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3 BRANDS WHO WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU SHOP
How to be a more sustainable shopper continues to be foremost in our minds again right now. While its often hard to know where to make a difference there are some easy steps one can take to take a more eco-minded approach to shopping. First up is knowing your brands, we caught up with 3 pioneers across fashion, beauty and food from Emily Rea at the Restory to Gráinne Mullins of Grá Chocolates to Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi of the fragrance brand Le Labo. From supporting the circular economy and local business to honouring and nurturing expertise and craftsmanship these brands lead the way.
GIVE ACCESSORIES A NEW LIFE WITH THE RESTORY
About The Restory
The Restory was founded by Emily Rea, Vanessa Jacobs and Thaís Cipolletta and was born out of a personal frustration for the lack of reliable aftercare available for luxury fashion. Vanessa says, "It didn’t make sense that you could have a wonderful experience in buying luxury pieces, but when they inevitably got scuffed or worn, there was nowhere to bring them to be restored and so that's how The Restory began."
Supporting Craftmanship & Circularity
Luxury buys have been created to a very high standard and need skilled craftsmen to restore them. The Restory uses in-house artisans from a range of backgrounds, from fine art restorers to fashion designers to milliners. Vanessa explains, “Everyone brings a very different set of skills to the table and it makes for a very collaborative and inspiring environment and it means whatever customers bring to us we have someone who can fix it.” This circular mentality means you can extend the life of beautiful things and support craftsmanship at the same time."
The demand and appetite for aftercare is insatiable and we are passionate about delivering a luxury, trusted and high quality service and experience.
The Restory
How to shop better…
Think about what you already own and why you are wearing or not wearing it. When you buy new, make sure to set it up for success by thinking about whether it will reach the #30wears milestone easily. Think about what one small thing you can do to make things feel fresh. Is it an alteration? Would a new belt or a pair of earrings do the trick? If it’s time for something to move on, try to responsibly rehome it to circular initiatives or even through friends, family and co-workers.
Have a designer handbag you’d like to rehome? Why not avail of ‘Full Circle’, now available in-store at Brown Thomas Dublin and Dundrum. This service gives you the chance to exchange your pre-loved bags for a Brown Thomas gift card…Learn more by clicking here.
GIVE THE GRÁ TO IRISH ARTISANS
About Grá Chocolates
Grá Chocolates is a business which began during lockdown in 2020 when award-winning pastry chef Grainne Mullins started out by making a batch of Easter eggs as treats for her friends. “I wanted to make something special for friends as it was such a hard time for everyone. It was only when I posted them on social media and people started asking could they buy them, that it gave me the idea that this could be a business. It has been the most amazing journey over the past 2 years.” Since then her beautiful chocolates launched in Brown Thomas Galway and now has a permanent location in our Grafton Street and Dundrum stores. “There has been quite a few “pinch me moments” over the past few months as it is truly a dream come true to see my brand in Brown Thomas stores.”
Supporting Irish Food & Family
Gráinne believes in Irish produce, her chocolate showcases the world’s best dairy– Irish cream and butter.Created in small batches, by a supportive team of locals which is creating employment in her neighbourhood, each chocolate takes three days to create and is carefully finished with colourful hand-painted decoration. Both beautiful and decadently delicious Grá Chocolates are also in tune with nature and change with the seasons, drawing on Ireland’s rich larder.
I am very conscious of where we source all of our ingredients. Many of our ingredients are made by local Irish producers and this means that not only are we supporting other businesses in our community but we also have access to the best quality too. This is certainly what makes Grá Chocolates taste as delicious as they are.
How to shop better…
For me shopping better is about shopping and supporting local. I am absolutely “in grá” with amazing Irish brands and restaurants. I am loving eating out in amazing restaurants in Galway and have a renewed passion for everything Irish right now.
GIVE SLOW FRAGRANCES A GO WITH LE LABO
About Le Labo
Founders of Le Labo Edouard Roschi and Fabrice Penot say their brand was born in Grasse but raised in New York. Original trailblazers of slow perfumery they pride themselves on authenticity, craftsmanship. Roschi says, “We started Le Labo as an extension of who we are, of how we function day-to-day. As a brand and as individuals, we try to be socially and environmentally responsible. We’ve never dwelled upon the fact that we’re vegan or ‘green,’ because we think that’s how everyone should develop their business if they want to be around in 50 years.”
Supporting making by hand
Roschi and Penot believe in handcrafting soulful fragrances that are both familiar and unexpected. Hands being the key word and central to the fragrances themselves, the duo offer the idea that, “thoughtful hands, hand-picked roses, hand-poured candles, hand-formulated perfumes and handshake agreements,” are at the very heart of their products. Their mission is to remind people that scent can be thoughtfully produced and be a style signature and extension of our identity and individuality.
We wanted to propose an alternative — not only in the perfume itself, but also by showing the backstage of perfume creation sharing the craftsmanship behind a true fine fragrance. By working with the best artisans and partners in the world, by freshly hand-preparing every perfume to the order, by a permanent reverence to craftsmanship, we decided to challenge the perfume status quo.
Edouard Roschi and Fabrice Penot
How to shop better…
Shop with intention, “We believe the soul of a fragrance comes from the intention with which it is created and the attention with which it is prepared.”
MORE TO READ
Meet Tonya Kidd-Beggs, the founder of Irish fragrance house, Stories Parfum. Read all about her story and find your new favourite scent in The Fragrance Experience.