Eco Edit February: Sustainable Bags, Beauty Initiatives & Diamonds With A Conscience
Each month, The Handbook team delves into the brands offering pieces we love that come with a conscience. Whether that’s chic, sustainable bags you’ll want to make arm candy you’ll keep forever or the genius beauty brand taking dead stock product and giving it a second life, here’s the names to know this February…
MASHU BAGS
If you’re in the market for a designer handbag that is PETA-approved, vegan, kind to people, animals and the planet, may we introduce you to Mashu. Oh, did we mention they are works of art too? Using vegan leather alternatives like apple and pineapple fibres, Mashu are creating ultra-cute arm candy, without the negative impact.
Heroes of the collection include the Calliope in black, with it’s signature gold wiggle, it will bring a playful yet chic feel to an LBD or tailored suit.
Or, for a pop of colour we’ve fallen hard for the Irene in bubblegum pink. It’s giving all the everyday practicality of a Loewe but with better eco credentials and a seriously lower price tag – the perfect finishing touch to any jeans outfit.
The brand, which was founded in 2017 by Greek designer Ioanna Topouzoglou, are also committed to driving meaningful change, from the materials they source to the transparent supply chain they use.
THE ARKET ARCHIVE
You’ll know from reading our fashion pages that we do love a bit of high street but we’re firm believers in only buying what you need and really love. Buy less, buy smarter is our motto.
So, we were really pleased to see one of our favourite high street brands launching a resell site. ARKET Archive gives the Scandi brand’s cool, minimal designs a second life, and given that ARKET product some of the best quality pieces on the high street and don’t hugely buy into trends but rather focus on a timeless, wearable aesthetic, it makes perfect sense.
Shop or sell the archives now and not only are you shopping more responsibly, but you might just find that piece your wardrobe has been crying out for.
1 HOTEL MAYFAIR
Launched last year, 1 Hotel Mayfair brings sustainable luxury to London’s most premium postcode. Residing at 3 Berkeley Street, the nature-inspired hotel is the first in London from the Hotel 1 group, boasting nine stories, incredible food, Instagrammable interiors and views that stretch over Green Park.
There’s no doubt building a mega hotel in the heart of the capital comes with some impact on the environment, so the group opted for reconstruction to utilise 80% of the existing structure to help minimise any adverse environmental impact. Plus, there’s a living green-trellised exterior and over 1,300 individual plants, shrubs and trees spaced throughout the grounds, making it its own little oasis in the heart of the Big Smoke.
The conscious effort continues inside with filtered water taps and recycled wine-into-water bottles available in every room; energy-efficient heating and cooling systems; locally sourced, sustainable bed linens and non-toxic organic mattresses. There’s even a fully electric Audi e-Tron available for hire, which guests can take advantage of on a first-come-first-basis.
And the pièce de résistance, Dovetale, the new ground-floor restaurant from two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers, which focuses on seasonal, organic and locally sourced ingredients. Book us in.
BOOP BEAUTY
As much as we love a TikTok beauty trend, there is no denying the beauty boom of the last 10 years has had negative impacts on the planet. One brand doing their little bit is Boop Beauty, who take too-good-to-go beauty and wellness brands and give them a platform to be sold in before they go to landfill.
Shockingly, it’s not even the beauty products that customers themself waste that is the only problem, but millions of product destroyed by manufacturers and retailers before even making it to market.
Boop are on a mission to get fit-for-purpose, brilliant products into your hands and keep them out of landfill
That’s where Boop comes in. They are on a mission to get fit-for-purpose, brilliant products into your hands and keep them out of landfill – all while offering you the best prices.
The brand list has some stellar names on there, from Aromatherapy Associates to Antipodes, Boucleme to Mooncup.
OMHU KNITWEAR
Stylish, sustainable and reasonably priced Danish brand, OMHU, are your new bookmark to make if you love a good knit. They only source their yarns from ethical, sustainable sources, from Yorkshire, Iceland and Italy, all of which are biodegradable but also strong, which means they are crafted to last.
The cuts are elegant and wearable, from vintage-feel Fair Isle knits to chunky roll-necks, clever 2-in-1 vest/sweater hybrids and more contemporary sweater styles.
Our hero pick is the FEJØ Icelandic Wool Crew Neck Sweater in ice blue to wear with everything from jeans to pleated skirts, tailored trousers to over the top of dresses.
VRAI ETHICAL DIAMONDS
“No mining. No emissions. No guilt.” is the USP of this luxury jewellery brand – there’s no wonder it’s been spotted on countless celebs this red carpet season, from Taylor Swift to Jacob Elordi.
Vrai craft diamonds from greenhouse gas crystallized in their foundry in North America. The process mimics that of natural diamonds, but without the mining, deforestation, cartels, carbon emissions, or middlemen markups. It also means Vrai have complete control over the process, from growing the diamonds in an environmentally responsible way to turning them into beautiful pieces of jewellery you’ll treasure forever.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for the ring to ask the big question with, Vrai is one of the most sustainable brands offering beautiful pieces you’ll wear every day.
