Image VIA http://www.broadsheet.com.au
Recently, whilst perusing Susie Lau's photographs on Style Bubble, I came across the ethical online fashion boutique 'This Is Not A Mall.'
Susie was wearing a vibrant pair of hand embroided NEON Hilltribe Platforms in one post that I lusted after straight away and I was very excited to discover they came from a shop that was concerned with both its social and environmental impact.
Melbourne expats Anissa Dove and Courtney DeWitt, now living in Bangkok, are the founders of TINAM. TINAM offers fashion and accessories from South East Asia and is committed to improving the livelihoods of women and children within the Kingdom of Thailand. Currently 15% of all profits are donated to aid Thai flood relief and impoverished Northern Thai Hilltribe communities. The girls are passionate about addressing the many social issues facing the region.
In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to know exactly where products come from, and whether or not a supply chain is ethical, TINAM aims to bridge the gap between the consumer and the maker by maintaining close involvement with those making the products and also by profiling these designers / labels on their website.
Even though the transaction is done online, it is surprisingly quite a personal experience - the girls at TINAM stay in close contact via email and update you on any progress made. The best part is they're open 24/7 and so you can continue browsing whilst waiting on the arrival of your purchase!
Below are the beautiful shoes I am waiting on... I am looking forward to strolling happily around Melbourne in them, knowing that they came from an ethical source and that they are walking ever so lightly on the environment.
It's really refreshing to find young Melbournians mixing fashion with ethics and doing so in such a new and exciting way.
To support them, click here.
To read an interview I did with the girls behind TINAM, click here.
