There's nothing quite like meeting someone who shares your passion and enthusiasm for ecofashion - so it's been my utter delight to get to know Brooke Hahn, the Founder of ecochic online boutique The Beautiful Think! This vibrant woman's zest for living a holistic and beautiful life is contagious...in the nicest possible way ;-)
Q. What drove you
to create an online sustainable fashion boutique?
I’m a huge fan of Peppermint magazine and am constantly inspired by designers doing amazing things for sustainability.
I love trawling through each issue and discovering new brands, but it struck me
that this process for buying could be made easier – a website where all of
these labels were available in the one place, so that buying eco fashion was as
convenient as buying fast fashion. I wanted to capture that inspired feeling of
being a part of something meaningful; and it needed to be stylish as I’m not a
hippy. (And I wanted to break down the misconception that eco fashion = daggy
fashion).
I thought that if I wanted a
website like this, then other sustainably-minded people must too, so why not go
ahead and create it? You know, as you do… ;)
There were definitely panic
attacks at times and delirious giggles at others (early on when designers
started saying yes and it all became very real), but it has been the most
amazing amazing experience where I’ve been able to meet and connect with so
many like-minded and inspiring people. I love that I get to live and breathe
The Beautiful Think every day! It rocks my world (and my socks).
Q. How would you
describe the design aesthetic of The Beautiful Think in 10 words or less?
Style, meaning,
depth, connection.
They are the four
words that have been with me since TBT began. I took those words to my lovely
graphic designer in the beginning and I’ve been repeating them ever since! The
design aesthetic always needs to embody these elements.
Q. If you could
change one thing about the fashion industry, what would it be and why?
The mass consumption of fast
fashion.
Large, fast fashion retailers
churn out cheap, poor quality garments so that we buy them without really
thinking about the impact – the human and environmental cost to create them. We
wear the garment once or twice before it washes funny or it’s no longer fashionable
(or shiny and new), so it gets thrown to the back of the wardrobe and
eventually ends up in landfill. Then we go and buy the next trend item and do
the same. It’s a cycle that is reinforced by our consuming behaviour, where we
don’t think about our impact (nor are we encouraged to. Thinking could decrease
sales!).
Yet if we make a choice to consume mindfully, with
awareness of the environment and garment industry workers, we can slowly break
this cycle. Then real change can happen, once we shift from the throwaway fashion
and the it-doesn’t-matter-if-I-only- wear-it-once-because-it-was-cheap mindset.
Q. Which ethical
designers are inspiring you right now?
I feel incredibly
inspired by my labels in different ways. Bhalo, One Colour, Kampala Fair,
Sseko, IOU Project, Vyosna and NearFar give me a heart squeeze when I think
about the beautiful artisan communities they provide employment for (people
that might otherwise be lost in the poverty cycle); Starfish for their beyond
stunning collection; MuMu organic for meeting almost all sustainable and
socially responsibility criteria; Colin Leslie Eyewear for his reach into
mainstream media (the Brit Awards woo!) and raising the profile of ethical
fashion. Honestly, I could list them all!
Q. What makes The
Beautiful Think a great choice for eco-conscious fashionistas?
The Beautiful Think is a stylish
website – many people with eco/ethical values aren’t hippies and love beautiful
clothing like everyone else. I really wanted to embody that in the feel of the
site and I think people really love that about it. And on the flipside, TBT
isn’t an empty, just-another-shopping website – it has a feeling and depth all
of its own that makes a real connection with people.
We also have a weekly mindful
living and wellbeing blog/newsletter that covers a range of topics in the
mindful living area that are meaningful for our audience: sustainability,
alternative health, self-love, empowerment, Taoism. The most popular piece I
wrote (which also happened to be my favourite, we’re on the same page!) was
‘Stop worrying and start living The Way’, which covered Winnie the Pooh’s
philosophy on life: simply being.
I think for many people there is
this growing awareness and discomfort in our current system of living; where
something seems a beat off-kilter. TBT really explores and challenges how we
live currently and allows readers the opportunity for greater connection with
themselves, others and the environment.
Q. Do you have a
favourite item in store right now?
I have too many! I
LOVE Veryan’s organic cotton shirts, MT Labels’ bags and clutches, Etrala’s
new 70s inspired collection, Vyosna’s new collection… I could go on and on...
Q. What’s your
advice for young people interested in making a career out of ethical fashion
and design?
The fashion industry
is often regarded (quite accurately so) as being vacuous and hollow. Building a
career in ethical fashion and design takes a hollow industry and injects
meaning and value. Doing something creative that you love that is also
pioneering in sustainable fashion – that
is making a difference, that is
inspiring. Plus I’d love to read about you one day in Peppermint magazine and
feel the buzz, or sell your collections through TBT!
Q. What does the future
hold for The Beautiful Think?
Excitement, inspiration,
happiness, challenge, connection... :)
But along with these lovely
things, the future will be to continue growing and inspiring others in
sustainability, eco fashion and mindful living in general. To build people’s
sustainable wardrobes instead of fast fashion ones; to share more beautiful eco
labels; to change the way we consume and connect with fashion. And of course,
TBT will continue exploring and sharing mindful living and wellbeing topics, to
get people to think about their
impact and ways to live a meaningful, happy and connected life.
You can connect with Brooke + The Beautiful Think via her Facebook, Twitter and Blog!
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