As you turn the pages of this issue, we invite you to explore a theme that is increasingly vital in the world of fashion: sustainability.
In recent years, the industry has faced significant scrutiny for its continually negative impact on the planet, prompting those in the industry to reevaluate not only how fashion is produced and consumed, but also how it is discussed.
Sustainability is not just a trend; but a commitment to preserving the environment for future generations.
This issue is dedicated to showcasing designers and brands leading the charge towards more eco-conscious practices. From upcycling to utilizing natural fibers and recycling “trash” into something new, we want to highlight those who are reshaping the landscape of the fashion industry.
Sustainability is a shared responsibility, and Mother Earth requires that we all participate in sustainable fashion practices.
Consider the impact each article of clothing has from its creation and its journey into your hands to its potential donation and disposal. Supporting brands that prioritize sustainability and engaging in practices like upcycling and shopping second-hand sends a powerful message about the values that we hold dear.
In this issue, you will discover inspiring interviews, practical tips for making sustainable choices and artfully crafted spreads entirely executed by students at The Ohio State University.
Together, we can foster a more mindful approach to fashion while continuing to celebrate creativity and selfexpression.
Thank you for joining us on this adventure towards a more sustainable future. There is always more to learn and grow from, and having a mindful approach is just the first step.
Get inspired. Get creative. Make a difference!
Love,
Ella Dipold Editor-in-Chief
Lily Polete Editor-in-Chief
Denim on Denim
How Columbus Brands are Changing the Fashion Industry One Pair of Repurposed Jeans at a Time
Integrating the Blue Economy into Fashion for a Greener, or Bluer, Future
The Constant Need For More
The History of Overconsumption and How to Combat It
Fashion Week
Columbus
Celebrates Sustainable Style with Annual Recycled Runway
Dressed in Discard
Chemicals in Cosmetics
The Silent Plastic Pollution Crisis and the Makeup Brands Fighting Back
Threads of Legacy
Wearing Stories and Weaving History
Transforming Everyday Waste into a Bold Fashion Statement
Love Your Mother Earth
Ft. Small Talk, Big Moves: The Journey of an Ethical Columbus Boutique Sidebar
DENIM
DENIM ON How
Columbus Brands are Changing the Fashion Industry One Pair of Repurposed Jeans at a Time
Author: Sabrina Li
Layout: Jocelyn Bailey
Photographers: Ella Dipold, Maggie Harkins, Cora Hernandez
From its origins as durable work apparel to its iconic celebrity and runway presence, denim has come a long way in the fashion industry, but there is still more work to be done.
According to an article from Good On You, the manufacturing process of conventional jeans often involves harmful labor conditions and heavy usage of harmful chemicals and dyes. As these issues are brought to the surface of the fashion industry, the demand for sustainable denim has increased, further encouraging brands to adopt more eco-friendly practices.
This semester, Scarlette Magazine partnered with three Columbus-based, sustainable brands in order to create a photoshoot that sheds light on the importance of sustainable denim in the fashion industry.
New Beginnings, Ryders Repairs and Hinoki are just three of Columbus’ many fashion brands bringing sustainable denim to the forefront of the industry.
Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez
24-year-old Cody Butler — an Ohio State alum and the founder of New Beginnings, an online upcycled fashion brand — said he set out to find a sustainable fashion outlet in the spring of 2023 and just under a year later, in February of this year, New Beginnings was born.
Butler said when creating the brand, he drew inspiration from his friend Kai Gordon, who he attended New York Fashion Week with in February of this year.
“After that stylist gig, more people saw my pants through that photoshoot and [that was when] I found my direction,” Butler said. “So Feb. 5, I quit my full-time job [and] two days later, I go to New York Fashion Week and dropped my first five products.”
Butler said the sustainable aspect of the brand was something he valued from the start.
“I want to be very transparent about the process and me making them and everything.,” Butler said. “So I took videos of me making them, sourcing them, so [customers] can see all the transparency of like everything, sustainably, locally sourced and then handcrafted by me.”
Butler said his vision for the future of New Beginnings is to make custom clothing that people can feel good in and also see the care that is put into creating each piece.
“I wouldn’t make it if I wouldn’t wear it myself, it’s truly authentic to my style,” Butler said.“I also want [customers] to feel that what they’re wearing, the person that made them also cares about, like eco-conscious things and mindfulness.”
Butler said the ultimate goal of the brand is to spread awareness about upcycling and repurposing clothing. He said that is truly the principle the brand was built on.
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit:
I’ll go to all these local spots and source things, or even, go to Goodwills, thrift stores, and I just kind of have a knack for looking for material,” Butler said. “You can tell when a pair of denim jeans is quality, just by feeling the jean and knowing it was gonna last. I try to find clothes that I know [have] already lasted 20 plus years, and I know they’re just going to look better and better and fade much better.
According to a Feb. 1 Instagram post from New Beginnings, “Infusing each piece with the spirit of renewal and sustainability” is how the brand offers not just garments, but “opportunities for fresh starts and conscious choices giving the Same Clothes, New Beginnings.”
Following a similar path, Ryder Mollica — the founder of Columbus-based denim repair shop, Ryders Repairs— is sewing new life into old jeans.
As a self-taught sewer, Mollica said the inspiration to learn to sew, and eventually to start his business — located at 2930 N. High Street in Clintonville, Ohio — came from years of ripped jeans due to his skateboarding hobby.
“My underwear would be exposed and I wasn’t liking that,” Mollica said. “So I just learned how to hand stitch my butt up and then I learned how to sew on a machine, it all stemmed from hand stitching really small things.”
Mollica said he wants to provide a space in which people can bring in items that many other tailors would turn down — including tents, sleeping bags, leather and heavy-weight denim — but also, a space where people can bring their favorite items, that after years of use, need a facelift.
“I want people to trust me with their favorite clothes and not have any doubts in their mind that I’m going to fail,” Mollica said. “I want people to think about a tailor shop and think, ‘Hey, there’s some things they can’t do. Why don’t I bring them to Ryder?’ That’s my idea. I want to tap into the untapped market that’s been here for almost 1,000 years.”
After finishing repairs on his customer’s denim, Mollica said there is one message he hopes they take away.
“I think the most important thing is to never throw away your jeans, especially if they have sentimental value,” Mollica said. “They would do better sitting on your wall as decoration than in the landfill, in my opinion. So after people get their clothes repaired, I tell them to wear them hard, push the repairs to the limits, and when they blow open, come back to me.”
“
I
can’t stop landfills [and] I can’t stop 100% of people from throwing away their clothes, but if I can stop
I’ll be happy”
Mollica said although he is aware of the pollution crisis the fashion industry has created over the years, he is still determined to make a difference in Columbus.
“I can’t stop landfills [and] I can’t stop 100% of people from throwing away their clothes, but if I can stop 50%, I’ll be happy,” Mollica said.
Mollica said his hope for the brand is to eventually create custom denim pieces, still using repurposed denim of course.
“[The] end goal is really to be everyone on the streets of Clintonville having pants made by me, designed by me, constructed by me,” Mollica said. “That’s where I want to expand fully. The repairs just keep the lights on.”
New Beginnings and Ryders Repairs are just a few examples of brands that focus on the urgency of sustainability.
Although environmentally-friendly practices are surfacing more and more in the media, misinformation is still extensive and the motivation for consumers to contribute to our Earth is still scarce.
Denim has stood the test of time, having spent countless years serving as a workwear staple and continuing to be revamped for celebrity outfits and designer runways, but the idea of sustainable denim is still forthcoming.
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
As a woman-owned, sustainable clothing storefront located in Columbus’ Short North neighborhood, Hinoki has been influential in driving Columbus buyers to choose more eco-friendly clothing options.
Amy Fisher, one of Hinoki’s co-owners, said the storefront — located at 716 N. High St. — sources clothing from other brands, including Los Angeles-based brand Road to Nowhere and eco-friendly denim company Warp + Weft, in order to provide a space for customers to shop a variety of sustainable clothing options.
Because of her sustainable approach, Fisher said over the years, she has had to turn down brands that didn’t align with the shop’s full mission and values to provide eco-friendly clothing options to its customers.
“We’ve had to turn down some brands that we think are really cute and would do really well in the store, but if they’re not willing to put forth that effort, then we can’t put our name behind it,” Fisher said.
Fisher said since her childhood, sustainability has been something that is very important to her.
“Even as a kid, we would give my grandparents a hard time because they didn’t recycle, and it was just always been important to me,” Fisher said. “I’ve always bought from Poshmark. I’ve always liked thrifting, but I like new things as well. I like things that you know, like a sofa, for instance, that you can recover. Like, I’ve always been interested in that type of idea.”
Fisher spoke on behalf of the company about how they source their clothing. She said sustainability is one of the shop’s top priorities.
“It’s not 100% but I would say probably 90% of everything that we purchase has some sort of sustainable lean. So, like, our denim, we try to find denim that’s recycled,” Fisher said. “When [we’re] creating the denim, a lot of times we try to pick pieces that you’re not gonna want to get rid of for a long time.”
Fisher expressed her interest in expanding Hinoki, which she said she hopes will eventually include the additon of a vintage section.
“If we had the time to do it, we would have a vintage section,” Fisher siad. “We would call it ‘Hinoki Loved’ and that would be our section where we would, like our customers could bring in, maybe pieces that they’ve bought through us, and we would upcycle them.”
Although each of these storefronts serves a unique purpose in the fashion industry — tailoring, repurposing and sourcing — each of them shares one thing in common, the shared understanding of the importance of sustainability.
We’ve had to turn down some brands that we think are really cute and would do really well in the store, but if they’re not willing to put forth that effort, then we can’t put our name behind it.
Ryders Repairs, New Beginnings and Hinoki are all examples of renewable innovation, serving as a reminder to consumers that change in our fashion industry is possible.
With the continued threat of rising sea levels, the growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a collection of marine debris that has accumulated on the sea floor of the North Pacific Ocean — and increasing news coverage regarding natural disasters, one can’t help but wonder what they can do to help.
With concerns regarding climate change increasing, the concept of a “blue economy” has emerged.
As defined by a United Nations article, a blue economy “comprises a range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable.”
Integrating the blue economy into the fashion industry will help humans work towards a more sustainable future.
According to an article from the United Nations, it takes 2,000 gallons of water, to make one pair of jeans, which is roughly equal to what one human drinks over the course of seven years.
And that’s just the beginning; keeping those jeans in shape demands even more water, while microplastics and chemical dyes from the fabric eventually find their way back into our water systems.
Traditional fashion materials rely on water and chemicals which can be harmful in many ways, but one new and beneficial way the fashion industry and the blue economy can work together is by using marinebased, sustainable clothing materials such as seaweed, kelp and algae.
One example of this new material is Seacell, which, according to fashion brand Another Tomorrow, is “a cellulose fiber enriched with seaweed.”
Photo Credit: Andrés Mira
According to the brand’s website, its production starts with responsibly harvesting seaweed from fjords in Iceland. The seaweed is washed, dried, ground and added to a wood-based solution in a closed-loop system that generates no chemical waste. This process allows for a product that is not only ethically made but is also biodegradable.
Another way fashion brands are implementing elements of the blue economy into their approach is by recycling plastics littered in the ocean as clothing materials.
According to the Maritime Aquarium, Americans use about 50 billion plastic bottles of water each year, but only a fraction — less than a third — makes it to a recycling bin. The rest is left to pile up in landfills or scatter as litter across our landscapes and waterways. By repurposing this plastic waste, the fashion industry can help pull these pollutants out of the ocean, offering a small yet meaningful step toward tackling a far larger environmental challenge.
Patagonia is one of many brands that have begun including these recycling methods. According to the brand’s website, it uses discarded fishing nets from fishing communities around the world as a clothing material they call “NetPlus.”
According to Patagonia’s website, used fishing nets are often discarded once frayed due to a “lack of end-of-life solutions” in the industry. However, Bureo, a net collection company based in California, is trying to negate the need for virgin plastics, providing a more responsible alternative.
Through their programs, the company works to sort, clean and shred the nets, then recycle them into NetPlus, a fully traceable postconsumer material.
Photo Credit: Andrés Mira
Photo Credit: Meg Resweber
Shoot leads: Ella Dipold & Paige Kadar | Designer: Scarlett Yu | Models: Belle Atkins, Sierra Hudson, Gracelyn Johns, Siya Patel, Sneh Rai, Aliyse Stokes, Scarlett Yu | Stylists: Kaia Lewis & Alexis Phillips
Photo Credit: Meg Resweber
Photo Credit: Noor Pasha
The History of Overconsumption & How to Combat It
Author: Katelyn Wescott
Photographers: Sierra Hudson, Paige Kadar, Noor Pasha, Marin Zbawiony
Layout: Abby Nocera
While scrolling through social media feeds it can feel as though the same words and phrases are continuously reappearing — “try-on haul,” “Amazon storefront,” “TikTok shop,” “online shopping spree” — and the list, like the many featured products, can go on.
The constant bombardment of hauls and commodities is just the newest tactic used to influence viewers to buy more and more, regardless if they need to or not. This new age of influencing is simply the newest way to promote overconsumption.
FAST FASHION TAKEOVER
According to a January 2024 article from Sentient Media, overconsumption occurs when humans consume more resources faster than they can be replenished.
This inability to restore resources has proven to have detrimental effects on our environment. As humans continue to deplete the Earth’s natural resources at such a speed that they can’t be recovered.
According to research highlighted in a May 2021 article from The Guardian, humans would require 1.7 Earths to support their current rates of consumption.
One of the largest sectors in which there are heavy levels of overconsumption is the fashion industry.
As detailed in a 2022 article from Fashion Revolution, fast fashion can be defined as cheaply-made clothing — usually produced with polyester, a synthetic fabric typically derived from petroleum that does not easily break down — created with the intention to be bought and worn only a handful of times and then promptly thrown away.
These fast fashion brands — which most prominently include Shein, Zara, H&M, Forever 21, Cider and Revolve — export production to developing countries where limited labor laws allow brands to pay employees less while also keeping their retail prices cheap.
Has it always been this way? Not particularly. Over the past few years, overconsumption has become a rapidly increasing problem. Many make the argument that our growing consumption rates are due to a growing population, but that isn’t entirely true.
According to an article from Sentient Media, since 1970 the global population has increased by 60% but consumer spending has increased by 400%.
Photo Credit: Paige Kadar
Photo Credit: Noor Pasha
THE IMPACT OF THE
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, nearly all clothing was handmade, meaning only the extremely wealthy were able to purchase pre-made clothing and care about style. However, following the end of the Industrial Revolution, every aspect of everyday life shifted up and down the class pyramid, including fashion.
According to an article from The MIT Press Reader, the first sewing machine was produced in 1829, leading to ready-to-wear clothing and standardized sizes and yet it wasn’t until post-World War I that the United States began to see consumerism on a mass scale.
Photo Credit: Sierra Hudson
Photo Credit: Noor Pasha
After the difficulties of the war, the United States saw the start of purchasing power and the concept of “keeping up with the Joneses,” a phrase popularized by Arthur R. “Pop” Momand in his iconic comic strip of the same name from 1913, according to an article by Book Browse.
“Keeping up with the Joneses” described an individual’s inherent need to constantly compare themselves to their acquaintances, specifically to what products or things they do and don’t have.
The steady increase of consumerism was met quickly with the Great Depression, a time period in which the majority of people didn’t have the money to spend outside of household necessities.
Just after the end of the Great Depression, the country witnessed the largest boom of consumer culture yet, as all production lines were at full force due to the Second World War.
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
According to an article from PBS, Production during the war was what caused the country to be pulled out of the depression, and soldiers were met with plentiful job opportunities and higher wages, all leading to a rise in spending power.
This rise in consumer spending ultimately led to the birth of fast fashion, which we can see throughout the 1960s and 70s.
Photo Credit: Paige Kadar
HOW THE NEW YORK TIMES COINED THE TERM “FAST FASHION”
As the decades rolled on it became easier and easier for fashion brands to make clothes cheaper and faster.
It wasn’t until 1989, that an article from The New York Times used the term “fast fashion.” The publication used the term to describe the clothing company Zara’s ability to bring a piece of clothing to life and put it on display within a 15-day span.
The term quickly caught traction, being used to categorize other popular ‘90s fashion brands including Limited Too, Wet Seal, Bongo and dELia*s.
FAST FASHION IN THE DAYS BEFORE FAST FASHION
Throughout the ‘60s, younger generations were stepping into jobs to which they now had access to incomes they could spend on themselves.
This money was often spent on clothing, specifically in the search for a new style that differed from the clothing their parents would have worn in previous years. It was this cohort that began to see clothing and fashion as a form of selfexpression, as seen with the Mod trend — which showcased the rebellious nature of this new generation through the use of non-traditional colors and bold patterns.
With this influx of younger generations wanting new styles of clothing, Western countries began to see businesses take on an exploitative business model to keep up with this demand for clothes. According to an article from Project Cece, this was when clothes began to be outsourced so they could be cheaper for customers.
THE DIGITAL AGE
The age of the internet and social media has only proven to further exacerbate overconsumption. Social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube allow trends a space to mobilize and die faster than ever.
Trends that fall victim to this cycle are often called microtrends, trends that become pervasive on social media, but die out within a few years or sometimes only months.
With the rise of social media, overconsumption has continued to take over the internet, raising concerns about the health of our planet. In fact, according to an article from Sentient Media, people are buying 60% more clothes than they did in the year 2000, but keeping them for only half as long on average.
Photo Credit: Noor Pasha
FASHION REVOLUTION’S STANCE ON
OVERCONSUMPTION
Avoiding overconsumption is easier said than done. The economy of many Western countries is reliant on consumerism to keep the economy afloat, with millions of jobs on the line.
Nonprofits such as Fashion Revolution are making strides in pressuring companies to make their clothes in more sustainable ways. Those who support these organizations are also helping fight the monster that is overconsumption.
Photo Credit: Paige Kadar
AVOIDING OVERCONSUMPTION
Overconsumption on such a large scale can feel daunting and impossible to fix, but there are ways you can help lower your own consumption.
The most evident way you can improve your personal overconsumption is by changing the way you shop. Shift your purchasing mindset and ask yourself questions while making purchasing decisions such as, “Do I need it?” “If it was $15 more expensive would I still buy it?” and “Will I still be wearing it 1-5 years from now?”
Don’t buy clothing for just a singular wear, instead, try to find ways to repurpose single-wear items or look into clothing rentals for items like gowns or costumes for occasions.
One of the simplest ways to put a halt to your overconsumption is by purchasing second-hand clothing. Before you purchase an item online following a TikTok try-on haul you viewed, ask yourself if this is something you can find at your local thrift store.
When navigating this era of relentless consumption, it’s crucial to remember that our individual choices collectively shape the future of our planet. By becoming more conscious consumers and supporting sustainable practices, we can combat the destructive cycle of overconsumption.
For the past five years, Fashion Week Columbus (FWC), has proven that trash can be treasure with the annual Recycled Runway show.
For the past five years, Fashion Week Columbus (FWC), has proven that trash can be treasure with the annual Recycled Runway show.
The goal of the event is to transform second-hand items and other discarded materials into stunning haute couture designs, proving in the fashion industry, trash can be used to create beauty.
Keira Chatman, the executive director of FWC, said the idea for the event came about following the organization’s partnership with Nurtur Salon + Spa, a Columbus-based eco-friendly salon — located 1581 W. Lane Ave. — that was founded in 2006 by Patrick Thompson along with the help from the Aveda Institute of Columbus.
Chatman said bringing on a sustainable sponsor provided the inspiration needed to work towards creating a sustainable runway event for the week’s event.
“We definitely wanted to make sure that we were giving them their space to have an event with us,” Chatman said. “It made sense to partner with them in terms of fashion because obviously sustainability has been a really big push over the years and continues to really be the focus in the fashion industry.”
Chatman said along with the inclusion of the fur-free runway policy during last year’s FWC, the Recycled Runway helps further the organization’s goal to be as ethical as possible in an industry where they’re often overlooked.
“There are so many elements to fashion that are not just glitz and glam,” Chatman said. “We want to make sure that people understand that we’re very cognizant of the direction the fashion industry is going and just knowing the importance of putting these things on a platform and putting these designers on a platform to allow people to really see, ‘Okay, I don’t need fur and I don’t need leather. I can look for other ways to enjoy fashion without destroying the environment.’”
This year’s Recycled Runway — which took place Oct. 16 in the Idea Foundry, located at 421 W. State St. in Columbus — featured unique designs from eight local designers.
Alex Tremblay, a third-year in psychology at Ohio State and a two-time participant in the FWC Recycled Runway, said his interest in incorporating recycled materials in fashion is what first led him to apply for the runway in 2023.
“I am just really interested in recycled materials in general,” Tremblay said. “I think a lot of what I like to do with fashion is take materials that people don’t necessarily think of as fashionable and I like to turn them into something that can be worn.”
Tremblay said following last year’s event — for which he designed and created a floor-length gown using plastic bags — he felt more prepared for this year’s runway.
“Last year I was honestly so stressed. I had just started really experimenting with recycled materials so I wasn’t sure of what direction I wanted to go so I remember there being a lot of stress around that and finding materials,” Tremblay said. “This year I had more of a direction of what I wanted to do which made the whole process a lot more smooth.”
Tremblay said for this year’s design, he found inspiration in the vibrant coastal textiles of his beloved East Coast, weaving the essence of his home into every stitch.
“I really wanted to showcase fisherman sweaters and I had also bought some fishing nets from the commercial fishing industry so everything was already used or second-hand,” Tremblay said.
Along with the knit fisherman sweaters and fishing net, Tremblay said he also used nautical rope used in lobster traps, which forced him to be creative in the construction of the final look.
“It’s made out of a really hard thick material that you can’t really sew through on a machine so I had to use crochet and tying techniques to fashion that into the skirt shape that I wanted,” Tremblay said. “It is just a lot of trial and error and using different fiber art techniques to get it all together.”
Scarlett Yu, a senior at Olentangy Liberty High School and a first-time Recycled Runway designer, said after creating five pieces for Scarlette Magazine’s ocean-themed photoshoot this semester — a skirt, a jacket, two tops and a dress — she decided to keep the collection going, creating one more ocean-themed look — a floor-length, strapless dress — to showcase during the runway.
“It is ombre, the top is white and it goes to blue, like waves in the ocean,” Yu said. “I cut these petals; I was going to do circles but I ended up making them more of an organic shape. It ended up being this flowy shape that was more natural, like the ocean. The cool thing about them was since I only attached the top of them when my model walked and the dress moved it rippled like the ocean.”
Having designed previous looks out of Duct Tape and paper bags, Yu said she was enthusiastic about working with recycled materials again.
“I’ve always been somebody who loved the idea that I can make anything,” Yu said. “I used to watch these YouTube DIY videos of people making stuff out of cardboard and then I would just make them myself. I just feel like I have more freedom with these unconventional materials.”
Yu said her creative process goes beyond simply designer — it’s also about the challenge of working with unique materials.
“I enjoy working with these unconventional materials but I wanted to do it in a way that people wouldn’t expect so I made up a lot of my own techniques and play around with a lot of materials,” Yu said. “I really wanted to surprise people and show that these ordinary materials that you can get every day, they can surprise you too.”
This being Yu’s first professional runway show, she said it was a unique experience to work with the Nurtur hair and makeup team to bring the final look to life.
“They are students from the salon so it was their chance to practice and express themselves too but I think because of that we all worked together really well,” Yu said. “It wasn’t just about the dress. We had decided to do this wet hair look and then I had got these water droplet beads and we put them dripping around her eyes and her face. It really made it look like she had just come out of the water. She looked like a goddess.”
For more information about FWC and the Recycled Runway, visit the FWC website.
The Silent Plastic Pollution Crisis and the Makeup Brands Fighting Back
Author: Sabrina Li Layout: Addison Kennedy
For years, plastic has been celebrated as one of the most innovative materials ever made, but as the years have progressed, what was once known for its versatility and convenience is now being revealed to harm our bodies and the world’s ecosystems at large.
Beyond the microfibers — small plastic fibers like nylon and polyester that are often found woven into clothing — microplastics are frequently added into makeup products to aid in exfoliating. According to an ADA Cosmetics blog post from April of this year — a sustainable hotel cosmetics company — these microplastics are commonly found in eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, lipstick and lip gloss, both to aid in exfoliation and to add sparkle or texture.
Though many grew up learning about the“three Rs” — reduce, reuse and recycle — there are not many who have come to realize how much the microplastics in cosmetics can truly affect the environment.
In recent years, particularly with the 2020 VSCO girl “save the turtles” trend and the COVID-19 pandemic, messages surrounding the importance of taking care of both ourselves and our environment have become more and more openly discussed. Entering the 2020s, these trends shed light on many zero-waste companies within the beauty and fashion industry.
Check out some of Scarlette Magazine’s top picks for industryleading sustainable cosmetics brands.
ELATE BEAUTY
According to a March 2023 article from Sustainable Earth, “beauty packaging amounts to 120 billion units of trash each year, including plastic, paper, glass and metals that are improperly recycled and ultimately end up in landfills.”
Many cosmetic brands have tried to decrease this number by using non-toxic ingredients, having an energy-efficient manufacturing process, reducing unnecessary packaging or switching to more sustainable materials. Elate Beauty is one of those brands.
According to its website, the brand uses metal and bamboo containers to package its makeup.
According to the brand’s website, the Lip Stick is made with PEFC-certified — Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification — California cedarwood and 100% aluminum, which reduces plastic usage and lowers environmental emissions. The product also features water-based ink which allows for a recyclable package.
ILIA BEAUTY
Winning eleven awards — from publications including Glamour and Allure — for the best clean, lengthening mascara, ILIA Beauty has become one of few mainstream cosmetics brands known to advocate for sustainability in the industry.
According to the brand’s website, it strives to alter the reality of clean beauty by providing products that protect and revive skin without harmful chemicals. According to ILIA Beauty’s Ingredients and Products webpage, every single ingredient added is disclosed for full customer transparency.
The brand also strives to incorporate sustainable packaging in its business model. According to ILIA Beauty’s website, the Limitless Lash Mascara is just one of the brand’s many products that is created using a mono-material tube that reduces carbon emissions by 46% and waste by up to 20%.
With sustainable brands such as ILIA Beauty taking over the beauty industry, more and more brands are prioritizing transparency with their customers.
AXIOLOGY BEAUTY
Famous for its ten ingredients or less, plastic-free products, Axiology Beauty is also “100% vegan, cruelty-free & palm-oil free,” according to its website.
According to its website, Ericka Rodriguez, founder and CEO, said, sustainability is the baseline of the brand, serving as a must-meet standard for all of its products.
“Yes our lipsticks were ethically sourced, cruelty-free, vegan and the tubes were made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, but it was still waste that would eventually end up in a landfill or our oceans,” Rodriguez said. “So in 2022, we ditched all of our plastic and focused our efforts on fighting the beauty industry’s massive plastic waste problem.”
According to the brand’s website, one of Axiology’s best sellers, the Balmie Single, a three-in-one, eco-friendly product that can be interchangeably used for eyes, lips and cheeks. Not only do they offer a matte finish, but they are also packaged in recyclable materials and instead have a tubeless application for reduced environmental impact.
KJAER WEIS
Kristen Kjaer Weis, owner of the Danish makeup brand Kjaer Weis, grew up on a farm in Denmark, raised to do everything organically. According to the brand’s website, when Weis wanted to move to the city to attend the prestigious Christian Chauveau School of Artistic Makeup in Paris, this love for nature stuck with her.
Later moving to New York City, Weis found that many were sacrificing the health of their skin by using irritating, synthetic makeup products. Coming into the industry at a time when natural makeup products were not held to the same standards as the more mainstream synthetic products, Weis used her knowledge of beauty and the natural world to create the brand, becoming a pioneer in organic, luxury beauty.
According to the brand’s website, each ingredient in its products has been “carefully considered for its ability to work with the skin, not against it.”
One of the brand’s best-selling products, The Beautiful Eye Balm, uses certified organic ingredients including sweet almond oil, root of light and rosehip seed oil. The balm is meant to be used under the eyes in order to cushion and brighten skin.
SAIE
Popular in Sephora stores around the country, Saie not only gives off a dewy look, but also emphasizes clean beauty and effortless application in all of its products.
According to its website, Saie is “synthetic, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, organic, dermatologist-tested, safe and effective and paraben-free.” Each product is designed with transparency in mind, ensuring customers know exactly what goes into their cosmetics.
Created by Laney Crowell, Saie was started because Crowell wanted to see a cosmetic community that was eco-conscious about what consumers put into their bodies, according to the brand’s website.
The Saie Climate Initiative, according to the brand’s website, is the brand’s “commitment to immediately take direct action to combat climate change with care for the future of our shared planet.”
The initiative is made up of three general components, according to the brand’s website. The “Clean the Planet” has helped save over 5 million pounds of plastic over the course of three years. The “Raise the Standard to Zero” aspect refers to the brand’s commitment to having a carbon amount of net zero across all emissions scopes by 2039 and the “Invest in Women” aspect refers to the all-women board of experts the brand promotes.
One of Saie’s standout products, according to its website, is the Glowy Super Gel, which has gained popularity for its lightweight, illuminating formula. The product comes in three varying shades, a champagne-tinted “Starglow,” the bronze “Sunglow” and the new rose gold “Roseglow.”
INIKA ORGANIC
Founded in Australia, INIKA Organic aims to provide highquality makeup that is both effective and environmentally friendly, according to its website. The brand prides itself on being 100% vegan, cruelty-free and free from harmful chemicals, ensuring that every product is safe for both users and the planet.
According to its website, INIKA also markets its products as being “pure.”
“More than clean. We are PURE. We’ve taken a modern and organic approach that replaces standard beauty products with something naturally extraordinary. We believe it’s important to know what you are putting on your skin, which is why we pride ourselves on creating 100% natural products that are effective and completely free of synthetics.”
According to its website, sustainability is at the core of INIKA’s purpose. The brand utilizes eco-friendly packaging and has responsible sourcing practices.
One of the brand’s best-selling products is its Organic Lip & Cheek Cream, a multi-use cream that can be used as both a lipstick and eyeshadow. According to the brand’s website, the cream is formulated with sweet almond oil, which is rich in Vitamin E and hypoallergenic Brazilian carnauba wax.
provided by Adobe Stock and brand websites
Photos
Scarlette Magazine’s top six picks for sustainable makeup and cosmetic products.
AN ECO-FRIENDLY, 3-IN-1 LIP, CHEEK & EYE BALM
Axiology Beauty’s Balmie
Singles are a multipurpose crayon tool that can be used as an eyeshadow, a lipstick and a blush. The product is not only created using sustainable packaging but also sustainable ingredients including organic castor oil, organic sunflower oil and organic hemp seed oil.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE EYE CREAM
Kjaer Weis’s The Beautiful Eye Balm is not just an eye cream, it is skincare. The balm is a “beauty ritual that will revitalize your eyes.” The balm moisturizes and plumps the under-eye base providing results that cushion and brighten the under eye area.
INTRODUCING THE GLOWY SUPER GEL
LONG-WEARING LIP CRAYON
Elate Beauty’s Lip Stick is “moisturizing and longwearing for even the driest lips.” The pencil — which is made with vitamin E and rice bran oil — can be used as a lip liner or to color inside the lines. The pencil comes in six unique colors including
Saie’s Glowy Super Gel is a lightweight, multipurpose illuminator with a gel formula that “gives an effortless radiance without glitter or strobe.” The product is completely crueltyfree, gluten-free, non-comedogenic and vegan and comes in three varying shades, including a champagne-toned “Starglow,” the bronze “Starglow” and the new rose gold “Roseglow.”
FEELING FLUSHED INKA
Organic’s Lip & Cheek Cream is a multi-use cream that can be used for cheeks, lips and eyes, to “create a healthy, flushed look.” Formulated with hydrating sweet almond oil, which is rich in Vitamin E, and hypoallergenic Brazilian Carnauba Wax, the certified organic, natural formula glides on effortlessly, working to nourish and protect skin for softness and bounce.
AWARD-WINNING MASCARA ILIA
Ilia Beauty’s Limitless Lash Mascara is an eleven-time award-winning clean mascara that goes “above and beyond the expectations of any natural mascara.” Boosted with Arginine and Organic Shea Butter, the lightweight mascara nourishes and conditions lashes with each swipe. The dual-sided wand allows for customizable lash looks — the shorter side curls and lifts, while the longer, comb-like side separates and lengthens with precision.
Threads of Legacy: Wearing Stories and Weaving History
Author: Paige McBane
Photographers: Franco Alvarez & Maggie
Harkins
Layout: Haylie DiCarlo
Today’s style icons aren’t just wearing clothes — they’re wearing chapters of family folklore, finding sustainability in the timeless threads of the past.
Beneath the mothball scent and faded colors, these garments whisper with an intimacy and history that no new trend can emulate. To wear a grandmother’s lacetrimmed blouse, a father’s weathered leather jacket or a mother’s embroidered scarf is to step into an unspoken story woven over generations, celebrating fashion that’s both environmentally conscious and deeply personal.
These pieces carry the weight of secrets, heartaches and joys, holding within their stitches the alchemy of time and memory.
In a world of fleeting fashion, these heirlooms become relics of familial reverie, each article a vessel of identity, a sartorial keepsake that invites wearers into a personal ballad as old as the fabric itself.
Chengetai Dziba’s Leather Jacket & Red Scarf
When Chengetai Dziba, a second-year in strategic communications and fashion and retail studies, steps out in her father’s leather jacket, it feels as if she’s wrapped in his wisdom, resilience and the adventures he wore into its worn seams.
Paired with her mother’s vibrant red scarf — a flash of warmth and elegance — she’s carrying pieces of home on her shoulders, transforming every step into a tribute to the style and spirit of her family.
Dziba said these aren’t merely fashion choices — they’re keepsakes that seamlessly blend her parents’ Zimbabwean heritage with her contemporary style.
“I honestly loved having the jacket and the top together because, to me, it gave kind of modern edgy, because it’s honestly not even my style personally until I put it on,” Dziba said. “I love having [the scarf] as a top, just to kind of give a more modern spin on it. Just having more pops of color, and making it a more complete outfit and finally showing that the simple things can be really cool too.“
Dziba said her father received his leather jacket as a gift when he first arrived in America in the early 1990s. Staying with his aunt in Minnesota, Dziba said she believed he would need something warm for the harsh winters and for his upcoming college experience in Kentucky.
“He’s literally had it ever since, and he just got it rewind, like, two or three years ago,” Dziba said. “He had the lining redone and everything, so now it’s literally as good as new.”
Dziba said whenever she wears the jacket she feels an unmistakable connection to her father’s spirit, as if each stitch and crease echoed with the stories of his adventures and dreams, allowing her to honor his journey while forging her own path.
“Iit felt really special, especially for my dad, because my parents are divorced, and I have a relationship with my dad and everything, but I feel like I don’t do as much for him and give him credit and recognize him,” Dziba said. “It just was really meaningful to do something like that for him.”
Dziba said raiding her mother’s closet has become a cherished ritual, yet styling the vibrant red scarf offered her a unique glimpse into her mother’s life and the stories woven into each thread.
“I stole it from her years ago, so it was like nothing, but it was so cool to share that with her and just also make it something that I would do,” Dziba said. “My mom, she’s always really loved fashion, pop culture stuff, so I think seeing it in a more modern way is really cool.”
Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit: Franco Alverez
Meredith Whitaker’s Midi Dress & Costume Jewelry
As Meredith Whitaker, a third-year in architecture, twirled in her elegant midi dress, the fabric billowed around her like a whisper of the past, each flutter echoing the grace of generations.
Adorned with her grandmother’s shimmering costume necklaces and earrings, Whitaker said she felt an enchanting connection to the women who came before her, each piece a sparkling testament to their stories and style.
Whitaker said when wearing the pieces fashion transcended mere aesthetics — becoming a canvas of heritage and allowing her to walk through the corridors of her family’s history while making a statement of her own.
Whitaker described her grandmother’s jewelry as “cheapo” but irresistibly charming, with a gaudy flair that feels both playful and timeless.
“So much of the stuff I wear jewelry-wise is my grandma’s,” Whitaker said. “I feel like it’s almost like unconscious at this point because 90% of the stuff I go to put on is hers.”
Despite her grandmother’s traditionally conservative views, Whitaker said she treasures wearing her jewelry, seeing each piece as a bridge between their contrasting worlds and a reminder of the elegance her grandmother cherished.
“I just remember when I was younger hearing her say things about women’s bodies on the TV and stuff,” Whitaker said. “But she’s a collector and keeper, which is like me, and that’s the complete opposite of my parents, so that’s where I get it from, and obviously she was amazing to me.”
While Whitaker said her knack for holding onto treasures is a gift from her grandmother, the cherished midi dress was a lucky rescue from her mother — a true minimalist who was ready to let it go without a second thought until Whitaker stepped in to claim it.
“I keep everything that has little to no sentimental value, and she’s the complete opposite,” Whitaker said. “She throws away or donates everything. So [the dress] was one of the ones that she actually had and actually liked. She’s very understated and just clean and classic, and pretty much only wears black.”
Whitaker said donning her mother’s dress was like stepping into a cherished piece of her own guiding constellation. As she slipped into the familiar fabric, Whitaker said she felt as though she was wrapped not only in her mother’s style but also in the quiet strength and grace she hoped to emulate, as if each stitch held a piece of the legacy she aspired to carry forward.
“She’s definitely the most influential role model I’ve had in my life,” Whitaker said. “Everything I do I feel like is from her. When I see other people’s relationships with their parents, or just how they were raised, it just makes me very appreciative [of] my mom.”
Whitaker said her prurience for vintage clothing stems from a combination of practicality and sentimentality.
“I don’t know that makes it so much more fun when you’re out and someone’s like, ‘Oh, where’d you get that?’ and then it’s like, no, you can’t have it, and it just makes it more sweet,” Whitaker said. “It’s a plus you’re keeping things out of the landfill [and] you’re not spending nearly as much money.”
Amelia Reedy’s Shawl & Black Dress
Amelia Reedy, a first-year in mechanical engineering, donned her mother’s woven shawl and elegant black dress.
Each time she wraps herself in the shawl or smooths the dress’s fabric, Reedy said she feels a grounding sense of connection to her roots — a stylish reminder of her relationship with her mother.
“When I was in high school, I did track and marching band, and she would always come to all of my meets and everything to support,” Reedy said. “She always made herself a part of my life.”
Reedy said bearing her mother’s regalia tore down her personal walls, effortlessly blending her own passions with her shining stars.
“It just felt like it was a part of me, like part of her came out because I’m part of my dad, I’m part of my mom, but it felt like I was like my mom for a day,” Reedy said. “I also felt like the clothes were really pretty, and it made me feel more important, more professional because my mom is a working mom. She’s the head of the house, and she’s who I look up to.”
Reedy said the clothes operate as a home away from home. She proudly hangs her mother’s clothes in the front of her open closet, serving as a constant reminder of her rock’s consistent support.
“Every time I walk past [the clothes], especially the shawl, I get to see that and I think of my mom and what she’s done to allow me to come here and live on my own,” Reedy said. “It is also really comforting because I don’t talk to her every day, so it feels like a part of her is still with me here.”
Reedy said styling the pieces in a way to accentuate the details rather than ensconce them was prohibitively epochal to maintaining the piece’s character.
“I was trying to stand out, instead of trying to hide away the shawl,” Reedy said. “I had accessories that accentuated it. It just made me feel more confident overall, instead of hiding, I guess.”
Reedy said it’s vital for people to pass down their clothing, as each piece serves as a tangible link to the past, sharing generational stories that connect us to our roots and shape our identities.
“I think it allows those memories and those stories to be passed on throughout generations so that your stories never go untold,” Reedy said. “If I ever pass it down to my kids, then the stories can keep going throughout the generations.”
Lexi Korff’s Overalls
Lexi Korff, a first-year student with an undeclared major, sported a pair of beige overalls given to her by her stepgrandmother, solidifying their connection through not blood, but clothes.
“I’m pretty close to her, even though she’s not my relative. I see her really frequently,” Korff said. “She gives me a lot of old clothes that were hers.”
Korff said she has a deep love for overalls — not only for their family history but because they bring a playful charm that aligns with her personal style.
“Personally, I really like wearing overalls,” Korff said. “I usually wear some sort of baby tee underneath them or some sort of bandeau.”
Despite recent years filled with invasive surgeries and chronic pain, Korff said her stepgrandmother remains steadfast. Korff said each time she wears her clothes, she’s reminded of the resilience it takes to face adversity with grace.
“She’s always thinking about her community and the people around her, rather than choosing to complain and think about herself,” Korff said.
Korff said she admires her stepgrandmother’s strength, shaped by a life of profound challenges — from giving birth as a teenager and navigating a strained relationship with her daughter to raising her granddaughter as her own amidst her daughter’s struggle with addiction.
“I think she’s been through a lot in her life,” Korff said. “She bounces back. She always has a smile on her face and she always tries to make sure that everyone else is taken care of before herself.
Korff said she treasures having the overalls adorned on a hanger in her closet, as they serve as a home away from home. Each time she slips them on, Korff said she’s reminded she’s wrapped in the love and support of those who care about her, no matter where she goes.
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Lily Gray’s Cowboy Boots, Dress & Silk Robe
Lily Gray, a third-year in communication technology, slipped her feet into her stepmother’s well-worn turquoise, butterfly-speckled cowboy boots,wearing the shoes of those before her.
“My stepmom is the one who actually got me into fashion,” Gray said. “One of the main ways that we bonded and became close was through clothing.”
Gray slipped into a flowing white dress from her Aunt Sarah, the woman who Gray said first opened her eyes to the magic of art museums. Acquired through her aunt’s whimsical clothing swaps in Chicago, the dress radiates a playful spirit and modern flair, perfectly capturing her aunt’s bold influence and creative soul.
“She lived out in Chicago for quite a while, so she’s always been like the cool aunt to me,” Gray said. “She was working at the Art Institute of Chicago and she had a position pretty high up there. She was a curator. And I thought that that was the coolest thing ever as a little dorky art kid.”
Completing the ensemble is a luxurious silk robe, a cherished heirloom that has gracefully transitioned from her grandmother to her mother and now to her, wrapping Gray in generations of warmth and wisdom.
“I like to put [the robe] on when I’m watering my plants,” Gray said. “It just makes me feel grounded and connected to the people who came before me.”
Gray said she finds herself drawn to pieces rich with sentiment, often adorning her outfits with vintage clock necklaces. For her, these delicate, non-ticking timepieces carry a whimsical irony — a reminder of time’s passing, captured in elegant stillness, even though their hands are forever frozen.
“Time is such an important part of everybody’s story, and it’s important to remember that you’re not an isolated actor in your own life,” Gray said. “You’re a piece of a puzzle. And those were necklaces that I was wearing that belonged to women before me. I don’t know who they are, but it really reminds me that what you do today has the potential to make a lasting impact.”
Gray said she finds a quiet beauty in combining these treasured pieces, weaving together the lives of different people and moments into a single look that feels like a living collage of stories and eras.
“I never would have thought to put them together like that,” Gray said. “Just getting to see that on display was pretty cool, especially because it’s from all these strong, powerful women in my family who I look up to for various reasons. I guess it’s almost like putting some armor on.”
Gray said hand-me-downs aren’t just thrifted treasures — they’re bold statements against the fast-paced, wasteful cycle of fashion.
“You don’t need to be ashamed of wearing a hand-me-down,” Gray said. “It’s bad***. It has a story. Fast fashion is causing real harm to the environment [and] if you have something passed down to you, wear. Be proud of it.”
Transforming Everyday Waste into a Bold Fashion Statement
Author: Samantha Harden & Paige McBane
Photographer: Averie Ison and Abby Nocera
Layout: Addison Kennedy
Photo Credit: Averie
Not only is plastic considered the fashion industry’s best-kept secret, but it’s also its dirtiest.
This semester, Scarlette Magazine dove into the often-overlooked reality of plastic use in the fashion industry, spotlighting how synthetic materials have infiltrated nearly every corner of our closets with a photoshoot that reimagines “trash” as wearable art.
In the photoshoot, models ditched traditional fabrics, donning one-of-a-kind outfits pieced together entirely from recycled materials, exposing the synthetic threads woven into our closets.
Averie Ison, a third-year in communications at Ohio State and the creative director of the photoshoot, said the goal was to showcase how these items could be repurposed in ways that people may have never thought of.
“It’s important because it makes use of things that are overlooked and that people just discard,” Ison said.
“I thought it would be a unique shoot because we can use our creativity rather than just trying to source clothes from other places.”
Ison said the photoshoot consisted of four looks, one made entirely of bubble wrap, one made with plastic wrap, one made of aluminum soda cans and one that consisted of a pill bottle bralette.
“We thought it would be cool to make use of all the different materials that people use each day,” Ison said.
“We use plastic every day, we use aluminum when we drink cans and we use bubble wrap when we get packages so I think it was our idea to use things that are used in everyday life to make [these] looks.”
Ison said since the photoshoot required an abundance of recycled materials, enlisting the help of Buckeye Precious Plastic — the Ohio State chapter of an international nonprofit organization that aims to educate others about plastic pollution — was essential.
Kiara Dixon, a third-year in industrial engineering and the president of Buckeye Precious Plastic, said the goal of the international nonprofit is to use engineering to reuse plastics for more sustainable purposes, something she has continued through the Ohio State chapter of the organization.
Photo Credit: Abby Nocera
Photo Credit: Averie Ison
“The [Ohio State] Industrial Engineering Department, partnered with our club so we could have a chapter here,” Dixon said. “We collect plastic from students and [organizations] in any form of donation, and then using an injection molding machine that we made, turn it into different things, like key chains.”
Dixon said when Ison came to her about the photoshoot she knew she wanted to help shed light on just how much plastic exists in the clothes we buy.
“There’s a lot of microplastics in clothes. It’s one of the biggest contributors to microplastics,” Dixon said.
“I thought it was a really cool idea that [Ison] wanted to use the plastic itself as the clothes since, I mean, it’s kind of what’s happening anyway.”
Dixon said just like Buckeye Precious Plastic’s mission statement, to educate and encourage students to be cautious of their plastic usage, she hopes this photoshoot will share a similar message.
Photo Credit: Averie Ison
“I hope that people start to think, or just be aware a little bit, about what they’re wearing and how that impacts the environment,” Dixon said. “I think the biggest thing is trying to get as many uses as possible out of any waste that we have.”
Ava Figlar, a second-year in fashion and retail studies at Ohio State and a member of Scarlette Magazine, was one of the participating designers who created an entire dress using nearly 100 soda cans.
“I collected cans for about two weeks beforehand,” Figlar said. “I Gorilla Glued them onto a plain silk dress that was too big for me, so I altered the dress to make it a small, and then glued them on a mannequin that I have in my room.”
Figlar said the photoshoot provided a unique opportunity to don unique materials, such as plastic wrap and soda cans.
“It was awesome to be able to wear trash that I would never want to touch [otherwise],” Figlar said. “All the cans that I used for my dress smelled like beer and frats and so, even cutting them out was so gross. But, when I put it on and I had my necklace on and the hair done with it, it made me feel beautiful. I thought it was awesome, that we could find a way to reshape the trash and make it into fashion. I think of fashion as armor because you put on a great outfit, your day is going to be better automatically. ”
Photo Credit: Abby Nocera
Figlar said her hope in participating in the photoshoot was to shed light on the possibility of reworking used materials.
“I hate that so many brands are still creating so many virgin fabrics for things, so there’s so much textile waste that they wear,” Figlar said. “I feel like that’s my biggest hallmark behind anything that I do in fashion is just, there’s already so much stuff here that we can use.”
Figlar said aside from creating repurposed designs, she has bigger aspirations in terms of sustainability. She said as a part of this year’s Best of Student Startups competition for the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship — an Ohio State center located at 1636 N. High St. in the Gateway University District — she hopes to create sustainable sweatproof women’s business wear by repurposing sweat-wicking clothing that has been donated to thrift stores.
“I have hyperhidrosis [and] that’s part of the reason why I love fashion so much, is because I have excessive sweating disorder, so finding clothes that still make me feel confident, either they show my sweat stains or not, clothes that are still out there that makes me feel confident and other people feel confident,” Figlar said. “I feel like that’s why I love fashion. It can really make me feel amazing during the day or awful and I want to help other people just feel amazing.”
Figlar said she was elated to be a part of the photoshoot because it provided an opportunity to showcase sustainable creativity in fashion.
“There’s so much out there and there’s so much creativity, that there are definitely ways for us to use what’s out there and make beautiful things that tell deeper stories than what’s already being produced through fast fashion,” Figlar said.
Photo Credit: Averie Ison
Shoot leads: Averie Ison assisted by Ella-Paige Kolaska
| Designer: Alex Tremblay | Models: Hannah Baker, Kallyn Buckenmyer, Lizzie Garver, Ava Figler, Rachael Johnson, Fatimata Ndong, Sophie Wu | Stylists: Kaydence Feasel, Addison Kennedy, Mia Schwind | Makeup: Jaylah Estina
Sylvia Plath once wrote, “I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery — air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’”
If you have known nature — really breathed, lived and loved the outside world — you know what Plath meant when she wrote one of her most famous works, “The Bell Jar.”
Photo Credit: Franco Alvarez
Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez
The fact is, our beautiful world has been inspiring art and creation since the dawn of man. From the Greeks and Romans using constellations to write stories in the stars, to Claude Monet choosing the simple water lily as the “pièce de résistance” of his artistic journey in oil paintings, the growth and bloom of this world has never ceased to inspire.
The question remains; who do we have to thank for all of this? No matter what higher power you may turn to for the answer, there’s one that transcends the boundaries of religion or personal belief and her name is Mother Earth.
Since time immemorial, Mother Earth has been used to continuously justify the world we live in. With paintings like Joeseph Werner’s “Diana of Ephesus as Allegory of Nature,” and even something more well-known like Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus,” the female form has been taken and portrayed as a leader of the natural world, and it’s not surprising why.
In art and media, the matriarch stands as a fierce guardian, a symbol of both strength and sanctuary. Ancient Greek legend whispers that Gaia, the first divine presence, rose from the depths of Chaos itself. She was the universe’s first heartbeat, and from her boundless spirit, all creation unfurled — earth, sky and life itself, each woven from her primordial essence.
According to the World History Encyclopedia, Gaia is considered “the supreme or mother goddess.” Given this truth, it’s no surprise that paintings, poetry, spoken tradition and more art forms have witnessed this amazing mother as an all-powerful form of protection, nurturing and growth.
Today, we may have left the name “Gaia” behind, but we still pay homage to our natural mother with a tradition as old as time.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “Mother Earth” was first used in the mid-1500s, by poet and translator George Turberville. Where the official noun came from, however, is largely meaningless when looking at the scope of our beautiful mother, and what she has done for us.
To harness her power, environmentalists today have taken the phrase “Mother Earth” and turned it into a technique meant to appeal and empower their listeners. In exchange for the protection she has given and growth she has inspired in all of us, environmental protection agencies and advocacy groups have been encouraging readers to “Love Your Mother” — a line straight out of the 1970s “Environmental Action Poster,” cataloged by students at the University of Michigan.
The term is as simple as it sounds, love the Earth as if she were your mother. When you think about it, she really is.
In the world of fashion, the industry has taken this newfound sustainability initiative by storm. With “Recycled Runways” leading the news cycles and so-called “slow fashion” — a new move towards slowing down the manufacturing process, that focuses on deliberate, renewable practices throughout manufacturing — making the rounds in shops across the nation, there is an intense shift in trends, both in production and consumption.
While speed used to be key, now the world of clothing is urging companies large and small to simply slow things down. When it comes to fair pay and labor, environmentally-friendly shipping practices and clean, sustainable fabrics, there’s no room for error.
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez
Hernandez
In fact, giants in the world of fashion understand that the stakes are higher than ever. According to an article from Forbes Magazine, businesses aren’t working against the sustainability movement — instead, they’re changing with it.
While working hard to improve their “resilience, efficiency and profitability” — three notions that are always important for the success of a business — Forbes said commercialized fashion is beginning to understand the deep impacts of their actions and understand that making some changes might not be the end of the world. To put it simply, business is good for sustainability and sustainability is good for business.
Nothing rings more true in today’s political-ecofashion-scape. While the world of fashion used to be completely separate from that of sustainability and eco-awareness, the two have now blissfully merged into one space, sensitivity and growth reigning supreme.
Just as no one can recreate the “Mona Lisa,” one simply cannot rebuild the fashion industry from the ground up. In the effort to reform and move forward, there’s one thing to keep in mind, the one who built all of this up for you deserves to be repaid
Love Your Mother.
Photo Credit: Maggie Harkins
Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez
For a store named Small Talk, let me be the first to assure you — these two lovely owners, Suzanne Riska and Chloe Crites, do anything but talk “small.”
Full of energy, these two fashion-loving friends-turnedco-owners use their space in Clintonville, Ohio — located at 3337 N. High St. — as an opportunity to twist tongues, lay out limericks and profess pure poetry to their clients, making everyone feel not only beautiful in everything they try on, but also helping them feel heard in the store.
Clothing can be pretty intimidating. Figuring out your personal style, actually getting yourself to a store and trying things on, only to realize they don’t have your size; Forget it.
In creating their safe haven, Crites and Riska took their personal experiences — as well as their disappointments — to prevent customers from ever feeling like they didn’t belong, or weren’t meant to wear a certain piece or style.
Some brands aren’t size-inclusive, and this is something Crites said she knows well.
“People want more sizes in-store,” Crites said, harkening back to her trials and tribulations as a visual merchandiser. “I’m on the floor listening to people saying they want those sizes. You can’t say there’s no demand.”
This isn’t something that Crites and Riska only felt back in their old positions. It’s a core value that the pair said they’ve carried with them onto their new ventures in sustainability and ethicality.
“It’s ethically wrong, right?” Crites said. “Why don’t they want to cater to the most amount of customers possible? It just doesn’t make sense.”
The thing is, this marketing works like a charm. By being open, honest and more than anything, willing to speak their minds, Small Talk attracts customers that may have only been disappointed in larger retail markets.
Riska said their customers are “very surprised” to hear that their sizes, at minimum, stop at 2X, if not going up to 4X.
Not only are Riska and Crites sticking to their guns, but they’re also doing it all as sustainably as they possibly can, no matter how challenging it gets.
“Environmentally, we just want to know who [is] making it,” Riska said. “We do have power as a consumer. And I think knowing that what you are buying supported someone in their job, whether it was the farmer or the seamstress, it’s kind of like peace of mind.”
Admitting that they’re not perfect, the two co-owners said they’ve learned a lot throughout the process.
“We just try to reuse as much as possible,” Riska said. “We don’t even buy shipping boxes anymore.”
When it comes to their production, advertisement and most importantly, their retail wear, Riska and Crites said they pride themselves in being ecological pioneers. Since their opening in 2017, the two clothing connoisseurs have worked to make connections and build trust within the community, grown their partnerships and solidified their existence as a sustainable, ethical boutique — one that’s here to stay.
When asked what she’s most proud of, Crites said simply, “I’m proud that we’re here.”
Faced with anything, the two are sure to power right on through, dancing through any storm that comes their way.
Author: Olivia Schweinhagen
Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez
Layout: Jocelyn Bailey
Shoot leads: Katherine Gallaugher, Summer Neds & assisted by Olivia Schweinhagen | Models: Reegan Davis, Jasmine Freeman, Lexi Korff, Sabrina Li, Meg Resweber | Makeup: Mia Chan | Stylist: Evelyn Cassady | Clothes Provided By: Small Talk
