On denim, sustainability and how she uses Renoon: Ani Wells from Simply Suzette

I wish the average person who is not interested in fashion knew the entire journey their clothes take before they reach their hands and the journey their garments take when they are done with them.

When adding brands to my Renoon profile I…

I am looking for companies investing in R&D and working with their suppliers to make changes together. I am always interested in brands using innovative fibers and dyes while promoting a circular and regenerative industry.

I am most proud of my impact on consumers’ knowledge and my voice in the denim industry.

Being amongst the Rivet50 Honourees in 2020 and the 2021 nominees for Voices of Change were very proud moments. I put in countless hours of research to ensure I am putting out credible and accurate information for consumers and industry professionals to be informed about best practices and new solutions in the denim industry.

I am very excited for the fashion industry because we are at a huge turning point

For years, we have been raising awareness and having many conversations around what needs to change to ensure a fair, just, and responsible industry. And we have reached a point where people are getting tired of talking about it. That’s when, I believe, real change can start to happen. This is where talk turns into action. And all the talk about de-growth and decentralization in the fashion industry is extremely encouraging to tackle the myriad of challenges in our industry.

All in all, I think we are in fascinating times as we get to experiment on what best practice looks like and continue to improve materials and processes for the better with some creative ingenuity.

I believe the biggest challenge in our industry is our model of growth

Success has been defined by generating more profit, and creating more profit has meant producing more products. But, there is too much stuff being made than we know what to do with and to achieve a circular and regenerative economy, we must turn off the tap that keeps flooding the world with new products from virgin materials. If we keep on with our current growth model, overproduction and overconsumption will continue to run rampant.

My advice to starting your sustainability journey is to start with something small

It can be pretty daunting when you think about all of the changes you’d like to make in your current consumption habits, but starting with something you know you can maintain will keep you motivated to keep making small changes. Eventually, all those small changes will result in your zero-waste life! If you are just starting your journey, a great place to start is looking for your Wishlist items second-hand. But, the number one thing you can do is to ask yourself why you are buying something. When you start buying with intention, you will create a real relationship between yourself and your material items.

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You can discover more about Simply Suzette on the app – you will be able to find all of her approved denim brands + products on her profile!

Interested in purchasing responsible denim? Then you might be interested in our selection of Organic & Upcycled Jeans!