How can influencers help create a new industry standard for transparency?

In conversation with Style with a Smile fashion and lifestyle blogger, Noa Ben-Moshe.

May 5th, 2021

Written by FibreTrace®

It is not only up to the brands to initiate change when it comes to adopting traceability, but also the consumers and influencers to help create a dynamic cultural shift that expects transparent behaviour as the new norm.

For Noa Ben-Moshe, founder of vegan, ethical, sustainable and innovative fashion and lifestyle blog Style with a Smile, transparency must first be at the core of any brand she decides to work with. Noa is well-known in the conscious fashion industry for her passion and commitment to cruelty-free, fair fashion. FibreTrace® spoke to Noa to discuss her views on sustainable fashion and the importance of knowing the social-environmental impact of your clothes in advocating change in the industry.

What does sustainable fashion mean to you?

Sustainable fashion is when ALL living beings AND the planet are taken into consideration. It’s a journey in which we learn, evolve, innovate and do better.

Sustainable fashion has two sides, the producers and the consumers. For brands and producers, it means ensuring fair, transparent and respectful sourcing and working conditions, high-quality materials that last, quality craftsmanship, production that is respectful towards animals and nature and considers the garment’s second life.

Ultimately, sustainable fashion is vegan, fair, transparent, slow, circular and regenerative, recycled or upcycled and thoughtfully made.

From the consumer's point of view, it’s about caring for what we already have in our closets and making it last. Making mindful purchases, making sure we support people and brands we believe in, actually wearing and using what we buy, and taking sustainable actions for post-use consideration.

What is the fashion industry were you most shocked to learn about?

I was most shocked to discover how cruel the fashion industry can be behind closed doors. Cruelty towards humans; women, men and children, cruelty towards animals and cruelty towards our planet. We've got to keep fighting for a better fashion industry for all, especially the marginalised and underrepresented among us.

How important is knowing the origin and socio-environmental impact of your purchases to you?

It is very important to me.

In fact, I have created a 9-page questionnaire that I always send to any brand that is interested in working with me. It covers questions on everything from social and environmental sustainability, sourcing, materials, labour, end of life of garments and more. I want to make sure that I know the journey of the items I am promoting.

What are some of your favourite vegan resources/accounts?

I love Vilda Magazine by the wonderful Sascha Camilli, F.A.K.E movement by the incredible Jonathan Ohayoun, ELUXE magazine, Plant Based News, LiveKindly and more.

What change would you like to see most from brands?

More transparency, more accountability, more innovation and less greenwashing and inauthenticity! When it comes to sustainability, all of us - including brands - can learn, evolve and do better.

In regards to social sustainability, brands have to make labour a top priority when discussing sustainability and ensure that the people behind their clothes are making fair wages and are working in good conditions. There is always a way to improve the materials used and make sure they are as sustainable as possible, made to last, and are mindful of the garment's entire lifecycle.

In the supply chain, brands need to measure and improve water and material waste, avoid harmful dyes and toxic chemicals used for fashion and keep assessing and improving the whole value chain.

Apart from that, I would absolutely love to see brands stopping to use animals for fashion! It is 2021, it is time to move forward and innovate further, there are so many alternatives out there!

And more than anything I would like to see brands producing less, but better.

To read more on Noa, visit her blog Style with a smile at https://stylewithasmile.co