Four Socially Conscious Brands that Millennials Love
By Tricia McKinnon and Emily McCullough
Trying to tap into the lucrative millennial market? More so than other generations millennials are socially conscious. 68% of millennials say that creating change in the world is a goal that they are actively pursuing vs. 42% of baby boomers. Socially conscious initiatives are not a trend but a fast growing segment within the fashion industry. Here are four brands that millennials love that not only have great products but are also socially conscious.
1. With STATE Bags, when individuals purchase a bag, along with their purchase a backpack filled with school supplies is donated to a student in need. Launched in 2013, this company ensures that customers feel like they are making an impact in someone’s life while allowing them to feel good on their way to school.
Scot Tatelman, Co-Founder of STATE Bags has said: “we’re trying to be the company that took the incredible one-for-one model and brought it back to kids that could really use some help.”
2. MATT & NAT which stands for MAT(T)erial and NATure is a Canadian company that sells fashionable accessories with a minimalist design. While at a distance MATT & NAT’s signature bags look like they are made from animal products they are actually made using vegan leather. All of the linings of the bags it produces are made from 100% recycled bottles with approximately 21 bottles used in every bag it produces. According to MATT & NAT: “It’s important for us not to use leather. Simply put, we don’t like hurting animals and we care about the welfare of the planet”. MATT & NAT is also continually sourcing materials such as cork and rubber to make its products more sustainable in addition to cruelty-free.
3. When Warby Parker discovered that more than a billion people around the world needed glasses it decided to contribute to the cause. Warby Parker has a buy a pair give a pair program where glasses are given to those in need. Similar to STATE it has a one for one model where for every pair of glasses purchased a pair is given to someone in need. Glasses are either given to school aged children or adult men and women are trained to give basic eye exams and then the glasses needed are sold at very affordable prices. To date over 5 million pairs of glasses have been donated. According to Warby Parker, in emerging and pre-emerging markets, one pair of glasses increases productivity by 35% and they increase monthly income by 20%.
4. As part of ThirdLove’s “try-before-you-buy” program, the company says customers should: “Wear it. Wash it. Live in the bra for 30 days”. Bras that customers try on but don’t keep are cleaned then donated by ThirdLove to charities that focus on women in need. In 2018 alone ThirdLove donated over 75,000 bras.
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