Why Sustainable Fashion Is Important

While the numbers vary according to exactly what statistic you’re looking at, there’s no way to get around the fact that the fashion industry is a huge cause of pollutants and waste worldwide. Often, clothing and accessories are made with price in mind, rather than sustainability. That,  combined with an increasingly disposable economy, spells trouble — not just for us, but for future generations. When I started Expedition Subsahara, I felt a huge responsibility to work toward not contributing to this larger problem.

In our last two years, we have spent countless hours sourcing high-quality materials locally, like genuine leather and mud cloth made with natural fibers to create our bags and accessories. Our baskets already were made with fast-growing, renewable grasses, and recycled materials. While higher quality accessories may cost a little more at the outset, we bealive that it’s our responsibility as humans to buy and sell ethical fashion choices. For us, “ethical” means constantly thinking about the footprint Expedition Subsahara leaves on the planet and working to reduce that print year after year. 

At the beginning of this year, we switched to 100% paper packaging to further reduce that footprint. These small steps add up to big changes over time. We (all of us) often want to heal the world in big ways yet forget that small incremental changes make a huge impact collectively. Happy Earth Day, Tribe.