Australian department store chain David Jones recently launched Mindfully Made, a hub where consumers can shop for sustainable goods, like fashion and beauty, all in one place.
Mindfully Made is described as “a platform dedicated to more meaningful connections with what you wear and use.” The goal of the new shopping experience is for David Jones customers to be able to identify the steps that brands are taking to be more responsible, whether it be socially or environmentally. That is why David Jones has created five attributes relating to human, animal, and environmental welfare on which to grade each brand in the Mindfully Made collection.
In order to be part of the carefully curated Mindfully Made hub, the brand must meet a minimum of one sustainability attribute, however, many do meet more than one. David Jones’ five Mindfully Made attributes are Australian Made, Sourced with Care, Community Minded, Reduce and Recycle, and Kind to Animals.
Australian Made is a label assigned to any brand that manufactures its goods at home in the company’s native Australia. These brands are said to support the local industry and community. Sourced with Care refers to brands that focus on using responsibly sourced materials like regenerated nylon or vegan leather and mindful production processes to minimize environmental impact.
Reduce and Recycle comes down to brands that have come up with innovative and conscious ways to upcycle, recycle, and reduce waste, such as using packaging made out of recycled materials. Second to last is Community Minded, which is for ethical brands that actively support their communities and the welfare of workers, uphold fair working conditions, and offer supply chain transparency. Lastly, Kind to Animals is a designation earned when a brand uses cruelty-free production methods and ingredients that do not harm animals. Many of the brands with this label are vegan.
So far, the hub is made up of a wide range of brands, both from Australia and abroad, including Veja, Weleda, Bec + Bridge, Waverly Mills, Grown Alchemist, Outland Denim, KitX, Bianca Spender, Country Road, R.M Williams, Cue, and KeepCup.
The upscale department store chain has launched the hub both virtually on their website as well as physically in seven stores across Australia. Overall, David Jones’ Mindfully Made hub is a one-stop shop for sustainable fashion, beauty, food, and home goods. It is intended for shoppers who want to consider both the environmental and social impact of what they buy.
It is also a place for consumers to learn important information about shopping sustainably. For example, the hub includes information about caring for and prolonging the life of the purchases made (wash in cold water and air dry clothing), as well as information on decoding terminology around fabric, sustainability, and ethics, including words such as circularity, cellulose, vegan leather, and more. They have also integrated exclusive interviews with global sustainability experts.
“It’s not just about offering customers the ability to shop by their values, we see it as a portal for them to learn more,” says Eloise Bishop, the head of sustainability for David Jones.
All images in this article are courtesy of David Jones.
