Doing Business By Doing Good

Stories About Real WomenFashion and Sustainability

Jan 29

If you loved Julia Roberts’ portrayal of Vivian in Pretty Woman, you’ll remember the scene when she goes back to the snooty boutique that had asked her to leave. Her “call-girl” outfit gave her away. However, armed with cash from Richard Gere’s character, Edward, she buys out the place. Her transformation from “skank” to classic beauty is an enduring fashion moment.

Still a fan favorite, Pretty Woman is not where fashion lives in the minds of today’s consumers. A combination of COVID and the growing awareness of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment is driving significant change. Forbes cited key trends impacting the industry as we greet 2021.

Data Analytics

“…fashion brands now use data to understand customer preferences, monitor their shopping behavior and create products that meet their needs…The benefits of using data in fashion are numerous: from only producing pieces consumers will actually wear to reducing waste and connecting the right consumers with pieces they will enjoy.”

Sustainability

“Research shows that 88% of consumers want brands to help them be more environmentally friendly…Fashion production releases 10% of the world’s carbon emissions, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined…British design company Vin + Omi harvests its own crops to make clothing from horseradish plants and chestnuts. It also features clothing items made from recycled paint containers. Levi’s unveiled a new collection of denim that uses 96% less water…a major win for clothing that notoriously requires a lot of water to produce.”

Reusable Fashion

According to Vogue, “Fashion has long operated on a linear model, and luxury houses are famous for burning excess stock. But take-back programmes are becoming increasingly popular. The labels that offer these initiatives range from Patagonia and Levi’s to Madewell and Theory. The North Face alone processed 14,342 garments through its Renewed initiative.”

Paying it Forward

It started with Tom’s Shoes. For every pair sold, a free pair was donated to someone in need. No doubt, the popularity of the brand had a lot to do with this new concept of ‘doing business by doing good.’ And the trend has only grown from there, with more and more brands making good of their promise to do business while doing good. Just a few:

• Warby Perker: Buy a pair of glasses and one pair is donated through their “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program.

• Everlane: Works only with ethical factories who pay workers fair wages and respect the environment.

• The Honest Company: Purchases help fund healthy baby and personal care products while supporting valuable research and education.

• Macy’s embraces sustainable clothing brands as a member of the Sustainable Clothing Coalition.

The above is just a short list of recognizable corporations who are part of the movement to pay it forward. When it comes to “doing business and doing good,” one of the oldest habits has turned into one of the newest trends — what the industry is calling “reusable fashion.”

It began with hand-me-downs.

If you’re like me, the oldest in your family, you no doubt did the hand-me-down thing with your younger siblings. My mother was practical; she believed if you took good care of your clothes, there was no reason a dress couldn’t be just as good for the next in line. I have three daughters of my own, and the tradition continues. Each adds her own twist or style to the piece. Their personality and spark shines through it. Now all the dresses are handed down to my young niece. It brings me so much joy every time I see her in one of my girls’ dresses as it brings back fond memories.

Today, hand-me-down fashion is hot. There are even retailers and e-commerce sites that support the trend. I remember a few years back, stopping into a store in a high-end Chicago mall where you could buy a second-hand, well-cared-for Chanel jacket. It was still pricy, but it was the real thing.

Today, hand-me-downs have transformed into a marketplace, with platforms such as Poshmark, Depop and The Real Real. Not only are these apps and platforms reselling reusable fashion, they are helping fashion keep its promise to become part of what matters so much to consumers — doing business and doing good.

La Jolie MLN

I launched La Jolie MLN to give women a place to do what they love most — find a style that expresses your individual feminine power, whether in the workplace or in everyday life. Hand-picked fashion items that we’ll help you mix and match for just the right statement and for any occasion.

We’ll share stories from the front. You’ll get to hear from women in top positions throughout corporate America, entrepreneurs who launched start-ups and those sitting in power position. So, let’s share our experiences, strength and stories. I cordially invite you to join a cohort of empowered women. We want to hear your voice. Visit us at lajoliemln.com

La Jolie MLN gives back

It is important to La Jolie MLN to give back to the community, to women who don’t have the same opportunity as others. And, for that reason, 10% of every purchase will go toward our goal to donate 100 dresses to Dress for Success, a non-for-profit organization that supports underprivileged women to achieve economic independence by providing various services - one of them professional attire for interviews and new employment. For more information about “Dress for Success” please visit their website at dressforsuccess.org.