H O C O L AT E I M P R O V E Y O U R B R A I N F U N CT I O N ?

More recently, a 2011 study including ten men age d between 18-35 found significant changes occurred in the severity of acne after a single intake of pure chocolate (100% cocoa). There was a strong association between the amount of chocolate consumed and the number of breakouts four and seven days after they ate the chocolate. So overall, study findings show conflicting results, and clear recommendations about chocolate cannot yet b e made. But better-quality research does suggest other dietary strategies worth trying if you want to improve your skin. These include eating more fruits and vegetables as well as foods with a lower glycaemic load. Glycaemic load The glycaemic index (GI) is a ranking between 0-100 given to carbohydratecontaining foods to describe how quickly the carbohydrates are digested into glucose (sugar) and absorbed into our blood. The lower the GI, the slower the rise in blood glucose levels when the food is consumed. Most junk foods (candy, chips and cakes) have a high GI. READ MORE: GI DIETS DON’T WORK – GUT BACT E R I A A N D D A R K C H O C O L AT E A R E A B ET T E R B ET F O R LO S I N G W E I G H T

Glycaemic load (GL) builds on the concept of GI but also considers the amount of food being eaten. This provides a more accurate picture of the overall effect the food has on blood glucose levels. Once the glucose enters the blood, a hormone called insulin moves it into our cells to be used for energy. Diets with a high GL trigger a higher response in insulin. This high level of insulin increases a hormone called the insulin-like growth factor (IGF), which has been associated with skin breakouts – like pimples. Junk foods have a high glycaemic index.

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In a 2008 randomised control trial (considered the gold standard in scientific research as it compares findings between two groups), 31 males with acne, aged 15-25, were asked to follow either a low-GL or a high-GL diet for 12 weeks. The low-GL group was instructed to substitute high-GI foods (processed cereals, potatoe s and white bread and rice) with lowerGI foods (lean meats, fruits and wholegrain bread and pasta). The high-GL group was encouraged to include carbohydrates as a regular part of their diet and wasn’t educated about GI. Those following the low-GL diet saw their acne improve and lost more weight. A 2007 randomised controlled trial had similar findings. But because participants in both studies who were following the low-GL diet lost weight, it’s also possible improvements in their skin were due to weight loss and not the diet itself.

Fruit and vegetables Fruits and vegetables are wonderful for our bodies in many ways, but research shows they can also give our skin a natural, healthy glow – by tinting it yellow and red. Our skin colour is influenced by three pigments – haemoglobin, carotenoids and melanin. Many fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids. These are responsible for the deep green colour of broccoli and spinach, the vibrant orange colour of carrots and oranges, and the red hue of capsicums and tomatoes.

READ MORE: FOOD AS MEDICINE: WHY DO WE N E E D TO E AT S O M A N Y V E G ETA B L E S A N D W H AT D O E S A S E R V E A C T U A L LY LO O K L I K E ?

What about milk? Milk naturally contains anabolic steroids, growth hormones and other growth factors. In a complicate d metabolic pathway, these factors lead to a higher release of insulin and insulin-like growth factor, which can stimulate the development and progression of acne.

Eating lots of oranges could give your skin a healthy, golden glow.

A number of studies have examined the alleged connection between milk and acne. In 2005, 50,000 women recalled their high school diet and were asked if they had ever been diagnosed with severe acne by their doctor.

When you eat fruits and vegeta bles, these pigments can accumulate in your skin, leading to a healthy golden glow. The same benefits haven’t been seen with supplements, so it’s best to get your carotenoid hit from eating lots of different fruits and vegetables.

Researchers found those who had a higher reported intake of milk (particularly skim milk) more commonly suffered from acne. A 2006 study with around 6,000 teenage girls and a 2008 study with around 4,700 teenage boys showed similar results. Milk has been associated with acne development. from shutterstock.com But no randomised controlled trials have been conducted that examine the association between milk and acne. This means whether dairy is a cause of acne hasn’t yet been established. High-quality research is needed before specific recommendations can be made. If you are trying to improve your skin’s complexion, you could try these strategies: •

reduce high-GL foods by decreasing the amount of processed, junk food you eat

•

add low-GL foods that won’t spike your blood glucose levels (vegetables, sweet potatoes, barley, beans and multigrain bread)

•

eat a diverse range of fruits and vegetables to get a healthy glow.

THIS ARTICLE IS REPUBLISHED FROM THE CONV E RS AT I O N U N D E R A C R E AT I V E C O M M O N S L I CENSE. READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.

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Green is the new black Why retailers want you to know about their green credentials BY G A RY M O R T I M E R

lobal supermarkets phasing out single-use plastic bags is just one example of how retailers are fiercely engaged in a race to be “green”. Other examples are dumping plastic straws, buying back used products and reducing unnecessary packaging. Rather than competing on price or time, green credentials offer a way for retailers to differentiate themselves. Encouraging customers to make overtly good moves also has a psychological effect, allowing them

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to excuse poor behaviour elsewhere— such as b uying a product that may not be ethically sourced. Having a strong green record also helps create a buffer for when events like plastic bags killing whales or sweatshop abuse hit the headlines. Retailers need to adapt to a world built on speed. Way back in April, Australia’s Woolworths announced the removal of all single-use bags across the country by the end of June. Although, after some backlash, Woolworths has said it will give bags to customers until the 8th of July. Coles will also ban single-use bags. Woolworths has since announced further strategies for “a greener future.” These include reducing unnecessary packaging and linking with “food waste diversion partners.”

However, sustainability is bigger than just food waste and plastics. Ikea Australia recently announced it will “buy back” used furniture to resell. IKEA has been doing this in other markets, like Hong Kong, for some time. Buying green makes us feel good The consumer market for green products and services was estimated at US$230 billion in 2009 and predicted to grow to $845 billion by 2015. While consumers are increasingly engaging in shopping activities that support the environment, such as reusing shopping bags, buying local and supporting local farmers and producers, at the same time many are still tempted by $4 T-shirts from Kmart. This behaviour can perhaps be explained by the effect of “moral selflicensing.” This is where consumers do something good to offset their bad behaviour.

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In the context of shopping, a good deed, a customer putting reusable bags in the boot of the car, will be followed by a not-so-good deed, such as driving to the shops in our gasguzzling 4WD. In this way, the first choice gives us a positive self-concept, which negat es or “licenses” the subsequent more selfindulgent choice. A slippery (green) slope The only concern for companies is that they might be accused of “greenwashing”—using marketing to create the perception that their policies, purpose or products are environmentally friendly, when that’s not really the case.

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Despite consumer awareness of the practice of greenwashing, the number of companies making green claims has escalated sharply in recent years as organisations strive to meet escalating consumer demand for greener products and services. According to one advertising consultancy, there were 2,219 products making green claims in 2009 alone, a 79% increase over two years earlier. Research shows that when consumers are sceptical about a retailer’s corporate social responsibility practices, this can damage the retailer’s brand, increase sensitivity to negative information and stimulate unfavourable word of mouth.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen exactly these phenomena play out again and again. Several years ago, Walmart faced scrutiny about its corporate social responsibility claims relating to renewable energy, the industrialisation of food systems and its cheaply made, disposable products. Starbucks green credentials were met with scepticism when it was reported some stores left taps running all day to clear pipes. Other retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, Nordstrom, JC Penney and Backcountry. com have faced fines for making misleadin g environmental claims. Banning the single-use plastic bag alone will not save the environment.

Sadly, it is not as simple as that. Research shows lightweight plastic shopping bags make up around 1.6% of litter in Australia or less than 2% of landfill. However, despite some backlash, banning the bag is certainly a step in the right direction. Remembering to bring reusable shopping bags is a fairly significant change in shopping behaviour, but the practice has been successfully implemented in states such as Tasmania, which banned single use bags several years ago.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Pandemics of Our Own Making Why We Must Address Our Broken Relationship with Nature BY SHANNON BENNETT

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hile it’s critical that we devote our scientific ingenuity to beating back the current pandemic, we must also address our broken relationship with nature in a concerted effort to prevent similar outbreaks in the future. With the COVID-19 pandemic wr eaking various forms of havoc around the globe, we’ve all had a lot of time to ponder not only how we got into this predicament, but how we might get out—and what we need to do to prevent future outbreaks. Like much of the rest of the world, I’ve been social-distancing for months, doing my best to minimize exposure and keep my family, friends, and community safe. But as a virologist who has spent her career studying the evolution of infectious diseases, I can’t help thinking about the bigger picture, about how our relationship with the natural world can have profound impacts—both positive and negative— not just on the health of our planet but on human health as well. While I’m more passionate than ever about the work I do, I didn’t always want to be an infectious diseas e biologist. My first love was the great outdoors. I imagined a life spent traipsing around a national park and inspiring that love in others. Then the theatre captured my heart and all I wanted to do was act. Finally, in college, I had the opportunity to combine my passions for the natural world and the arts, running a theatre program to promote community health in West Africa. That’s where my fascination with microbes began. With antimalarial medication, insect repellent, and a well-stocked firstaid kit in hand, I arrived in Liberia for a summer volunteer stint teaching math by day and theatricizing with my troupe of students by night. Ironically, even while we told stories of disease prevention, and despite my bes t

efforts to protect myself, within weeks I had contracted malaria (Plasmodium falciparum ), amoebic dysentery ( Entomaeba histolytica), and a staph infection (Staphylococcus aureus). This trifecta of illness ultimately landed me under the care of nurses at, of all places, a leper colony (caused by Mycobacterium leprae, but I dodged this one). There I slowly regaine d my strength and then remained in hiding at the most shunned of places just as the first attempted coup of the Liberian civil war began. Ironically, the parasites in my system had quite literally saved my life. But it was the diverse kinds of microbes and the ways in which they had breached my defenses and affected me physically that captured my imagination.

From Pathogen to Career Path Although the three pathogens that infected my body all those years ago come from different branches on the tree of life, I would discover that they have some interesting things in common: They themselves and/or their recent ancestors all circulate in nonhuman natural hosts; they have the capacity to evolve quickly in response to new opportunities; and, in many cases, they have done so in ways that allow them to overcome our de fenses and thereby expand their geographical ranges and find new potential hosts. The remarkable capacity of pathogens to adapt and affect us so profoundly is what ultimately inspired my newfound, and now lifelong, career path. I wanted to understand the diversity of pathogens in natural systems, the various ways in which they’ve evolved, and how, in response to the opportunities humans have presented them, they have emerged as infectious diseases—in some cases capable of the type of pandemic we find ourselves in today. Since 2000, I have focused my research on viruses, the fastestevolving of all pathogens and the Rare Magazine 299

cause of many of the most devastating infectious diseases. Over the past two decades, I and other scientists have observed a number of fascinating and troubling characteristics among the many virus g roups. First, there is an astounding diversity of viruses in the natural world. Estimates of the number of species in mammals alone (most of which are yet to be discovered) range from 40,000 to at least 320,000, depending on the source. Seco nd, many of the viruses we see in nature are closely related to many known human pathogens. And perhaps most importantly, all of these viruses possess the genetic diversi ty and architecture needed to evolve rapidly and take advantage of new opportunities. As evidenced by the growing list of emerging infectious diseases, there appears to be no shortage of opportunity. In fact, it has become increasingly clear that our broken, invasive relationship with nature has led to a marked increase in the emergence of human pathogens: Ebola virus, MERS, SARS, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, hantavirus, swine flu, and avian flu, just to name a few. SARSCoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is just the latest in a string of microbes that have spilled over and devastated human populations—and this pattern will continue unless and until the imbalance we’ve created is addressed.

Emergence of a Virus Al though SARS-CoV-2 is new to science, its emergence came as little surprise to experts—it fit the profile of previous spillover events. The virus was first identified in early January 2020 in Wuhan, China, where a casecluster of pneumonia linked to a market that sold both domesticated and wild animals had emerged. Based on comparisons of the virus’s genetic sequence with those collected from a wide variety of wildlife and deposited in public databases, in some cases

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years earlier, we’ve concluded that the pathogen originated in bats. At some point in its evolution, it diverged from its ancestral form and picked up mutations that allowed for efficient human-to-human transmission. That set the stage for an outbreak to become a pandemic. Despite what we know or suspect about the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, it’s still unclear exactly how and when this virus jumped into humans. It’s not known, for example, whether the pathogen came directly from a bat or passed through and underwent subsequent changes in another host animal, even other humans, before evolving its pandemic potential. Understanding the exact route of transmission requires tracing the virus back in time to identify the first human or humans to become infected, as well as what animal or animals they interacted with that might have been carrying the virus or its closest relative. It may already be too late for this type of leg work to reveal the path that SARS-CoV-2 took. Identifying where and how humans and other potential hosts interact is critical to understanding and ultimately preventing future outbreaks of known pathogens. But perhaps more importantly, tracking the routes of transmission for many different infectious diseases has begun to reveal where and how spillover events happen in general, and what might lead to the next one. We’ve found, for example, that the routes viruses take from non-human into human hosts typically lie along a continuum of urbanization. From game killed by a hunter deep in the jungle, through wildlife traded in population centers, to agricultural slaughter or the bite of an invasive mosquito, humans are increasingly encountering viruses they normally wouldn’t—viruses that have the potential to become deadly pathogens. These routes of transmission and the pathogens they give rise to are

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growing in number at our hands. Humans are providing an array of new opportunities practically everywhere we go. We’re altering habitats, expanding our populations and those of domesticated animals and invasive species; and we’re increasing the frequency of interactions between people and wildlife through development, hunting, and agricultural practices that entice wild animals to rely on human crops. As author David Quammen wrote recently in The New York Time s , “We disrupt ecosystems, and we shake viruses loose from their natural hosts. When that happens, they need a new host. Often, we are it.”

had detected it.

Virus Spillover

The first limit that a virus must typically overcome if it has successfully jumped from a non-human animal into a human is the poor fit between its key and the new host’s lock. Once the key has been refined enough through natural selection to open the lock, the virus then has to actually enter the host cell and undergo a series of steps to produce viable copies. These interactions with the host cell can be very specific, impacting both the course of the disease and t he transmissibility of the virus to the next human. To have the potential to create a pandemic, these spillover viruses need to have or evolve the ability to unlock the door, get inside the cell, and essentially have a successful house party.

Our continued encroachment into natural systems accelerates not only the opportunities for potential pathogens to spill over into humans but also their ability to evolve efficient human-to-human transmission. Not all microbes that spill over necessarily have the capacity to transmit efficiently among humans—they often must acquire these characteristics through evolution. This gain of function and the speed with which it can be at tained can be facilitated by newfound host density. In short, large con centrations of humans, domesticated animals, or humanassociate d invasive species can enable emergent infectious disease agents to more efficiently capitalize on available opportunities. Evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond coined the term “viral chatter” to describe the process by which viruses spill over into humans, detected or otherwise, but don’t necessarily go any further. They are, so to speak, testing the waters. In the case of COVID-19, health professionals in Wuhan early on assumed that they were witnessing viral chatter: animal-to-human transmission that was essentially limited, and incapable of jumping from person to person. They were wrong. The virus had already overcome its functional limitations by the time they

What are these critical functional gains, and how do our actions enable pathogens to overcome their biological limits to live and reproduce and continue their spread to subsequent human hosts? For viruses, the limits are the result of their way of life as obligate intracellular parasites, which means they need host cells to reproduce. Viruses are tiny packages of genetic material bristling with proteins that enable them to enter a host cell where they then copy their genetic code and produce new viruses. To enter the host cell, virus proteins act as a key and bind very specifically to the host cell receptor, the lock.

Epidemiologists are interested i n these gains of function because they dramatically influence a virus’s ability to spread through a population. They measure this potential with a value known as the reproductive ratio, which is the number of new infections that a single infected person gives rise to. Unfortunately, viruses gain these functions in different ways, not necessarily involving the same kinds of changes in the same kinds of genes or functional groups of genes. Still, although we might not always know which mutations are necessary to change a dilettante virus, the Rare Magazine 303

chattering kind, into the cause of the next pandemic, we do know that humans can aid the process by providing both ecological and evolutionary opportunities. Industrial agriculture, for example, has facilitated the emergence of novel influenza strains; high-density poultry farms in Southeast Asia enabled the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 to jump from wild birds into domesticated fowl, where it then became more virulent; swine flu (H1N1) emerged in 2009 from industrial hog farms in the southern United States and Mexico because multiple strains mixed to create a new combination. In the SARS family tree, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome virus (MERS, Middle East, 2012-13), SARS-CoV (China, 2002), and SARS-CoV-2, as well as up to four endemic human coronaviruses (HCoV, Asia, last 100 years) have each had the ecological opportunity to spill over into humans, and have acquired the evolutionary changes necessary for human-to-human transmission, most likely due to the accessibility of lots of humans for those viruses with initial opportunities to test the waters in.

Repairing Our Natural Relationship Today we are facing a pandemic of our own making. We have eroded ecological boundaries between humans and natural systems through wildlife trade and have introduced a novel viral agent into human networks that are both locally dense and globally vast, where it was able to evolve efficient humanto-human transmission. Given the conditions that gave rise to the current pandemic, as well as recent history, there is little question that we are on a trajectory toward simi lar outbreaks in the future. Expanding human popu lations and increasing globalization, greedy economic forces, social pressures, poverty, and dwindling food security will result in continued human encroachment and habitat degradation, tipping balanced 304 Rare Magazine

and diverse ecosystems into hyperdominant monocultures of humans and domesticated and invasive species, including pathogens.

Given that so many infectious dise ases have emerged from nature, some people might conclude that we’d be better off if we simply paved over the natural world and eliminated all those reservoirs of potential disease. Imagine, though, the simplified, purified world that would result—nothing but humans, our crops, and our livestock, along with the rats, cockroaches, and pigeons that would inevitably pers ist. I’m guessing that most people wouldn’t want to live in such a world. More importantly, such unnatural conditions would actually foster more disease and pandemics rather than fewer. Systems dominated by a mere handful of species are easily invaded by pathogens. Industrial, monoculture farms must fight an ongoing arms race against pests and pathogens with increasingly powerful weapons such as toxic chemicals, copious antibiotics, and genetic modifications. In contrast, small organic, mixedspecies farms garden for diversity and present a more challenging target for fast-evolving microbes, rather than a bullseye of evolutionary opportunity. Similarly, invasive mosquito species that flock to the roadways, clear-cuts, rice paddies, and urban sprawl of human encroachment out-compete diverse communities of disease-free native mosquitoes, bringing more malaria and viral diseases into human populations. The emergence of Zika virus from a low-level and diverse jungle into the invasive mosquito species Aedes aegypti and large populations of humans illustrates yet another pathogen’s evolutionary capacity to respond to the opportunities provided by degraded environments. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, it took mere evolutionary moments for a virus circulating in a population of wild bats to adopt the human body as its

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new habitat. Eliminate bats, you say, along with their roles as pollinators or insectivores? Before we travel down this slippery slope, let us instead consider an alternative, in which rather than eliminating or sanitizing nature, we change our relationship with it. Devastating as it is, COVID-19 is teaching us valuable lessons about how we can collectively respond to a pandemic. Core to this response has been the unprecedented democratization of data and scientific information. Impacted countries worldwide are publicly reporting daily cases and deaths, including georeferencing to help the world track the spread of the disease. At the time of this writing, 67,000 genomes of the infecting viruses have been posted online to GISAID to track its molecular epidemiology, to understand SARSCoV-2 origins, variability, and evolution, and to help design diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Since SARS-CoV-2’s discovery, to date, scientists around the world have released more than 6,600 preprints and published 33,650 peer-reviewed studies, providing critical insights into the virus’s biology, epidemiology, clinical course, immunogenicity, and potential treatments. Seed changes in health care infrastructure coupled with new social media technologies are permanently advancing our future capacity to detect and respond to emerging viral threats. The question is, as we develop proximate solutions, can we be similarly innovative and collective ly impactful in finding ultimate solutions to avoid or mitigate future pandemics. Can we rewrite our relationship with nature? This has already begun. With powerful new tools such as iNaturalist, Seek, and eBird, we are democratizing information about how biodiversity is distributed in nature. Using environmental DNA approaches we are tracking viral diversity in the world, from SARS-CoV-2 progenitors in

bats and pangolins to the origins of many mosquito-borne viruses. All this information tells the same story: When humans encroach upon and modify natural systems, new diseases can emerge because of the ecological and evolutionary opportunities that highly diverse, quickly evolving pathogens can take advantage of. But finding the ultimate solutions is not always straightforward and requires that we identify the drivers of human encroachment in the first place. In Madagascar, for example, people are increasingly turning to farming and hunting native wildlife, simply because they lack any other options. To address the problem, the California Academy of Sciences and Malagasy teams are working to scale up the practice of insect farming as a sustainable source of protein to address food insecurity and reduce the pressure on the forest and its native species. Although projects like this are relatively small in scale, it is these types of approaches that will help to prevent future pandemics. We can no longer ignore the ecological imbalances that lead to spillover events. We can no longer simply wait for future pandemics to flare up before we respond, as we’ve done with COVID-19. The cost of human lives and livelihoods is simply too great. We must instead address the environmental imbalances that have led to outbreaks time and time again and will continue to do so until they’re corrected. After all, the microbial diversity that makes up a significant part of our world is not in itself a threat. Instead, it’s the ways in which we interact with those potential pathogens and provide them with newfound opportunities to evolve and expand into human niches that are the ultimate drivers of pandemic potential, ones that we can and should control before it’s too late.

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T H E P U R E S T TA S T I N G W AT E R O N E A R T H

YO U A R E W H AT YO U D R I N K

As Covid masks of Sorrow Are washed up on the beach

The Masks of Sorrow MICHAEL DAKS 2021

And coffee 294198 of shame Come tumbling down our streets, The fiery flames of climate change Are burning up the bush, The temperatures are rising, The ice melts into mush. A Trillion micro plastics Are clogging up our seas And deadly pesticides Are killing all our bees.

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The governments do nothing,

To demonstrate

And let’s be smart.

And activate.

We’ll boycott firms

We must all lend a hand

That won’t take part.

But one lone child says “not enough!”

To make our ‘leaders’ listen,

So catch a train,

When you’re still burning coals.

To make them understand.

The future of our planet

And if they won’t,

Let’s all sustain.

Is really up to us.

Then remonstrate!

Let’s think about

Only we can save it,

The time has come

The World, its worth.

But we must have a plan,

To end debate.

And do our best

So speak your mind

To save the Earth.

Except talk of their goals,

Don’t take that plane, Buy clothes that last,

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Rare The Sustainable Issue '21

Articles inside

The Masks of Sorrow

Pandemics of Our Own Making

Green is the new black

Health Check: what should I eat to improve my skin?

Farvel, Goodbye Single use

Natural Skincare

Fungus to Fashion | How Mushrooms Are Moulding Sustainable Fashion

Clothing with a Cause

Bankers Who Give A Shirt

Fashion Fun

They used their Anger to Faux Leather Fashion

Artisanal and Sustainable

Fashion Scraps | Turning scrap fabric into sustainable clothing

Cradle to Cradle

Eyes on the Prize

Modern Romance

Behno

Making Trashion

Whitepod Eco-LuxuryHotel

Recipes

Only What You Need

All About the Tayst

Family, History, and Sustainability

On the Big Stage

Ideas from the Underbelly

Consciously Sourced & Crafted

Sustainable Home Goods

Nano Living Eight | Big Ideas from One Tiny House