5 questions for sustainable brands: goodwill

April is a Fashion revolution month and there is no better time to talk about fashion. Before the Fashion revolution week starts on 19th of April I´m happy to introduce some amazing sustainable fashion brands in my 5 questions for sustainable brands. This offers customers, as well as other sustainable brands, the chance to learn more about the brand and their work, struggles, … Hopefully, brands can also connect and help each other out. Transparency and collaboration. This time I´m introducing Slovenian brand Goodwill.

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GOODWILL is a small Slovenian brand that comes from a family business Atelje Dobrovoljc. The name itself comes from their last name. The company strives for local production, use of natural materials, comfort and positive energy.

All pieces are made of material produced in Slovenia with the OKO-TEX certificate, which means that the goods are free of carcinogenic dyes, pesticides and dyes that trigger allergies. Špela Dobrovoljc sews all the products herself in her home studio. Her sister Polona helps me sew tracksuits.  Everything is designed and manufactured in Slovenia. The prints are made in the manual screen printing technique, which is considered to be one of the most durable prints on textiles. 

The latest chapter (certainly not the last) was added on October 16, 2020, when the doors of the GOODWILL SHOP in Škofja Loka, Slovenia opened it´s doors.

Špela answered my 5 questions for us. Scroll down for Slovenian version.

5-QUESTIONS  – ENGLISH

1. What is currently the most important goal for your brand? 

Currently, the most important goal of the Goodwill brand is to gain customer trust, customer satisfaction and spread goodwill.

2. What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now as a sustainable brand?

The biggest challenge is to find textiles that are of good quality, made of natural materials and beautiful.

3. What are the areas where you would still like to improve in terms of sustainability?

I find it hard to say for a sustainable product, but in terms of ecological aspect, the packaging and products are already environmentally friendly, but I am still researching the market and looking for new solutions. Not every paper is organic and not every natural material is organic. In the future, I want the brand to be even more environmentally friendly. This, however, requires detailed market research and a larger monetary investment.

“Labeling something‘ environmentally friendly ’does not mean it is sustainable. Labelling something as sustainable does not mean that it is ethical. “

4. What are consumers supporting with buying from you and what would be your message to them?

Customers of Goodwill support local products. Local means supporting ethical production, wages for locals, reduced greenhouse gas emissions because transportation is not needed across half the world. They support production where only as many products are made as are sold (production on demand), therefore without waste.

My message: “Buy less and wear it longer. Rather afford 5 really cool pieces a year, then 30 nothing special ones.”

5. What would be your message to other sustainable brands in the industry?

My message to all other sustainable brands would be:

“You’re on the right track. People are increasingly more aware of the need to protect the planet. Don’t give up and don’t change and sell your values for money.”

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5- QUESTIONS – SLOVENIAN

1. Kaj je trenutno najpomembnejši cilj vaše blagovne znamke?

Trenutno je najpomembnejši cilj pri znamki Goodwill pridobitev zaupanja strank, zadovoljstvo strank in širjenje dobre volje.

2. Kateri je največji izziv, s katerim se trenutno soočate kot trajnostna blagovna znamka?

Največji izziv je najti blago, ki je kvalitetno, iz naravnih materialov in hkrati še lepo.

3. Na katerih področjih bi se še vedno radi izboljšali v smislu trajnosti?

Težko rečem za trajnostni izdelek, ampak glede ekološkega vidika so embalaža in izdelki že okolju prijazni, vendar kljub temu raziskujem trg in iščem nove rešitve. Tudi vsak papir ni ekološki in tudi vsak naraven material ni ekološki. V prihodnosti si želim, da bi bila znamka še bolj prijazna okolju. Za to pa je potrebna podrobna raziskava trga in večji denarni vložek.

»Označevanje nečesa ‘okolju prijaznega’ še ne pomeni, da je trajnostno. Podobno označevanje nečesa kot trajnostnega ne pomeni, da je etično.«

4. Kaj potrošniki podpirajo pri nakupu pri vas in kakšno bi bilo vaše sporočilo zanj?

Kupci pri Goodwill-u podpirajo lokalne izdelke. Lokalno pa pomeni, da podpirajo etičnost, plačo lokalcev, zmanjšane emisije toplogrednih plinov, ker prevozi niso potrebni čez pol sveta. Podpirajo proizvodnjo, kjer je narejeno toliko izdelkov, kot se jih proda, torej brez odpadkov. Moje sporočilo: » Kupuj manj in nosi dlje časa. Raje si na leto privošči 5 res hudih kosov, kot 30 nič kaj posebnih.«

5. Kakšno bi bilo vaše sporočilo drugim trajnostnim blagovnim znamkam.

Moje sporočilo vsem ostalim trajnostnim znamkam bi bilo:

» Na pravi poti ste. Ljudje se vedno bolj zavedamo nujnosti po zaščiti planeta. Ne obupaj in ne spremeni svojih vrednot samo zaradi denarja.«

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