In her earlier years as a design student at Parsons, Hoffman was simply on a mission to create a brand with vibrant prints, comfortable silhouettes, and easy fabrics with little to no thought on how, what, where, or who was in the process of getting the product made. From when the company first opened their doors in the year 2000, a switch went off in Hoffman's mind 15 years later when taking a step back and seeing what was missing in her brand; a sustainable initiative. From there, it was a slow start and the company spent a year working in silence on this sustainable mission in order to prevent green washing in their company. What Mara Hoffman has done well from the start and continues to do so, is being transparent as a company about what is being done currently and what still needs to get done for the future.
While speaking with Celine DeCarlo, Director of Social Engagement, and Lauren Hood, Production Manager, they were able to educate us on all the great things the company has done and has been working on since transitioning into a sustainable brand. Rooting as deep as their office space, using recycled wood beams, LED lights, conscious energy consumption through employees, and even beach clean-ups, Mara Hoffman starts her mission at home.
There is a long list of initiatives that Mara Hoffman has done as a brand, and so I will touch upon the ones that truly wowed me. The brand has become more conscious of what materials are used in their fabrics and how they are packaged as well. Now using materials such as linen, hemp, recycled nylon (for swimwear), organic cotton, using digital printing, and other natural products, they are reducing and even eliminating having more wasteful fabrics from being made. When shipping, they even use compostable bags for customers whom have the choice to either send it back to Mara Hoffman or have it actually composted if need be. What really impressed me was, learning how in which ever country they are sourcing from, the product is then made right there in that country. This is a step that many brands don't take, thus leading to an increase on their carbon footprint. However, Mara Hoffman found a more efficient way to preserve this energy.
One touchy subject that many fashion brands like to turn a blind eye to is their overseas factories, yet Mara Hoffman tackles this head on. How exactly are they doing so? Enforcing and seeing face to face that factories are not instilling forced or child labor, making sure the working conditions are safe, clean, and equipped with emergency exits, overseeing their salary and overtime pay, and even making it possible for women in factories to directly deposit their money into a safe place to prevent anyone from getting their hands on it. However on top of all of this, Mara Hoffman branched off of an idea that company West Elm has done in the past, in providing vision checks and glasses for Indian factory workers provided by Vision Spring. That one takes the cake.
Lastly, Mara Hoffman comes full circle. From taking old garments and repairing them, to helping resell previous season clothing at a discount price, this company keeps a circular motion. They don't stop at an environmental level but rather excel in a social way as well. The brand supports local organizations who support women, and even work with formally incarcerated women in helping to provide jobs for them. What more could you ask for? With that said, Mara Hoffman knows that yes, there is more that can be and will be done, but they are transparent and open about that and are continuing to develop and assisting in these untouched areas. When it comes to being a sustainable brand it's not necessarily about hitting the ground running with a perfect sustainable plan, but rather seeing the areas that are in need and doing ones best to provide for that need. Mara Hoffman has proven this idea to be true and continues to make change in monumental ways for the big picture of sustainability.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you!