Writing about eco-fashion was a natural progression. I was always attracted to the beautiful front of Beauty (skin care products and makeup) and Fashion. But as a wise man once said, what has a big front, has a big back. Meaning, nothing is quite what it seems and the more glamourous it is on the outside, the dirtier it might be on the inside. This definitely proved to be a true statement for Fashion & Beauty. As I began to learn about the democratization of fashion at the London College of Fashion, where I studied Fashion Marketing, I realized that I wasn’t okay with supporting such a big front at the cost of its ugly back.
I was in school at a time when fast fashion was really picking up. Unethical labor, as well as a crazy quick turnaround in production and use of our Earth’s resources was appalling to me. The more I learned about how the production and consumption of fashion today, the more I wanted to change it. I also knew, that I was not a designer (not yet in this life!), so my route would be that of raising awareness and educating myself and others through example.
That is when my blog really shifted to eco-fashion and sustainability. I already cared about what I put into my body, and after reading Toxic Beauty, I REALLY cared about what I put on my body as far as products go. The next step was to care about where the clothes I was wearing came from, what they supported and who.
What people don’t always realize is that you have power. You vote with your purchases every time you buy a new product of piece of clothing. And YOU can decide what you want to see more of and how you want it to be produced. It is a great place to be.
The aim of GretaGuide is to share my journey of becoming a sustainable stylista, and providing a resource through my experiences and posts.
The blog, and awareness of my blog grew after I was invited to participate in the Weardrobe Conference in NYC in 2009. I was linked in with some other really amazing bloggers that put me on their site. I also kept putting myself out there, attending meet up and conferences. Everything kind of grew from there, and more opportunities have rolled in since then.
Also, one of the best things I did was start FASHIONmeGREEN. It helped me to network in the industry and build my credentials and reputation beyond being a blogger. It started as a sustainable fashion awareness project, which was not too intimidating and a little easier to solicit help from some of my mentors. ;)
Running FASHIONmeGREEN, opened doors for speaking on panels and getting my name out there in a bigger way. Aside from that, I am committed to blogging 3-4 times a week on GretaGuide and feel really fortunate to have built a strong and loyal audience.
If you are blogging, make sure you are doing it for you. Don’t look at the numbers too often. Just know that there are people out there who are checking in to hear what you have to say, and if that number fluctuates, you will still be posting because you are doing it for you. You never know where your one post or multitude of posts will take you!
Photo Credit: Tom Olesnevich
