With so much talk about circularity in the fashion industry today from big fast fashion brands, circularity has been co-opted and greenwashed.
These brands are using mass-produced recycled polyester clothes to advertise their sustainability credentials with no mention of fair wages or safety for workers. They’re using take-back programs as a way to continue to overproduce and encourage overconsumption. They are advertising textile recycling technology as a silver bullet solution that will solve all of the industry’s problems.
Does this mean that circular fashion is a lost cause? That circularity is meaningless?
Well, I still have hope for the concept, especially when I look at small, conscious brands that think about every single stage of their process. Brands like Anne Mulaire.
In this episode, I’m chatting with Andréanne Mulaire, the founder of Anne Mulaire, about how this label is building a truly circular fashion business model that is also ethical and localized.
Andréanne will be telling us about her brand’s intentional production practices, zero-waste design processes, tailoring and mending services, and the upcoming launch of their resale program.
Andréanne is of Ojibwa / French Métis ancestry so she’s also going to talk about how she continues to explore her Métis heritage through her brand and about the designs in the brand’s Heritage Collection.
Tune in to this episode of the Conscious Style Podcast below, or on your favorite podcast app.
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Download the transcript for this episode [PDF]
ABOUT ANDRÉANNE
Andréanne Mulaire Dandeneau was born and raised in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. She is of Ojibwa/French Métis ancestry.
Prior to launching her company in 2005, Andréanne drew from her own contemporary dance experience and began designing costumes for dance troupes. She has been the costume designer for the Nafro Dance Company in Winnipeg since 2004.
In 2016 she earned the Excellence in Aboriginal Business Leadership Award from the Asper School of Business.
In 2020, she celebrated 15 years as a designer and manufacturer, right here in Winnipeg. Andréanne is committed to fair trade, environmental stewardship, and ethical business practices.
Today she operates as Anne Mulaire and continues to explore her Métis heritage.
