Keeping It Conscious

While Austin is probably most well-known for keeping it weird and for being the self-proclaimed live music capital of the world, it has come to be quite the hub for a wide variety of socially conscious brands and boutiques.

Next time you’re in town, check out these local shops – or if you’re just wishing for warmer Texas weather, hop over to their websites to discover what Austin entrepreneurs are doing to make the world a better place.

Akumal Shop

Location | Online

Social Mission | Akumal Shop supports indigenous communities in Mexico by directly designing and producing handicrafts from indigenous artists.

Don’t Miss | These Make Up Bags from Mexico

Visit Akumal Shop online

Slumlove Sweater Company

Location | Online

Social Mission | All clothing from Slumlove Sweater Company is handmade in Kenya, paying their employees fair wages, treating them with respect, and giving them the opportunities and resources needed to provide a better life for themselves and their families. They use 100% natural, organic, and recycled materials and they donate to a high school scholarship program in Kenya.

Don’t Miss | This Classic Crew from Kenya

Visit Slum Love Sweater Company Online

Purse & Clutch

Location | Online & 4477 S. Lamar Blvd Suite 590, Austin, TX 78745

Social Mission | Purse & Clutch is a socially conscious handbag brand that seeks to provide modern, fresh essentials for the everyday woman while employing artisans from Ethiopia and Guatemala with the end goal of breaking the cycle of poverty. Beyond just connecting artisans to the global market, they oversee design and production for the talented artisans on their teams as a way to support long term employment opportunities. 

Don’t Miss | This Rugged Leather Handbag from Ethiopia

Visit Purse & Clutch online

Fortress of Inca

Location | 503 W Mary St, Austin, TX 78704

Social Mission | Fortress of Inca believes that the people who make their shoes are just as important as the people who buy them. They work with several workshops and factories in Peru, and personally audit each one. As a result, their shoemakers work in excellent conditions and enjoy benefits like health care, paid maternity leave and social security.

Don’t Miss | This Adriana Coco Bootie from Peru

Visit Fortress of Inca online

Bloom + Grace

Location | Online

Social Mission | Bloom + Grace is deeply committed to forging long-term partnerships with artisans in developing countries. They aim to empower artisans to create and grow their own businesses and work to promote entrepreneurship among their artisan communities. Since their launch, Bloom + Grace has worked with artisan communities in Vietnam, Kenya, Indonesia, Haiti, Cambodia, South Africa, Thailand, and India. 

Don’t Miss | This Brass + Horn Rectangle Pendant from Rwanda

Visit Bloom + Grace online

Teysha

Location | Online

Social Mission | Teysha’s mission is to create flourishing communities and artistic expression through sustainable fashion by combining heritage quality goods with traditionally informed artistry. They work directly with artisan communities throughout the Americas to develop local infrastructure, value chains, designs, and production processes which honor traditional craft while bringing market access and opportunity.

Don’t Miss | These Vaquera Diamantes Boots from Guatemala

Visit Teysha online

Ubuntu Made

Location | Online

Social Mission | Ubuntu Made was created to celebrate the artisan work of makers within the Maai Mahiu community. They also drive sustainable revenue to Ubuntu’s Foundation and on-the-ground programs, which specialize in much needed philanthropic health and education programs in the developing community.

Don’t Miss | This Customizable Canvas Journal from Kenya

Visit Ubuntu Made online

Noonday Collection

Location | Online

Social Mission | Noonday Collection partners with talented artisan entrepreneurs to make a difference in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. By developing artisan businesses through fair trade, they empower them to grow sustainably and to create dignified jobs for people who need them. 

Don’t Miss | This set of 2 Alvaro Bracelets from Guatemala

Visit Noonday Collection online

Raven + Lily

Location | 2406 Manor Rd C, Austin, TX 78722 / 11601 Rock Rose Ave Ste 110, Austin, TX 78758

Social Mission | Raven + Lily partners with artisan groups of at-risk women to produce their collections. They help employ over 1,500 women around the world.

Don’t Miss | This Fiza Silk Caftan from Malaysia

Visit Raven + Lily online

Strive Green

Location | 1631 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704

Social Mission | StriveGreen supports only brands that are socially responsible and conscious of their carbon footprint. They seek fair trade brands that work to reduce or eliminate waste, and that use organic and renewable resources and low-impact dyes.

Don’t Miss | This Gathered Ikat Skirt from India

Visit Strive Green online

Thought Collective

Location | Online

Social Mission | Thought Collective is providing fair wages and a place of dignity and empowerment for women in Tanzania and is passionate about opening up a discussion and collaborating as a whole to change the meaning of fashion, a sometimes empty, brutal and exploitative industry in the United States.

Don’t Miss | This Catherine Jumpsuit from Tanzania

Visit Thought Collective online

Header image credit: Austin Texas Homes