Talia Collective: Making sustainability easy

We all know shopping sustainably can be difficult. With the best intentions in mind, ease and speed can often overrule our efforts. But as online stores solely dedicated to selling sustainable brands grow, it’s getting a little easier.

Founded in September, Talia Collective is the first editorial marketplace aiming to educate and inform its customers on sustainability. Part online magazine, part ecommerce, Talia Collective aspires to eradicate green washing while curating an appealing selection of conscious luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle products. It is a destination for sustainability to be, ‘fun, cool and, ultimately, aspirational.’ Customers can discover and shop new artisanal brands while learning how to be more of a sustainable shopper. Founder, Rebecca Prunali says, “It’s about changing people’s perception of sustainability from the required to the desired.” Showcasing brands such as Vernisse, Aaks and Irene Forte Skincare, there is something for everyone.

Animated collages spread across the website in comical, fun bursts of colour. Models with pineapple heads and lettuce hot air balloons drift across the page, drawing you in and leaving you desperate to see more. This creative and humorous imagery makes the learning of sustainability far less daunting and ‘beige’. The world of soft colour sits alongside articles from the current issue, covering topics such as carbon labelling and ways to tackle food waste. The collages and relatable voice flow on into these articles, making this site the place to go for an enjoyable but informative read.

While learning about these important environmental topics and how to tackle them is a key point of Talia Collective, it also takes time. If you’re merely procrastinating and need something to further your avoidance of work or have a spare half an hour, you can shop the carefully curated brands picked specifically for the site. Rebecca and her team at Talia Collective understand that a, “100% sustainable shopping experience doesn’t exist, but by encouraging better practices and promoting the change makers of our time,” they believe that “a positive shopping experience can be made possible.”

To be chosen to sell on the site, brands must meet at least three of the company’s eight-point criteria, as well as committing to substantial improvements over a two-year period:

Considerately Produced

Cruelty Free

Vegan

Friendly Materials

Locally Crafted

Water Usage

Circularity Centred

Give-back Culture

It can be so easy to fall into brands that are merely green washing customers to sell more clothes. While it is undoubtedly a positive that fashion brands are working to a greener industry, companies can be quite misleading with the information they give, leaving you thinking you’re doing more good than you really are. Being surrounded by buzzwords like eco-friendly, it can be daunting trying to understand which brands truly follow sustainable rules. That being said, Talia Collective are rigorous when it comes to choosing brands to have on their site. In essence, they do all the hard work for you! When I spoke with Rebecca, she ensured me that her company has, “a dedicated team in charge of researching and contacting those that align with our ethos, values, design and aesthetic.” While brands have started to approach the team themselves, Rebecca said that the most important thing is, “knowing that the brands we work with are invested in the long term.” What’s more, they work closely with a sustainability consultant who helps determine if a brand is truly sustainable and they keep in close contact with the brand managers to ensure their two-year plan is carried out.

Talia Collective believe that, “ethical living is no longer an option or a trend, but it needs to become the new normal.” Rebecca believes that, “consumers are starting to question their choices and opt for brands that are aligned with their values.” While the big players of the industry are investing in research and brand development, sustainable shopping will hopefully only rise. When asked how lockdown has effected sustainable shopping, Rebecca commented that, “the pandemic has opened people’s eyes to the impacts that our fast, consumerist-driven lifestyles are having on the planet. A study by management consultancy firm, Accenture, reporting that 60% of consumers were making more sustainable or ethical purchases since the start of the pandemic and that nine out of 10 of that percentage said were likely to continue doing so.” While fashion may never be completely sustainable, companies like Talia Collective are making it far easier to find the brands that are, and encourage others to follow suit.

You can explore and learn the world of sustainability at taliacollective.com.

And shop the amazing brands here: taliacollective.com/shop-online.

Keep up to date with all things Talia Collective, on social media @taliacollective.