While we strive to be Earth-loving citizens every day, Earth Month always inspires us to live just a little bit greener. During this time, some of us detox our makeup kits with clean beauty products, while others among us change up our diets or routines to conserve certain resources. And if you’re the minds behind the eco-conscious clothing brand Reformation, you scheme up how to further cut your carbon footprint in a way that gets fans of your breezy styles extra invested in the cause. Ladies, meet The Low Carb Collection.
Launching today (happy Earth Day indeed), The Low Carb Collection is the gorgeous result of some serious deep-diving into a fundamental — and mega wasteful — part of the fashion business: manufacturing (reality check: it’s the third most polluting industry in the world). Reformation has always aimed to shift those statistics, so to be especially transparent about the resources used to produce each item of its clothing, the brand created a measurement system called Refscale that outlines exactly how much CO2, water and, down the road, other natural resources were used to bring them to life. Those numbers now appear on each product page to help inform customers of the environmental impact of their purchases, and the brand-new Low Carb Collection features pieces that rank the lowest of the low.
The dresses, tops, jumpsuits and matching sets in the line are just what you’d expect out of Reformation: flouncy ’70s-feeling styles with major attitude. Then of course, there’s the super-sustainable twists, like using LA-sourced fabrics including deadstock and Tencel, a handwash-safe fabric made of wood pulp, versus conventional cotton fabrics. “The Gwen Two Piece saves around 24 pounds of CO2 and 2,715 gallons of water compared with its cotton counterpart,” Reformation CEO Yael Aflalo told us in an email interview of the sexy criss-cross top and high-waisted pencil skirt combo. But that’s not even the line’s best performer: the flirty off-the-shoulder Mariana Dress saves 30 pounds of CO2 and 3,464 gallons of water… and don’t even get us started on the repurposed denim that saves 50% more H2O.
“I want people to know that living sustainably doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your style or regular activities,” said Aflalo. “It’s about raising awareness around the simple ways and small steps that people can take to be an active participant in saving the planet,” like participating in Reformation’s #CarbChallenge campaign that asks people to post pictures with their fave yummy carb to highlight the gross one (carbon dioxide). Snapping a selfie with a bowl of spaghetti to promote a greener lifestyle may seem minescule in the scheme of things, but according to Aflalo, there’s no act too small when it comes to sustainability, “whether it be shopping locally, washing garments with cold water or donating and recycling old clothes and fabric. Awareness is the first (and hardest) step — from there, every little bit counts!” Bagels for breakfast, anyone?
What ways are you cutting your carbon footprint this Earth Month? Tell us which eco-conscious fashion brands are your fave in the comments below.
(Photos via Reformation)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.