I have always been a curious viewer. Growing up, I felt myself more inclined to peer into whatever world I was watching to try and grasp as much of it as I could. I’ve always known there was more to everything than meets the eye, surely nothing could be simply what we saw of it. If I was watching a play, I found myself breaking down their costumes, how they fit to each character’s role, what it added to the play. More than anything, I wanted to know what went on backstage, I always wanted to know more. As an adult, this has translated into my appreciation for honesty and, better yet, transparency.

There has never been anything I have found more crucial or more brave than the ability to be transparent. I have found that, unlike my formative years, information was not always handed to you on a silver platter when you asked for it. More often than not, it was withheld, kept secret. Especially in the fashion world. Fashion houses and brands keep the inner workings of their businesses locked beneath a tight bolt, as though to keep from escaping them. I’ve always found this weird. That is, until I found out about the injustices of fast fashion and how unethical it all was. From child labor to unethical sourcing of materials, the fast fashion industry is a graveyard. It made sense, then, that they wanted to keep most of it under wraps.

That is, until the sustainable fashion movement took off. There has been a surge of awareness around fast fashion in recent years that has brought the public’s attention to the issue. Since then, sustainable brands have been more and more evident. And they have brought to the table an unbelievable sense of transparency. With it, they have changed the fashion world for good.

Transparency allows the consumer to get to truly know the business they’re supporting, but more than that it creates this air of responsibility around the businessowners. It holds them accountable, in front of themselves before it is the public. As for the consumer, beyond just where the businesses source their materials, it makes a difference when you feel like you’re buying from an entity you know is treating their team well. When it is a product that you know was produced in a way you personally believe is ethical and fair. This sort of honesty bridges the gap between the creator and their audience, and forms a connection that is based equally on trust as it is on honesty.