The much anticipated Source 4 Style website went live earlier this fall and now founders Summer Rayne Oakes and Benita Singh are bringing the depths of their eco-fashion expertise in atelier style workshops to a city near you. The first one in NYC kicked off last Wednesday and attendees had the chance to network, enjoy Fair Trade chocolate and learn.

I was really blown away with how educational the workshop was. Oakes gave us a rundown on the evolving Eco Index, which is set to become the global standard and primary resource for rating in the apparel and eco-apparel industry.

My takeaways were many, but I’ll share just a few here that really stood out as action steps for brands moving forward in integrating ‘eco’ into their DNA.

1. Brands should dissect the components that make up their products to put them through the Eco Index and record their ratings. Oakes suggests that brands be conservative in this area starting out, especially if they have unknown details, to ensure that their next ratings show a greater improvement for their greening efforts.

2. Brands should be transparent with their consumers and post their results on their websites, thereby inviting them to accompany them on their environmental journey and build trust.

3. Brands can also open up the conversation with their consumers and crowd source to discover what designs their consumers want, feedback they might have, and what is most important to them regarding eco-initiatives.

4. Finally, brands that do have a ‘green story’ behind their garments should make it visible. Either via hang tags or online drop down tabs, the back story is what compels the consumer to support the brand and what they stand for in the production of the piece they are purchasing.

What I have shared in this post is only a glimpse of what is available through the Source 4 Style workshops. Check the Source 4 Style site and blog for more information. Workshops run about every six weeks. See you there!

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