Why does ethical fashion matter?

In a world where over consumption has become the norm, it is imperative that we purchase from companies that are doing all they can to make their products with the best intentions for the people making them, and the world as a whole.  The more intentional you are about buying from ethical and sustainable companies, the more the market will be driven to make lasting and positive change. 

How does fashion effect global warming?

According to McKinsey research, the fashion industry was responsible for some 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions in 2018, about 4 percent of the global total. If you include shoes and leather goods, that number goes up to8 percent. That is staggering. Even more staggering, 235 million items of clothing are sent to a landfill each year, and that number continues to climb because of the rise of fast fashion. Imagine the empire state building being full of clothing trash, every single day. We don't make clothing, but we are a part of the fashion industry, and it is important that we understand these numbers, and build a brand that has educated consumers. The more we know, the better we are equipped to make smart decisions. Even if you never purchase from us, we want you to understand how much power you have when you buy clothes and accessories. 

How Tesoro is tackling these issues?

Ethical manufacturing

We are proud to consider human impact first here at Tesoro. We currently hand make all of our products in our studio in Philadelphia, PA. Our owner, Brit, and her talented sewing colleague Alexis hand make each and every product that comes out of our studio. Brit is proud to provide excellent working conditions and fair living wages to everyone that works for Tesoro. This is at the heart of our company, and no matter how much we grow, it will always remain one of the most important components of our business.

 

Materials

We are passionate about buying our materials right here in the USA. Our leather and the majority of our hardware is made by family owned factories here in the USA. Tanneries have been around in the USA for decades, and help uplift and employee the towns and communities they are in. It is a source of fair paid jobs in the USA, and we love working with these families to create leathers that will last a lifetime. We purchase a couple pieces of hardware for the collection overseas, but we do so with intention and a dedication to working conditions of those in our overseas factories.

 

Product lifecycle

We believe that creating a sustainable product means that the product lasts a lifetime or more. We offer care, repairs and cleaning to our customers, and have detailed articles on our blog about how to condition items you already own. In addition, we are proud to limit disposal and support re-use culture through our sample sales and “Found” collection, full of reconditioned and repaired vintage leather goods.

 

Packaging

You will never find an ounce of plastic in our packaging. We use recycled boxes, and work with companies that use mainly recycled materials to make our business cards, tissue and any other branded materials. Because we do our production in house, we are able to control so many things when it comes to our products and how they are made, packaged and shipped.

 

Decision making

At our core, we care about the Earth and the people inhabiting it. We often say to our customers that the last day a cow is eaten in this country, is the last day we will use leather to make our products. Our leathers are a by-product of the meat industry, and we believe that these animals hides should not go to waste. We consider everything, product development, materials, photography and models fair wages, who we partner with and even how much we travel for the business. Our goal is to limit the environmental impact of our company, and to leave the world better than we found it.

 

Promoting vintage fashion

The most sustainable product out there is the one that you already own, the second most sustainable product is Vintage. In 2020, after the pandemic began, we wanted to offer more products to our customers. Thats when our “Found” collection was founded. We purchase leather and fur jackets and coats, and recondition and repair them so that we can extend the lifetime of these garments. Brits years of working in vintage shops, and working with leather have given her an extensive knowledge of all things leather and help her to choose the best products available for resale.

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