Shop with a conscience at this lifestyle store that showcases local, eco-friendly brands, slow fashion and handmade pieces with purpose...
The message is pretty loud and clear: we need to stop drowning in stuff and spending on frivolous things that don’t do any good for us, the people who made them, or the environment. If you’ve been thinking about how to get a little closer to zero waste, and want to start investing in ethically produced and beautiful handmade pieces made with care (because we aren’t talking total deprivation here), you need to check out the Green Collective. The store at Kinex (formerly OneKM mall) showcases local brands and change makers doing great things – and what began as one fantastic popup in April will become a permanent fixture in Singapore. Hallelujah for that – we can’t imagine this place not being around…
The Green Collective is the brainchild of committed players in Singapore’s sustainable fashion and creative scene: Danielle Champagne of Zhai Eco, Mayur Singh, co-founder of Coopita, Adel Ng of taikensonzai and Agatha Lee, Agy the Textile Artist.
It’s a progressive move to cast aside competition and come together as a collective. Their mission? To shine a light on conscious living, and help shift the demand from fast fashion and thoughtlessly produced items to the businesses who operate responsibly towards their workers and the environment, social enterprises that help create sustainable employment opportunities, and of course, the individuals who create beautiful pieces with purpose.
I had a sneak peek before the store opened its doors, and with each repeat visit there are more fantastic fresh picks. This is one great mix of ethically produced fashion, beautiful FairTrade and handmade homewares, organic and package-free food, jewellery by artisans from abroad and right here in Singapore and essentials for zero waste living (think reusable bamboo straws and cool cutlery kits). Green Collective recently added a refill station of castille soaps, and the curated collection just keeps on getting better.
The mix of brands in The Green Collective has evolved since its launch, but the current lineup of conscious brands you’ll find here includes: Zhai Eco; Live Love Luna; Terra Nomas; My Fine Things; KLACE; You Living; Coopita; Bamboo Straws Worldwide; Agy Textile Artist; Himmel Blue handmade soaps; NatureRustic; Wellness Within; Taikensonzai; Etrican; Artisan & Fox; Freedom Cups; Ametsuchi; The Castile Soap Shop; Olive Ankara; Made By Me; My Pure Earth and Greensquare Textile Recycling (drop off your used clothing to help give it a second life).
The Green Collective is also about experiences: discovering the stories behind the products and learning something new. “Ask questions about what you’re buying,” suggests Mayur, “Start thinking about who made it, how it was made and where it came from,” he adds.
And yes, he completely impressed me by explaining the provenance of a handmade journal, how it was made made sustainably from tree bark, and just how much profit the women who made it would receive. Another very cool Coopita buy? A huge tote, handwoven from recycled plastic bags and wrappers. Look a little closer and you can spot a pattern of eyes from the original candy wrappers that were diverted from landfill and into this fantastic-looking, functional piece.
And back to those experiences: check out the series of workshops with Green Collective, from soap and accessory making to parent-child creative sessions to meet the people behind Green Collective and the amazing brands on board – you just might change the way you want to shop from now on…
Green Collective; Kinex, #01-26/27, Singapore 437157
Like this story? Check these out:
How to break up with single-use plastic
Get to know Singapore’s ethical fashion brands
Try these plastic-free beauty swaps
Zero waste grocery stores that help you stay plastic-free
A chat with Stephanie Dickson, founder of Green is the New Black
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