The best eco-conscious concept shops around the world
With sustainability and eco initiatives at the forefront, these ethical and artisanal retailers are showing off their efforts in helping reduce our carbon footprint – from Copenhagen to Sydney, these are the best eco-conscious concept shops in the world.
- Sana Asseh
THE SLOW
BEIRUT, LEBANON
Set in hip district Mar Mikhael, rebuilding after last year’s explosion, this is an organic café, gallery, workspace and concept store rolled into one. It’s the vision of Lebanese architect Sari Kassouf, who was so inspired by the thoughtful-living philosophy he discovered on a trip to Bali that he decided to replicate it in his home city. The interiors by Copenhagen-based, multi-disciplinary studio Frama – lime-washed walls, wooden rails – reflect the earthy shades of the items for sale: felted wool slippers sewn in Nepal by Betterfelt; bamboo toothbrushes; beaded wood-and-stone bracelets from Enbois; and chemical-free cotton sweatshirts by Swedish streetwear line Dedicated.
Address: The Slow, Asfahan Street, Mar Mikhayel, Beirut, Lebanon
Website: theslow-lb.com COMMUNE BONDI
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
When Loren Morton was renovating her Bondi Beach pad seven years ago, she found it hard to source ethical, handmade homeware. So she approached her friend Kristie Keith with the idea of setting up a store where Australian artisans and conscious shoppers could come together. It’s kitted out with rattan lighting, wonky eucalyptus-branch clothing rails suspended from the ceiling with twine and reclaimed-timber tables. Products range from clay bowls by local ceramicist Catherine Field to pyjamas in stonewashed, sustainably sourced linen by Sydney-based In Bed.
Address: Commune Bondi, 1/96 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach NSW 2028, Australia
Website: communebondi.com- Mario Simon Lafleur
CENTRE COMMERCIAL
PARIS, FRANCE
Sneaker label Veja is known for its transparent production process, agreeing the price of organic materials in advance and performing on-the-ground supplier-workplace checks. So it was no surprise that when founders François-Ghislain Morillion and Sébastien Kopp opened their first Centre Commercial boutique – there are now three – in Paris in 2010, the focus was on brands that shared the same ethos. Today, this includes New Zealand’s Kowtow (Fairtrade wrap cardigans and jumpsuits); Seattle-based Girlfriend Collective (recycled-polyester sports tops, leggings made from plastic bottles); and French artist G Kero (parrot-print silk bomber jackets and kimonos). All shops also use Enercoop green electricity.
Address: Centre Commercial, 2, Rue de Marseille 75 010 Paris
Website: centrecommercial.cc FACON
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Art director Martin Bustamente launched this brilliantly curated store in the city’s up-and-coming Chacarita district to support remote Argentinian communities. As well as working with NGOs, he deals directly with indigenous people such as the Chané and Wichí from the Gran Chaco region (the former create wooden animal masks traditionally used for carnivals; the latter transform the chaguar plant into bags and artwork). Other highlights include a yaguareté children’s board game made by the Guaraní people in Misiones, modern sheep’s-wool rugs designed by Bustamante and produced by hand in Salta, and steel gaucho knives.
Address: Facon, Jorge Newbery 3584 CP 1427, CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: facon.com.ar
- Andrew Meredith
BOTTLETOP
LONDON
This flagship is a world first: a no-waste boutique built with 3D printers and recycled plastic. It started with a foundation supporting grass-roots health projects in 2002, launched by Cameron Saul, along with a bestselling bag made from upcycled bottle tops sourced in Kenya and lined with Mulberry’s leather off-cuts (Saul’s father is the luxury house’s founder, Roger). A decade later, the accessories company followed, co-founded with Oliver Wayman. Produced in Brazil, the collection uses zero-deforestation-guaranteed leather and signature hand-crafted chainmail stitched out of metal ring pulls.
Address: Bottletop, 84 Regent Street, Soho, London W1B 5RS
Website: bottletop.org GALERIE LA
LOS ANGELES
Celebrity stylist Dechel Mckillian started Galerie LA as a blog six years ago to show that choosing fashion with integrity needn’t mean sacrificing design. Now there’s a bricks-and-mortar space in Downtown hotspot Row DTLA. The sustainable-values badges identify if a piece is vegan, recycled, eco-friendly, ethical, artisan-made or local. The system is the result of Mckillian’s relationships with emerging names, such as Gracemade, Back Beat Co and MisterMrs, that offer visibility to garment workers and clear traceability of materials.
Address: Galerie LA, 767 S Alameda Street, Suite 192, Los Angeles, CA 90021, United States
Website: galerie.laCRAFTED SOCIETY
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Cashmere scarves woven by family-run Lanificio Arca; hats from fourth-generation milliner Sorbatti; heritage shoe factory Mirage Calzature’s low-top sneakers. While many high-end fashion houses keep their manufacturing partners a closely guarded secret, Crafted Society’s Luxury for Good approach to its Italian-produced accessories has a shout-it-from-the-rooftops level of transparency. Husband-and-wife duo Lise Bonnet and Martin Johnston not only co-brand each piece with the maker’s name, they also list every label online and donate one per cent of annual turnover to non-profit organisations that educate disadvantaged children.
Address: Crafted Society, Prinsengracht 491A, 1016 HR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: craftedsociety.comHOST
ANTWERP, BELGIUM
Owned by sisters Laura and Eva Broeckx, HOST – House of Sweets and Things – stocks clothes and accessories by small, mostly European creators. What unites them is that they all follow a responsible manufacturing process – both environmentally, through the fabrics used, and socially, with clear-cut production and fair wages. As well as fashion by Jan ’n June, Armedangels and Brava, there’s jewellery, childrenswear and beauty products. The pair occasionally hold talks and run initiatives, such as a discount on Mud Jeans when customers bring in an old pair to be recycled. At the back, the garden-facing café is a lovely spot for a cappuccino.
Address: Host, Statiestraat 56, 2600 Belgium
Website: host-concept.beSANS COMMUNITY
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Opened in 2018, this stripped-back green-grocer in the Sea Point suburb sells organic produce from small-scale farmers who use regenerative agricultural practices, as well as functional lifestyle objects built to last. There are brooms with plant-fibre bristles, minimalist bags using discarded fabrics and natural Perfumer H fragrances. Inside, husband and wife Jon-Paul and Nicol Bolus have paired a muted palette with upcycled wooden units. Customers are also encouraged to ‘support the milk man’ by returning glass jars.
Address: Sans Community, 277 Main Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, 8005, South Africa
Website: sanscommunity.com
RES-RES
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
In the creative Nørrebro district, Res-Res, which stands for Respect Resources, has been fitted out with scrap materials. A Yrolí skincare selection sits on a second-hand, mint-green chest of drawers, organic Woron underwear and natural Soeder soap are displayed in crates, and repurposed wood panelling from roofs and fences is used as stands and backdrops. Owners Søren Alling Sørensen and Lars Toft, who are working towards getting the shop B-Corp certified – to business what Fairtrade is to coffee – have split the space: womenswear on one side and menswear on the other. There is also a Nudie jeans free-repair station and a policy of sending out online orders in old shoe boxes.
Address: Res-res, Guldbergsgade 29C, 2200 København, Denmark
Website: res-res.comKeep scrolling for more images of eco-conscious shops...
Now watch our interview with Arizona Muse:
Like this? Now read:
The sustainable shopping guide to London
Our top 15 sustainable fashion brands
The best shops around the world, according to our favourite fashion designers