Blogger’s View: Finding a Balance with Simply Suzette
Ani Wells is a denim designer and blogger and the owner of Simply Suzette, a sustainable denim shop. Simply Suzette features ethically-produced fabrics, traceable fibers, and upcycled products.
Check out what Ani Wells told Carved in Blue about honing in on sustainability after a lifelong love for fashion.
Carved in Blue: How do you define sustainability?
Ani: Sustainability, to me, is a balancing act. The fashion industry is still learning how to reduce the amount of waste and toxicities it creates, however, innovators are constantly working towards finding better alternatives. It’s not possible to produce anything new with zero waste (at this moment in time), but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to be better. It’s the balance between finding what works for your product and constantly working towards better solutions for it.
Carved in Blue: What do you consider when purchasing denim?
Ani: Denim is traditionally not sustainable, but there are many brands out there using different technologies to save on the water, chemicals, and the amount of energy they are using. When purchasing, I look to how much water has been saved/used in the production process, what dyes they are using (natural vs. synthetic), what the fiber content is, whether lead/nickel free buttons and rivets are used, how their factories dispose of waste, and how the garment workers are being treated.
Carved in Blue: Where do you get information about sustainability?
Ani: I am constantly researching sustainability in the denim industry. I usually read about five articles a day informing me about the new innovations in the denim world! There have been a lot of great articles from Sourcing Journal this past month. I also travel to trade shows to see how mills and manufacturers are changing their ways.
Carved in Blue: Which denim or non-denim brands do you think are doing a good job at balancing sustainability and communication?
Ani: I think Boyish Jeans is a sustainable denim brand really communicating the benefits of their product to their customers. There are some really great sustainable brands out there, but they fail to communicate their sustainable methods in a way that their clients understand. Boyish knows their target extremely well, and knows how to communicate sustainability on an approachable level. This is my goal with Simply Suzette!