Tips on caring for your vegan handbag

Tips on caring for your vegan handbag

You’re the owner of a vegan handbag or are considering making the switch to vegan accessories? Congratulations! You're helping reduce your environmental impact and supporting sustainable fashion. Thank you, you’re the best!

Caring for your new vegan bag is important to ensure that it lasts long and looks great. So we are happy to share with you some tips on how to care for your vegan handbag.

April 01, 2022 — Kaia Mar
4 tips to find out if a brand is sustainable or greenwashing?

4 tips to find out if a brand is sustainable or greenwashing?

When creating Kaia Mar, we have been researching the sustainable fashion sector a lot. And we’ve seen many "green" and "sustainably made" brands who just capitalize on the sustainability trend. So we thought it would be useful for you to learn how you identify if the brand is sustainable or just greenwashing. Make sure you save this post and send it to your eco-conscious friend so that more people can support truly green brands.


Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking to buy eco-friendly clothes and accessories: 

1. Check the materials. 

The processes involved in creating textiles, especially synthetic ones, are often pretty harsh on the environment, using lots of water, chemicals, and energy. Opt for clothes and accessories that are made of natural materials such as cotton, linen, wool, or hemp over synthetic fabrics. They are grown without using pesticides or other harmful chemicals, making them better for the environment. 

When it comes to textile clothing and accessories, consider choosing vegan, plant-based material. The options include pineapple leaves, apple peels and cactus textile. Also textile made from recycled plastic and much more. These materials  look and feel just like the actual animal-origin leather but have much lower environmental cost. For example, the environmental cost of cactus textile, which we use to produce Kaia Mar handbags, is 300 times less than the environmental cost of bovine textile. 


Unfortunately, not all vegan material is actually good and sustainable. Many of the vegan textile products on the market are made of 100% polyester, a petroleum-based material that is not biodegradable. 

2. Consider the dyes. 

Dyes are not the first thing you think about when buying clothes and accessories. But it is really important to know what dyes brands use since many of them may contain heavy metals and toxic elements. 


Luckily, there are alternatives. Here are 4 types of eco-friendly dyes that are better for you and the environment: 


  • Fiber-reactive dyes. As it comes from the name, these dyes react directly with the fabric making the dye a part of the fabric. Fiber-reactive dyes use less water, salt and heavy metals than normal fabric dyes. Because the color is permanent, clothes can withstand many washes and still retain their original color.
  • Biodegradable dyes and pigments have been found to be an excellent choice for designers who are looking at ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint. These environmentally friendly products do not require the use of heavy metals,  amines and inorganic salts. Usage of fiber-reactive and biodegradable dyes helps to reduce the consumption of water and environmental pollution.
  • Azo-free dyes are free of nitrogen based compounds that release aromatic amines. These organic compounds contain no heavy metals, so they're much better for the environment than their counterparts - azo dyes.
  • There are many different types of natural dyes that can be used to color fabric. These include  dyes derived from plants, fruit, algae, fungi, marine invertebrates (like starfish and sea urchins) and bacteria. The best thing is they're all biodegradable so you won't have any worries about running into environmental problems with them in the future. 

3. Look for brands that prioritize transparency.

Notice what the brands share about their manufacturing process. Make sure if they clearly speak where and how their products are produced, share the information about labor conditions, and have third-party certifications (Fair Trade, SA 8000,PETA etc). 


Why should you care about that? Well, here is the thing, if a shirt from a big mass-market brand priced $5, it means that it’s manufacturing cost is around 5-10 cents. And for a factory to promise a large amount of item units for the price of 1 -10 cents each, they need cheap and fast labor. This leads to factories hiring kids, abusing women to work 80 hours a week to make sure the factory itself makes a profit. It's a long line of people trying to make money and gain the most profit possible. 


If you chose not to support this violation of human rights and labor laws, don’t hesitate to ask for more information. Brands that are making sustainable and ethical choices will not shy away from any questions you have in regards to where their garments are made, by whom, or what fabrics they use. 

4. Explore small businesses 


You can make a difference in the fashion industry by choosing to support sustainable small businesses. These brands create amazing things, made of vegan and biodegradable materials with minimal water waste and air pollution while still providing you with great quality clothing and accessories! 


Unfortunately, they cannot compete against fast-fashion giants who produce new items every season and spend millions of dollars on ad campaigns. But you know what? Your choice can make a difference. Look for sustainable fashion brands and see if they are truly green or not by following the tips above!

The world needs more people who care about how their clothes and accessories are produced.  Use these tips when making purchasing decisions to be sure you'll get your money's worth while still being good stewards over our beautiful blue marble up there...

February 15, 2022 — Kaia Mar
Will genuinfluenceres replace influencers?

Will genuinfluenceres replace influencers?

Have you ever asked yourself why you started following someone? The reason for this usually is that we get impressed by their lifestyle, it gets interesting to see how they change throughout time. But not all changes are for good: after a while, we start to notice that an influencer’s account reminds more of a billboard than a real person’s account.  

From influencers to genuinfluencers

What makes someone a successful influencer? The audience. To attract an audience, they need interesting content that goes together with good deals and promotions. With time people started to realize that even their favourite influencer who they followed for years might be talking about some amazing product not because they truly believe in it but because they have bills to pay. For this reason, influencers became more scrutinized by their audience. Why did this happen? People got tired of ads and constant promotions - all they want and need is entertaining advice. Seeing the influencer promoting different brands of the same product raise suspicion about how much they believe in what they do. And sometimes all people need from influencers is some educational and involving content rather than urging them to buy something.  

Who are genuinfluencers? 

Genuinfluencers are micro-influencers who are there to spread awareness on certain problems, give important information and make an impact when we’re trying to make an informed decision. Now people are very much involved in solving environmental problems and changing one’s habits to become more sustainable, so they look for someone who could inspire and educate them on topics such as conscious fashion. One of these influencers is @emsladedmondson, who is on the list of 100 UK Leading Environmentalists. She is the founder of @charityfashionlive encouraging people to choose second-hand clothing to create stylish outfits instead of running to fast fashion stores. 

 

A new approach to brands and people 

Genuinflunecers are there to give out information and advice and not to sell products. However, brands are very interested in such people as they are trustworthy and valuable. Genuinfluencers present things to others that they first find interesting themselves. They dig deep to get to the bottom of things and present it to the public. They manage to convey their interest and knowledge to others by not thinking about the profit first. 

 Have you already noticed the rise of genuinfluencers? 

September 14, 2021 — Kaia Mar
People that took it further: how to build an ethical brand?

People that took it further: how to build an ethical brand?

Everything happens for a reason. This is why a lot of brand owners started their journey to satisfy their curiosity, fulfil their dreams, and prove that something can be done or produced better. But let's put these reasons aside for a bit and think about today. Every successful brand has to think about its actual impact on the environment. So, what do these brands need to become conscious?  
August 27, 2021 — Kaia Mar
Fluid fashion: from severe distinction to freedom

Fluid fashion: from severe distinction to freedom

Fashion history taught us that every period has its signature looks. Designers of different epochs created pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories that still come back as fashion trends. It also shows that there was a clear distinction between genders and cultures. But now, we live in times when all these boundaries are fading away. 

Gen Z and its state of mind

Recently we talked about gender gaps and new things that young generations such as Gen Z are implementing in their daily lives. 

June 07, 2021 — Kaia Mar
How are customers habits changing production processes?

How are customers habits changing production processes?

With all that is happening in the world, people are changing their consumption habits. It seems that the “eco-trend” evolved to another level: the time when brands could’ve just slapped the label on any garment with the word “sustainable” is now over. Consumers are becoming more aware and educated on topics about material production, fair labour and other matters that lead the process of production. But what does it mean for brands, and how it’s going to change their manufacturing?
May 24, 2021 — Kaia Mar
Meet these 7 sustainable fabric suppliers of the future

Meet these 7 sustainable fabric suppliers of the future

Malai makes materials that are “completely vegan product and as such you could even eat it”. Products such as shoes, bags, wallets, etc., made from Malai are water-resistant and sustainable as they are made from bacterial cellulose that is grown with the help of coconut waste.

Leap by Beyond Leather provides us with plant-based leather made from apple waste. They produce high-quality, rich looking material using waste that is left from juice and cider production to create next best thing in vegan material manufacturing.

May 16, 2021 — Kaia Mar
KAIA MAR, Kaia Mar London

When you CAN have it all The Pangaia edition

What does it mean, and how much effort one needs to become a fully sustainable fashion brand? Is it even possible? As more fashion brands are re-thinking their ways of production, this ethical label Pangaia is showing a way of how to become a true leader in changing fashion landscape. 
May 13, 2021 — Kaia Mar
kaia mar, kaia mar london

Inspirational trends for your Spring/Summer 2021

As we already stepped into spring and are waiting for even warmer days to approach, it feels like the right time to think about how to renew our wardrobe. If for you that means throwing out your old clothes & accessories and buying new things, check these tips and tricks on how to be a more conscious buyer. And for those who only wish to add some nice and practical accessory to their wardrobe, let’s check what are the new handbag trends for this season are going to be and take what is best from it!
May 10, 2021 — Kaia Mar
kaia mar, kai mar london

How to find “The One”

Tips on how to choose the right handbag

How many handbags does one need? Should we have “the one” that goes with everything? Or many handbags to go with different outfits and suitable for different occasions? Since the latter is something that goes against the idea of being more sustainable and less cluttered with stuff, let’s talk about that one right handbag that is practical as well as a top accessory that gives a final touch to our whole outfit. So how to find this perfect handbag?

May 06, 2021 — Kaia Mar
kaia mar, kaia mar london, Arlinda, laura

Is vegan leather going to change real leather ?

Presenting leather from grape and pineapple

It is said that an apple a day keeps a doctor away. We don’t know if there is some saying about grapes or pineapples but get ready not only to eat your fruit but wear it too. Recently we talked about faux leather and why to choose it in your garments and accessories rather than real leather. Since faux leather is quite a new and often emerging phenomenon, we feel that we should discuss it more and this way educate our readers. Or maybe you have something useful to share with us? 

April 29, 2021 — Kaia Mar
5 eco-friendly bloggers to read and follow

5 eco-friendly bloggers to read and follow

Some say that the Internet is becoming this evil that is stealing our time and focus. But is it the case if it is also a place full of useful and enjoyable content? For those who see the network and social media channels as a tool to snatch some fresh ideas and informational content, here are 5 bloggers who lead their eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle and share it with the world:
April 26, 2021 — Kaia Mar