Happy New Year LETE family! We hope you have all had a lovely, soul fulfilling break. Here at LETE headquarters we wanted to start the year as we mean to finish, sustainably – and what better way to do that, than by providing our readers with more sustainable living inspo. 2023 is going to be all about transparency and accountability. 

As a homegrown New Zealand activewear brand, LETE are committed to using only the most sustainable methods to produce truly ethical garments – if you didn’t know already. Not only because it is of moral importance to our founders, but because it is imperative for living in a more conscientious and less wasteful world. We hope to inspire change within the fashion industry, through our dedication to sustainable values and by aligning with other like minded communities. 

Thankfully, there is hope to lighten the mood. It has become unacceptable, in this day and age, for the fashion industry to manufacture and pollute the environment as they once did. Public opinion is changing. As you – the considerate consumers – become more educated, demand is burgeoning for businesses to employ more ethical and sustainable practices. 

This month we want to bring attention to another homegrown business that is disrupting the fashion industry – All Things Considered.

What is All Things Considered (ALLTC)?

Founded by Andréa van der Meel, ALLTC is an easy to use platform that was created to encourage transparency and demand accountability from the fashion industry. Built with the ethical consumer in mind, the platform aims to deliver “a single view of industry sustainability” – so you, the considerate consumer, can easily consider a brand’s environmental impact before making your purchase. 

In essence the platform is a constantly growing catalogue of national and international fashion brands. Each company’s official ‘brand sustainability statement’ is outlined clearly within the directory. Company transparency is encouraged through ALLTC’s pioneering approach. They go beyond the parroted brand narrative and really delve deep, collating specific industry certifications, initiatives and innovations.Thereby allowing you, the ethical consumer, to learn how – or if – your favourite brands are actually as sustainable as they claim to be. 

Not only does ALLTC collate each brands sustainability practices – or lack thereof – it also seeks to help brands understand how these practices are perceived by their consumers. The intention here is to create accountability and “amplify voices through votes”.

It should be noted that ALLTC doesn’t rank companies in-house. You, the consumer, do that. The aim is to facilitate a conversation between brands and their customers to encourage collective action and bring about real change within the industry.

Just quickly – who is Andréa van der Meel and why did she start ALLTC?

Andréa is one of us. A self confessed “hardcore environmentalist” she is passionate about recycling (properly!), “maintaining an 80% pre-loved wardrobe” and following a vegan lifestyle. It would come as no surprise that she is also incredibly fashionable! Having worked in the fashion industry for over 15 years, she has seen first-hand how dire the state of the sector really is. As she’s fond of stating, “the fashion industry emits more carbon than aviation and maritime shipping combined”. It was obvious there was room for improvement – which may be the understatement of the year!  

While working within an industry that seemed antithetical to her values, a fire had begun smoldering within her taut belly. “We need more transparency!”, she cried and with a resounding boom that reverberated through the vaulted halls of apparel, ALLTC was born. Well not quite, but you get the idea. 

How can people use the platform?

You too can have your say about your favourite brands – we know it’s LETE Activewear! It’s super easy to use and completely hassle free, think of it as your ethical fashion directory. Click here to be taken straight to the platform and create an account. Then all the fun begins, start exploring!

You can browse through the directory or search specific brands to find out everything you need to know about their sustainable practices. You, the considerate consumer, is encouraged to vote up or down on each brand to give feedback on each of the listed actions. 

Want to find out more?

Head to their website to find out more about the founders and access the platform. While you’re there check out LETE’s page, we are proud to say we are the top ranked New Zealand activewear brand.

Max, the fashion brand, also wrote a fantastic piece about ALLTC and its founder Andréa van der Meel. It delves deep into the motivation behind starting the platform and is great reading for those wanting some new year inspiration. 

Stalk them on Instagram:

@alltcandrea

@alltc.co