Lifestyle

The rise of the conscious consumer: how to shop responsibly


Boutique by Shelter






Garments get a second lease of life at Boutique by Shelter.
Photograph: Shelter

When it comes to shopping, sustainability has never been more front and centre in our minds – from Adidas committing to using only recycled plastic by 2024 to Elle magazine dedicating last year’s September issue to sustainable fashion, and the Guardian’s associate fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley stating: “I’m going to change what I wear and what I write about”. Garment production has doubled in the past 15 years, with £140m worth of clothes a year ending up in landfill – and it’s a situation shoppers are very mindful of.

But there is a solution. Alongside vegan sneakers, eco-ware coffee cups and products that pay it forward in new and creative ways, the rise of conscious consumerism means there have never been so many ways to put our money where our morals are. A recent Nielsen study found that 66% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, a figure that jumps to 73% for millennials. A generation raised on fast fashion, 20- and 30-somethings are now leading the charge for craftsmanship, quality and (often handmade) products designed to last.

And, in these times of digital overload, we’re rediscovering the joy of a bricks-and-mortar experience. Forward-thinking new retail districts are reimagining the traditional high street, putting an emphasis on storytelling and craftsmanship with stores for customers to spend time in. Coal Drops Yard is one such destination. As the name suggests, the warren of Victorian brick viaducts was originally built to house coal. In the 1990s, the warehouses became a new home for the clubbing scene, and now the area has reinvented itself once again as London’s most progressive shopping and restaurant district, home to a new crop of fashion and lifestyle brands encouraging shoppers to practise a more mindful kind of consumption.

Tracey Neuls has been producing handmade shoes for 19 years.



Tracey Neuls has been producing handmade shoes for 19 years. Photograph: Ben Broomfield/Coal Drops Yard

Tracey Neuls, a cult footwear designer who has been producing handmade shoes for the past 19 years, is just one example of a craftsperson pushing for conscious consumption. Each new design is sculpted by Neuls in clay, then produced by a Portuguese atelier using Italian leather from ethical tanneries. In her Coal Drops Yard boutique, shoes hang from the ceiling on ribbons, to be admired and encircled like mini works of art.

“The rise in disposable fashion is having a wonderful knock-on effect of creating a new shopper who is more interested in quality than quantity,” explains Neuls. “Excess and choice are being replaced by emotive purchases that people intend to have around for years. We have customers who have described our shoes that they bought some 10 years ago as if they were talking about their pets – with the same attachment and love.”

Neuls’ philosophy is shared by her Coal Drops Yard neighbour, leather goods brand LPOL. Founded by husband and wife team Katy Bell and John Maskell, they put responsible material sourcing and zero waste at the centre of everything they do. “As designers, we’re concerned with three things: fabric, form and function,” they explain. “The sole aim is to combine them effortlessly, sustainably and desirably in the best traditions and progression of our craft.”

Meanwhile, clothes that haven’t found such long-term relationships (yet) are welcomed at Boutique by Shelter, where secondhand garments get a new lease of life. Furnished with salvaged materials and stocked with a covetable pick-and-mix of designer, high street and vintage donations, all at a fraction of the original price. But the store’s appeal goes far beyond bargains – it’s a community hub, a volunteering scheme, a source of vital funds to end homelessness and a way to tackle fashion’s waste problem.

The new wave of conscious consumption doesn’t only mean caring for the planet; it’s about the human impact, too, supporting businesses that strive to do good on both sides of the counter, and this is reflected in Coal Drop Yard’s retailers. Form&Thread champions fair pay for its factory workers; Beija London strives to make more inclusive underwear, designed for women of all sizes with comfort and empowerment at heart; and design practice and community space STORE Store addresses social imbalance within art, design and architecture by hosting creative courses for the general public, with a special focus on creating new opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

If you fancy a coffee that’s also ethical, you’ll find it at Redemption Roasters. According to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), only 17% of ex-offenders find themselves in employment a year after release; ensuring more find work is a key aspect of reducing recidivism. Redemption Roasters works with the MoJ to train young offenders at Aylesbury prison to become baristas, and employs one or two of the trainees in each of its shops. “Our coffee tastes this good,” it says, “because it’s made by people who try harder.”

Trying harder is something we could surely all be doing. But while responsible shopping is just that – a responsibility, to do our due diligence and look a little harder at our habits – it’s not to say it shouldn’t be a pleasure, too. Neuls feels that the secret to more conscious shopping is foregoing trends and following your instinct. “If you shop with the view to invest in footwear that doesn’t go out of fashion, that makes you feel confident and makes you smile, then you are on the right track,” she says. And that’s an emotional investment as much as a financial one.

In fact, most sustainability champions agree that it’s positivity – not guilt, shame or scary statistics – that drives the best trade. Make people feel bad about themselves, and they seek solace in a high street binge. But make us feel good about ourselves, and we’ll make good choices. The Coal Drops Yard approach might just be the future of shopping – do it slowly, and do it in style.

To find out more about Coal Drops Yard’s carefully curated offerings, head to coaldropsyard.com/shop-eat-drink



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