![]() It has to be, how are we figuring this out for everybody for the future? Just like in the food movement, I think there’s been a misstep in the sustainable fashion movement with that it’s an elite thing. We are in no way suggesting that buying quality means a much more expensive or a luxury garment. So you could find a quality garment at H&M within that. Is it a garment constructed well? Is it made from materials that are going to last in the wash and that you’re going to actually want to wear? That is the conversation around quality. I’m not talking about the branding around quality. That, to me, is the conversation on quality. If you look at the garments, it’s turning them inside-out and making sure they’re not falling apart before you’re buying them. I did an interview with “CBS This Morning” and it was how to shop better at H&M. On our web site and in our philosophy, the point is not that quality equates to something being expensive. One of the first things that struck me on your web site was a reference to upgrading purchases. WWD: In the sustainability conversation, I think inexpensive clothes get a bad rap. But it doesn’t mean that there aren’t many other business models that could be very successful. And I would say that a fast-fashion business model, which is predicated on people not wearing their garments very long, is inherently not a sustainable one. It’s more of a matter of what are the business models within that that are going to be successful. there’s going be more and more people on the planet, so there’s going to be plenty of growth opportunity. It does mean, I would argue, that to be sustainable, a T-shirt shouldn’t cost $3 but it doesn’t mean it has to be $30, either.Įvery one of us gets dressed. I think there is this confusion today because, quote, “sustainable” brands tend to be more expensive but there isn’t anything inherent in the creation of a sustainable garment that means it has to be on the luxury side. M.B.: Just from our research perspective, there is good research around the cost to actually provide, say, a living wage for a worker and it’s not astronomical, it’s not from a $5 T-shirt to a $50 T-shirt. WWD: Your initiative is totally fact-based, and my question is perhaps a little bit philosophical: is it possible for manufacturing-based fashion companies to fully reconcile sustainability with growth? I don’t know if that’s something you want to address. Then it’s a community of people from across the supply chain, including scientists and leading researchers on life-cycle assessment out doing the actual work on the ground, mostly in China. M.B.: The heart of it is a digital platform. WWD: How do you plan to bring the science together and collect the scientific facts? With that, it’s an information platform with resources that brands can use to think about making science-based and science-oriented changes toward sustainability. So at the heart of what we’re doing at NSI is to bring together the existing information that’s out there and begin to clarify what we know and what we don’t know. If we’re not measuring things, it’s hard for us to make progress. The adage is you only manage what you measure. When she’s not working to solve climate change, Melissa is either painting, planning her next trip to Comic Con, or eating ramen.Michael Stars: A Journey of Activism, Equality and Empowerment in Fashion Before attending law school, Melissa worked as an environmental scientist for a Hawai‘i-based consulting company, managing multi-party environmental projects. Melissa also worked as a litigator in private practice and completed a clerkship at the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals. She has authored papers on climate justice and taught persuasive writing and legislative advocacy at Hawai‘i’s law school. Prior to joining Blue Planet, Melissa worked as a legal fellow assisting state agencies in Hawai‘i with invasive species law and policy, rulemaking, and inter-agency coordination. She is a board member of Volunteer Legal Services Hawai‘i (VLSH) and Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE). In 2016, she was selected as one of the Pacific Business News “40 Under 40” young professional leaders. In 2020, Melissa was selected by Hawai‘i Business Magazine as one of “20 for the Next 20” People to Watch in Hawai‘i. ![]() Melissa was born in Colorado, spent her teenage years in Peru, and has lived in Hawai‘i since 2005. in Environmental Science from the University of Denver. She received a law degree and a certificate in Environmental Law from the William S. Melissa heads the overall organizational management, direction, and decision-making of Blue Planet’s work to champion scalable policies and programs that transform Hawaii’s energy systems to clean energy solutions.
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