WHY YOU SHOULD DEADWOOD

Stockholm, Sweden -- Proving punk is very much alive in modern day Stockholm, Deadwood co-founders Carl Ollson and Felix von Bahder are immaculately armed in the rebellion against the traditional fashion industry. Their armor consists of badass leather jackets strong enough to hold their own and accessories, I dare say they are fully equipped? Deadwood is counter-culture and anti-establishment while mastering the art of dope ethical fashion by only using recycled leather and adding new products to their line bi-annually. Deadwood ensures that each garment is a reworked iconic style from a time gone by. Should you Deadwood? I would. 

If you're unfamiliar with Deadwood's vibe, check out their latest campaign video below:

I had the good fortune of being able to interview Deadwood founder, Carl Ollson. Ollson and his partner, von Bahder launched Deadwood in 2012 and at the time had no intention of being ethical fashion warriors, they just wanted to do something different. Read about the difference Deadwood is making in my interview below:

Carl Ollson + Felix von Bahder

Deadwood Founders

Kelly Madera: Deadwood has an edgy look that is empirically on trend without trying to be. How do you achieve that? 

Carl Ollson: We put a lot of focus on not being a trend driven brand. We constantly look to the past when creating our collections. Looking at old music magazines, videos of our favorite artists etc. Music is also a huge inspiration!

KM: Who do you see as Deadwood’s competition in the retail market?

CO: Difficult to say. Perhaps BLK DNM? However they're not competitive in terms of price or sustainability, just their aesthetic that's similar. A large portion of our customers are vegans and/or really into sustainable fashion and would never buy a newly produced leather jacket. While at the same time we have sustainability unaware customers that want a good looking jacket that doesn’t fucking ruin them financially.

KM: The ethical fashion industry is gaining traction, and while Deadwood uses leather products, many of them are either recycled or upcycled. Where do you source your materials from? Do you find this to be the crux the brand?

CO: So we make all our leather jackets/accessories from recycled leather. We have our own set up in South East Asia close to a number of pretty expansive vintage markets, it is there that  we source old garments that have reached their expiration date in terms of style and fit. After purchasing, we chop them up and reconfigure the old material into newly crafted, beautiful, up cycled jackets and accessories with a vintage soul.

As you can imagine, it's an odd way of doing things and profusely time consuming. With that in mind we have garnered a great crew to work with, specifically in South East Asia and honestly, I consider them family. We all believe in and love what we are doing. We’re changing the way people view the leather industry one recycled leather jacket at a time.

KM: Does Deadwood have any certifications, or any special impact measure tools to track their environmental or social impact?

CO: We’re signed up to Sedex but that’s about it. For those that don't know, SedEx is a global not-for-profit membership organization, home to the world's largest collaborative platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on supply chains. With the help of SedEx we at Deadwood have started gathering information on the impact and will try to share this on all our products. It’s a cool story - more coming soon!

KM: What inspired the creation of Deadwood?..I have to say it is very badass Swedish..!

CO: We originally met as colleagues in a jean shop in Stockholm. After several years of of dreaming and talking about we finally we opened our own vintage boutique. At this boutique we cultivated our fascination for timeless design and our love for used, pre-loved clothes. From this original shop, our brand evolved, and doing this a different way became a staple for Deadwood.

KM: No ethical brand can ever be perfect, but are there any improvements that you have intentions of cultivating?

CO: Currently, we are working on implementing other product groups using recycled materials. On top of that list is denim. A jeans collection is something Deadwood plans to put out in the next year or so. In order to accomplish it, we have to find the right people to collaborate with. In regards to what we’re currently doing, we never started waving a flag stating that we are some kind of environmental heroes, we just wanted to do something different. The fashion industry tends to be viewed as forward thinking, but in my opinion it isn't, if anything it is the opposite. Deadwood is all about wanting to shake things up. We all do the best we can with what we've got! At Deadwood we as an company are always evolving and constantly in search of new ways to create timeless, trend-less fashion that new, inventive, and most importantly - fun! 

Do you even Deadwood?

You f*cking should!

Quit being a Skeptic, Yo! | Get Mod + Ethico

Candice Collison, Founder @ Mod + Ethico

Did you know that if you're reading this you will likely spend on average, $2288 on clothing and footwear this year? You could easily be purchasing items made in scary places by highly exploited people. Getting the real story behind your spending? It's harder than you think. Even more challenging? Finding the truth about what conditions your clothing was made under.

**NEWSFLASH** Sweatshops aren't exclusive to low-wage countries. In fact, it's likely any clothes you wear with a label saying "Made in America" could be made in a sweatshop not far from where you live or work. This makes companies like Mod + Ethico, founded in 2015, profoundly integral to supporting the changing of a very broken fashion system. 

I had the good fortune of being introduced to Candice Collison this summer via a mutual friend. Candice is everyone's girl crush. Especially mine. Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Candice was introduced to world of retail via her mother’s gift shop. There she learned to appreciate how items are made and where materials are sourced. Candice has recently graduated with an MBA from the prestigious, Kellogg School of Management @ Northwestern University. 

I was able to chat with the Chicago resident to uncover the vision she has for Mod + Ethico, the industry and the future.

Kelly Madera: Mod + Ethico has a laid-back, comfortably chic look that is empirically on trend without trying to be. How do you achieve that? How do you source the brands you feature? 

Candice Collison: I seek out brands that prioritize comfortable, soft fabrics, and that have a timeless aspect to their aesthetic. Unlike some stores, I source only silhouettes and hues that I would wear myself - that also must fit into the principles of Mod + Ethico. I do think about trends, and what I believe will sell, but I will not sacrifice principle for style or comfort. I seek elements of trends in updated classics, or in subtle ways which lends to a more effortless vibe. 

Sourcing brands is interesting, I do not attend a ton of trade shows, rather, I look for likeminded brands on Instagram - using hashtags like #ethicalfashion and referencing resources such as Safia Minney's book Slow Fashion, ethical fashion blogs, and listening to Kestrel Jenkins' podcast Conscious Chatter. 

KM: Who do you see as Mod + Ethico’s competition in the retail market? 

CC: I view the competition in two ways: 1) The norm, the alternative to ethical fashion - "fast fashion" and mass fashion - the fashion houses who are not the fast fashion houses per se, but have massive scale, produce in huge batches, and have large brand equity. This happens to be the majority of the market today. 2) The players in the ethical space, who are in some ways competitors, but I appreciate what they are doing for fashion. This includes stores who curate ethical brands, like Amour Vert; online concept stores focused on independent designers line Need Supply, and the brands we sell since they tend to sell direct to consumer. 

KM: The ethical fashion industry is gaining traction, and while Mod + Ethico uses new products, how do you feel about selling recycled or up cycled clothing. Do you see yourself establishing a Mod + Ethico line in the future?

CC: Yes, 100%. I would like to start with denim. My main concern is denim's toll on the environment. It takes an immense amount of water to make just one pair of jeans - nearly I have seen numbers published ranging from 2,500 to 10,000 liters. Starting with denim would make a huge dent in saving one of our planets natural resources. I am also considering developing a clothing line at some point, and I am very interested in using reclaimed deadstock fabric to produce potential designs. 

KM: Do any of the brands that Mod + Ethico features have any certifications or special impact measure tools to track their environmental or social impact?

CC: Yes, we stock Thinking Mu with GOTS organic cotton, post-consumer recycled polyester, they also use hemp which is an incredible fiber: It grows 4 meters in only 4 months, it requires a fraction of the water as compared to cotton, the 100% of the plant can be used for others purposes, it is 10 times more resistant and breathable than cotton and its roots alkalinize the soil.

Groceries Apparel is American-made, and dedicated to organic, natural and recycled fibers.  With over five years of research, we have yet to find a certification that encompasses all of our values. So we started our own. Focusing on human empowerment, organic and recycled ingredients, and local, fair, and responsible manufacturing, our “Seed to Skin” certification is the first of its kind and represents a new standard for the apparel industry.

Veja is a French-based and Brazilian-made sneaker brand who uses FLO certified Fairtrade practices, recycled and organic cotton, naturally procured rubber from the Amazon. Veja uses an organic certification process for the cotton produced by ADEC.

These are just a few brands with certified organic and fairtrade practices, while others are committed to ethical production in more subtle ways, such as producing in small batches in the US and offering fair wages to their dedicated production teams. 

KM: What inspired the creation of Mod + Ethico?..I have to say it represents the millennial generation in a new and refreshing way…!

CC: I initially founded Mod + Ethico with a vision to curate American-made brands. I was frustrated with the quality I was finding in designer brands, and knowing that marginalized populations were behind the production process, while the brands claim a disproportionate amount of the profit outraged me. The American-made focus was representative of fair labor, quality and local impact. However, after watching The True Cost, and discussing my motivations for American-made, I discovered that my principles were further reaching that just American-made. I pivoted a bit, renamed the brand (from Sewn in the USA to Mod + Ethico), and decided to focus on sustainability, Fairtrade, female empowerment, and charity. Mod + Ethico's evolution has stemmed from my own frustrations with the fashion industry and consumption. I still love style as an art form - one of personal expression, but I feel a sense of responsibility to provide better options to my community and beyond. 

KM: No ethical brand can ever be perfect, but are there any improvements that you have intentions of cultivating? How closely do you partner with the brands you feature?

CC: We are far from perfect; there are still brands that we carry from earlier inventory purchases that align with the American-made principle, but not necessarily as closely to the sustainability principle that I am now incredibly passionate about. Going forward, we will be phasing out brands who do not touch on multiple principles such as fair wages as well as sustainability, or fair wages and charity. 

Some brands we know extremely well, like Suki + Solaine who is based here in Chicago. I know the owner, the sales rep, and have visited their studio many times. We know other smaller brands such as Groceries Apparel and email directly with the founder. It's really incredible to be so close to some of the changemakers who began on the ethical fashion path years ago, and continue to make amazing strides in the industry.

Don't miss a thing ----

MOD + ETHICO | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Being Sexy Is Being Ethical SS17

At long last, spring has arrived here in New York! What does this mean? A fresh new wardrobe for an entirely new season. This being said, I advocate if you are going to shop, please do so ethically. It is incredibly easy to shop ethically and remain on par with trends. Are trends even a thing anymore? 

Check out this palette I put together. My favorite colors for this S/S 2017, a mix of bright grapefruit/lime with darker,  natural hues.

Nomad Short by Bonobos

The LA Henley by Bonobos

Have you heard of Bonobos yet? Bonobos is an ethically minded menswear company similar to the stylings of American mega brands like J.Crew or Banana Republic. But with one big difference: an ethically minded sensibility. Like most ethical fashion brands, Bonobos is online only. Additionally, Bonobos manages a blog in which they utilize to tell the stories of the men that wear their clothing. If you're new to the ethical fashion industry, creating a story around a product allows for the consumer to connect with the product more, care for it better, and therefore enabling it to last longer. This extends the entire life of a single clothing garment.

Laurenceairline, Shirthole Shirt by Onychek

Another totally underrated ethical menswear brand? Onychek. Made entirely in Africa from ethically sourced materials. PS: How fun is this shirt? You know you need it.

Orchard & Ludlow Street, NYC, USA by Kilometre Paris 

To level with you, Bonobos totally rocks menswear, but have yet to launch a womenswear line. Still want to be ethical? Totally possible. Check out the above Parisian LES inspired linen dress. Made entirely by ethical standards in Paris. The perfect look and way to stay cool during the sweltering summer.

Trace Jumpsuit by Reformation

There's no other way to say it - LINEN IS IN, IN A BIG WAY. Check out this ethical jumpsuit from Reformation, vertical stripes in all the right places. Could you do better? Probably not.

The Suede Heel Boot by Everlane

Booties? Check. The ethical Everlane has these on lockdown. What's the best thing about lightly colored suede Chelsea booties? You can finally wear them in the summer with no fear of rain ruining them. Go on, purchase some and get on with yo bad self!