Conscious style in the Bahamas!

Happy Friday, guys! It's been a while since I last posted on the blog. July has been a little hectic with this Bahamas trip to promote an eco-friendly hotel (will be on the blog this weekend), and Swim Week currently taking place in Miami. Can you believe there are 5 sustainable and fair-trade brands hitting the runways during Swim Week?! I'll be covering the events on my social media channels and will share every detail with you on the blog next week! Thus, make sure you're following me on snapchat (waterthruskin) and IG (@waterthruskin) to stay up to date with everything. In the meantime, let's talk about this look. Head-to-toe fashion with a purpose! Another example that change is in the little steps and those steps can look fabulous!  

Beyond Skin Floral Espadrilles: Perfect for summer! These vegan flats are handmade in Spain from recycled PU and plant-based top coats. Their linings are also 100% recycled with vegetable coating. My favorite espadrilles ever!

Grey dress by Alternative Apparel: Super comfortable and can be worn with anything! It's made from natural fibers using processes that have nature and humanity in mind. You can get yours at Nomad Tribe in Miami and online. Use code WTS15 for a 15%discount! 

Sunnies by Westward Leaning: made from natural materials benefiting different charities.

Panama Hat by Artesano: helps build homes for people in need in Ecuador.

Photos captured by Christine Michelle. 

Magazine Look with Kindness

Clothing...This topic is so controversial, it's insane! If you guys have watched the documentary I suggested a while ago, "True Cost", you know exactly what I'm talking about. The clothing industry has gone from creating items we need and use on a daily basis to designing products we crave...we want...we MUST have. It's not about our need anymore but about the status, the look and keeping up to date with fashion trends. Our demand for these products has increased to such a dramatic extend that companies are going beyond their ways to reduce their costs, be more competitive and price-appealing while also increasing their profit. Here's the trick though. Even though those price reductions make us feel like we won the lottery whenever we find $5 tees or $18 jeans at our favorite stores, those cheap items are hurting the hands that stitched them. Tremendously! We've all heard about companies outsourcing and looking for cheap labor in places like Bangladesh but something we don't know, because companies will never put in on their labels, is what goes behind closed walls. The human and environmental impacts of fashion. People in Bangladesh get paid less than $2 per day and work in unbearable and inhumane conditions to make those cheap tees and jeans come to life. Not to mention that buildings have collapsed or burned to the ground killing hundreds of people who worked for fashion companies. Fortunately, new brands are coming to the market and have a little more than profit in mind. They are designing the most beautiful, eco-friendly, vegan and fair trade products I've ever seen or shopped as a fashion-lover. As time goes by, I'll write more and more about these brands and promote them every week on the blog just because...they are worth promoting. They are taking the firsts steps to help heal our world. The second step is on us. So what are you guys waiting for? :)

ps: I wore this outfit for a Magazine fashion article. Can't wait to share more details with you once it comes out!

-Kimono by BohoHunter. Made by artisans in Colombia. You can find it at one of my favorite stores in Miami. This store promotes handmade, fair trade and charity-oriented fashion garments. Shop it online too!

-Flower carved boots by Melissa. Recycled plastic. The Brazilian brand “Melissa” focuses on designing shoes that have the environment in mind by reducing water and waste pollution, using recycled plastic, and reusing unsold shoes from previous collections. 

-Boho necklace by Yvera. Handmade in Bolivia. 

-Jeans by Gap. In case you haven't heard, Gap is taking new initiatives to reduce water use and pollution and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition where companies are evaluated on material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices. Retailers also plan to add measures for labor and social standards. Read more here.