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Your New Go-To Online Ethical Marketplace—Introducing Made Trade

November 1, 2018
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I know that sustainable shopping isn’t always easy, so I love discovering and sharing places that are working to make it easier for us on our conscious living journeys.

Which is why I am proud to partner up with Made Trade—a curated online ethical marketplace bringing together the best of the best from beautiful ethical brands all in one place. 

Before I get too far into talking about Made Trade and their incredible consciously-crafted products, though, I want to be sure to let you know that if you find something you like on Made Trade’s site, you can use my link for $15 off your purchase! 

There are a few ethical marketplaces out there, but Made Trade’s consciously-curated collection of pieces is definitely special. The quality of products, their in-depth look at ethical criteria, and their editorial-level imagery is unmatched. As their tagline on their website quite accurately describes, their marketplace is “a destination for exceptionally designed, ethically made goods.”

The Portland-based one-stop ethical shop focuses on women’s and men’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home goods, with clearly labeled standards for sustainability and ethics that make shopping for your values simple and straightforward. 

I’ll be digging more into the values behind Made Trade a little bit later in the post, but first I wanted to review a couple of pieces that their lovely team sent me to test out and share with you all! 

The Building Block Pendant – Horseshoe Circle (Brand: Days of August)

Sustainable artisan-made necklace from Made Trade

Made entirely from reclaimed stainless steel, handcrafted with care in a carbon neutral studio (the brand uses solar panels to power their studio and plants over 300 trees yearly to offset emissions), this necklace checks off all of my boxes! Oh, and did I mention it’s stunning? Days of August has really hit the sweet spot of minimal yet unique design with this pendant. It’s not everyday you find a brand with products that are sustainable, vegan, ethical, and gorgeous—but this goes to show again that Made Trade has really put some high standards in place for the brands they choose to include on their site!

 

Neutral Sahara Cushion (Brand: Kiliim)

Fair Trade Ethically Made Pillow from Made Trade

Made Trade also has a wide variety of home goods in their online curated shop—including this handmade pillow from Kiliim, a social enterprise based in Egypt focusing on reviving the traditional local craft, kilim, and supporting kilim artisans with fair wages.

While this pillow is stylish enough to be in any major home decor store, I love knowing that it’s so much more. The pieces from Kiliim are keeping a craft alive that’s been passed down through many generations and allowing artisans in a small Egyptian village, called Fowwa, to make an income for their incredible work. Now that’s the true beauty of artisan-made goods.

Without Made Trade, I don’t think I would have ever heard of this brand, but wow, do they have stunning pieces! This is one of the reasons why I believe that online ethical marketplaces serve an essential part in the ethical fashion movement. A lot of these ethical, artisan-made brands are smaller and aren’t quite able to break through on a large-scale on their own, so curated shops provide an essential bridge to bring their rare, precious crafts to all of us

Ethical home goods from Made Trade

So those were the two pieces I tried out from Made Trade but there is so much more to discover on their site! Their online marketplace has plenty of beautiful conscious brands with clothing and accessories for men and women along with home goods, including pillows, rugs, blankets, and baskets.

And every brand included on Made Trade has one or more of their five major values: Fair Trade, Heritage, Sustainable, USA Made, and Vegan—which are all values that I firmly believe in for the products I buy and share on Conscious Life & Style.

1. Fair Trade

These are products made by artisans earning dignified wages and working in safe conditions. Fair Trade was the first standard I learned about when I started by ethical fashion journey and it’s one that I still strongly believe in. To guarantee ethical labor, Made Trade looks for brands that have a Fair Trade certification or who have demonstrated a commitment to transparency and ethical labor that meet or exceed certification requirements. 

My Fair Trade Favorites: 

KAZI Cool Color Blocked Extra Large Raffia Plate

Fair Trade home decor from ethical marketplace Made Trade
Photo: KAZI

 

Ichcha Tiger Scarf

Anchal Project Large Patchwork Naari Pouch

KAZI Natural Rectangular Raffia Tray

KAZI Fandango Pink Raffia Table Runner

 

2. Heritage

Heritage brands are those which are working to sustain and revive traditional crafts and art forms. Products in this category are made using techniques that have been passed down through generations and may be at risk of being lost.

My Heritage Favorites:

Symbology Blooming Floral Hi-Neck Blouse

Symbology Fair Trade ethically made blouse from Made Trade
Photo: Lance Skundrich & Made Trade

 

Symbology Peacock Feather Kimono Wrap Dress in Navy + Gold

Mint Patchwork Straight Scarf

Minna Split Mat

Ichcha Sunset Table Runner

 

3. Sustainable

Within the sustainable criteria on Made Trade, you’ll find goods made from eco-conscious materials such as Pinatex, upcycled or recycled fabrics, deadstock fabrics, and natural fabrics including linen. They also look for brands with sustainable production practices, such as using renewable energy and offsetting emissions.

My Sustainable Favorites: 

Newly Goods Tavola Pitcher

Newly Goods sustainable home goods from conscious online marketplace Made Trade
Photo: Newly

 

Tonle Anja Dress

Audrey Weaves Lindsay Earrings

Tonle Dara Top

Manta Shima Maillot

 

4. USA Made

As a US-based company, Made Trade believes in sourcing local goods made in America. But they don’t source from just any USA Made brand—they ensure that the company is also paying living wages, sourcing sustainable materials, and following other sustainable practices in their supply chain and production.

My USA Made Favorites: 

Altar Cardamom Linen Tie Top

Sustainable top from ethical online shop Made Trade
Photo: Altar

 

Seek and Swoon Kaland Throw

Altar Waxing Moon Pendant

Altar Moonstone Goddess Dart Collar

Altar Red Silk Fan Pants

 

5. Vegan

This one is pretty self-explanatory but the vegan products on Made Trade are completely free of any material or ingredient containing animal products. A vegan product does not always mean eco-friendly, though, so I was glad to see that Made Trade considers the sustainability aspect as well when curating vegan brands. Their marketplace does not include synthetic faux leather, but rather natural, plant-based leathers…including one of my favorite materials: Pinatex! 

My Vegan Favorites:

TOOCHE Lavender Peony Straw Bag

Tooche Vegan Handbag from conscious marketplace Made Trade
Photo: TOOCHE

 

Tonle Manina Jacket

Anchal Project Hand Stitched Slate Canvas Tote

Tonle Angkor Cardigan

TOOCHE Pina Colada Shoes

As you can tell, Made Trade has taken an in-depth approach to the structure and criteria of their marketplace. Not just US-made… but ethically made in the US, not just vegan… but sustainable vegan materials, not just artisan-made but fair trade artisan brands.

I have been truly impressed about the standard that Made Trade has put in place for the products they choose to sell. Consumer trust is essential to any company, but especially one focused on ethical goods from such a wide range of sources.

And as you saw in the photos, this online marketplace has equally high standards for aesthetics as their ethics—the home goods, clothing, and accessories are all exceptionally designed. Made Trade really has it all! 

So what are you waiting for? Go discover Made Trade’s collection of ethical goods. (And remember, if you find something you like, you can get $15 off with this link)

 

This post has been sponsored by Made Trade. As always, all companies I include on Conscious Life & Style align with my values and style, and are brands I would otherwise support.

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*sigh* another week, another fast fashion greenwas *sigh* another week, another fast fashion greenwashing campaign.⁠⁠
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📧 Dear @hm, nothing about your clothes is conscious if they're made by people who aren't earning fair wages. ⁠⁠
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Your collections will never be conscious no matter what percentage of your clothes are made from recycled or "sustainably sourced" (whatever that means...) materials at these insane production levels.⁠⁠
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Your very business model is reliant on a model of growth and excessive production that is incompatible with planetary limits.⁠⁠
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Not to mention, the success of fast fashion is reliant on disposability. Fast fashion can only succeed by shoppers consistently buying, wearing (maybe), and discarding their clothes.⁠⁠
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#fastfashionsucks #payupfashion #payyourworkers⁠⁠
🧵🌿 WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE DESIGN?. // We talk 🧵🌿 WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE DESIGN?. // We talk a lot about the disconnection we have with the makers behind what we buy...
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But industrialization and mass production has also resulted in a disconnect between designer and maker. 
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For truly ethical production, there must be an equal knowledge exchange between makers & designers in the design process, especially when artisans are using traditional techniques & generations-old crafts. 
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But what does collaborative design look like in practice? And how does this type of collaboration support more sustainable and ethical production?
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I’m interviewed Tatiana of @zuahaza to discuss these questions and much more! Tune in and let us know your thoughts. 💗
🛏🪑🏡 As promised, the guide to non-toxic f 🛏🪑🏡 As promised, the guide to non-toxic furniture is here!⁠⁠
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For a big list of eco-friendly and non-toxic furniture brands, check out the link in bio!⁠⁠
🛋 Is your furniture off-gassing toxic chemicals 🛋 Is your furniture off-gassing toxic chemicals? Here's what to know about volatile organic compounds in furniture and how to reduce your exposure in your home.⁠⁠
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Top tip: Buying used furniture is a great way to reduce your exposure since the highest concentration of VOCs are off-gassed with newly manufactured furniture just out of the factory. (If you are looking for new furniture that’s safe though, stay tuned for a list of non-toxic furniture brands coming soon!)⁠⁠ 💚
🏡 Are you familiar with sustainable interior de 🏡 Are you familiar with sustainable interior design?⁠⁠
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Unsurprisingly, the home goods & furniture industry has much of the same problems as fashion: labor exploitation, unsustainable production, and massive amounts of waste.⁠⁠
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But, there are ways to style our homes with intention, in a way that goes beyond aesthetics and considers the impact on people, planet, and our health.⁠⁠
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Swipe through for five tips from Kelly of @gratify_home and check out the link in bio for the full guide to sustainable interior design! 🛋 ⁠⁠
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So, I've partnered up with @simplizero to talk about what carbon offsetting can (and cannot!) do, what the risks are of offsetting schemes, and how to find reputable offsetting projects. ⁠⁠
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For much more on this topic, read the full article. Link in bio!⁠⁠
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[sponsored] ⁠⁠
We talk about the importance of living wages a lot We talk about the importance of living wages a lot in the ethical fashion space, but what does this actually mean?⁠⁠
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This question — and the question of "will increasing wages increase clothing prices?" — came up during last week's IG Live with Ayesha of @remakeourworld.⁠⁠
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These are both really common questions, so I wanted to dedicate an entire post to address them.⁠⁠
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For more on the topic of living wages in fashion, follow @asia_floorwage, @cleanclothescampaign, and @remakeourworld + check out the article linked in bio for a much bigger deep dive I wrote on consciouslifeandstyle.com.
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#LivingWagesNow #PayUpFashion⁠⁠
Standing in solidarity with the Asian American com Standing in solidarity with the Asian American community and amplifying/re-sharing some resources for ways to take action to #stopasianhate.⁠⁠
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Yesterday's horrific shooting in Atlanta was the most recent anti-Asian hate crime — crimes which have increased nearly 150% in 2020 and surged even higher in cities like New York, which saw an increase of 833%. [Source: Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism]⁠⁠
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The hate must end. Visit anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co for a list of resources (updates, educational content, petitions, places to donate, mental health resources, etc.) Link in bio.⁠⁠
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Tags for resources listed: @apen4ej @stopaapihate @smithsonianapa @versian.co @unapologeticallyasian_ @goldhouseco @asianamericangirlclub @theycantburnusall @weareaanow @hateisavirus @nextshark @aapiwomenlead @asianaaf @stopaapihatenyc @asians4antiracism @asianamericancollective @advancing_justice_atl @aaajalc @napawf_atl⁠⁠ | posts are from @jezzchung @sophfei @kimsaira + @annie_wu_22 | cover image is from @nhiii
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#StopAAPIHate #hateisavirus #racismkills #dismantleracism
➡ IG Live with @remakeourworld's Ayesha Barenbla ➡ IG Live with @remakeourworld's Ayesha Barenblat is happening in just a couple hours (9am PST / 12pm EST)!⁠⁠
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We'll be discussing:⁠⁠
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👗 Why garment worker representation is so crucial to creating a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry⁠⁠
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👚 What centering garment workers would look like in practice⁠⁠
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👗 Whether or not brand-led initiatives and industry commitments have really led to any tangible improvements in the lives of garment workers (and why that's the case)⁠⁠
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👚 What sorts of reforms will be necessary to truly improve the industry⁠⁠
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👗 How we can all get involved in creating a more equitable future for fashion⁠⁠
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See you soon!⁠⁠
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