Fashion has and continues to have a profound influence on shaping culture and society around the world. The amount of influence may vary depending on where you are, but there is no arguing that the influence is there.
What if a group of like-minded people did more with it — cultivating the power and influence of fashion for the greater good? Well, no more what-ifs because that group now exists, and they go by the name Hearts.
Hearts is an ethically conscious fashion brand that offers consumers originally designed handbags and accessories that are fashion forward but also socially aware.
As of November 21, Hearts, a web-based retail company headquartered in Scottsdale, unveiled more than 500 uniquely designed handbags, jewelry and accessories. Design styles range from vintage to modern and most have cultural influences.
“Fashion is a powerful vehicle for the expression of our individuality,” says Creative Director Stephanie Petro. “Hearts’ designs provide a stylish and easy way to actively support environmental and social causes while driving positive transformation at the community level.”
Each piece is made with the people and the planet in mind, representing Hearts’ core value system. The company believes they have a social responsibility. Hearts’ design philosophy incorporates ecologically conscience materials and minimum footprint manufacturing processes with the goal of positively affecting specific social issues like access to clean water and human equality.
For example, the website offers “iHeart” bracelets, created with recycled glass beads in varying colors and a gunmetal chain. The different colors represent a specific cause, including the Chile to Kili organization for cultural awareness, Pencils of Promise for education awareness and The Shine Project for human rights awareness. Some of the bracelets were even handcrafted by local, Arizona teens.
Hearts focuses on educating people on the effects of modern consumerism so they can make more conscious choices while shopping. Hearts makes that easy with its transparent approach; each product is listed with artisan statistics, materials and the manufacturing process.
Hearts continues to lead by example by joining the CarbonFree Shipping Program. Through this program Hearts will offset their carbon emissions generated by the shipment of products to Hearts costumers. The CarbonFree Shipping label will also appear on all packages to assure Hearts customers that they are fulfilling their promise.
“Hearts is dedicated to changing the ways products are made and distributed and setting an example for other fashion companies to do the same,” says Hearts Owner, Hart Cunningham. “At the end of the day, our vision is not about selling products, but about making a difference in the world we live in so that our children can inherit a cleaner planet than we did.”
Check out Hearts’s Lookbook:
