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How old are you?
28
Where were you born?
Sydney, Australia
Tell us a bit about You Raise the Bar and the message behind the initiative…
At Raise The Bar we transform spent coffee grounds from local Sydney cafes into natural skin care products with zero plastic packaging. I had the idea for Raise The Bar a couple of years ago when I learned about the estimated 100,000 tonnes of spent coffee grounds that go to waste in Australia every year. That is a whole lot of landfill piling up and emitting harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change! I wanted to do something about it so I started collecting spent coffee grounds from cafes near me and experimenting with making skincare products at home to repurpose them. It was a simple idea to be part of the solution to the big problem of waste. A few years in, our ambitions have grown and we’ve moved on from our home kitchen to work with a fantastic manufacturer to scale up our operations so we can have a greater impact. Above all, Raise The Bar is about contributing to a world with less waste and to help spread awareness and start conversations about waste and show the things we throw out often have a lot left to give.
A bit about your take on sustainability in fashion…
What does the concept of ethical fashion mean to you? I will never forget two things from watching a movie called The True Cost: 1. The fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter after the oil industry, 2. That one in six people globally work in the fashion industry. A majority of these workers are women earning less than $3 per day.
So what does ethical fashion mean to me?
It means a huge opportunity to have a positive impact for people and for the planet.
What do you think should be done to promote ethical fashion?
Campaigns like Fashion Revolution are so important because it shines a light on greater transparency in the industry by asking people a simple question “Who made my clothes”. I think it’s something like over 90% of the clothing we buy in Australia is made off-shore, so this question is extremely relevant, and hopefully sparks more questions and more awareness.
What areas do you think fashion brands should be focusing on to create more socially and environmentally responsible business?
What is close to my heart is how brands are tackling waste and climate change.
What role will smaller independent brands play in shaping the future of ethical fashion?
I believe small brands will play a huge role in shaping the future of ethical fashion in terms of innovation and leading this movement from the ground up.
What are your favourite sustainable fashion brands?
Yevu Clothing, Kowtow, Camp Cove Swim, Insecta Shoes, Veja, and Mighty Good Basics (of course).
Who is your style icon?
@breeze_lance and @katherine_sabbath
What is your favourite item in your wardrobe and why?
Tell us the story. I have a vintage black zip-up jumpsuit that I bought in a teeny tiny secondhand store in Brooklyn many years ago. It’s got this awesome front zipper, big thick straps and wide legged pants. I love it because it’s something I can just chuck on and feel good in immediately.
What’s your favourite Mighty Good Basics style and why?
My fave MGB style is the Granny Pants because they are soooooo comfy.
