There's a growing movement pushing back against unfettered globalization, which many thinkers argue is the primary cause of the modern world's ecological and psychological crises (from climate change, to species and habitat extinction, to depression and anxiety). 

 

Whether you trace the roots of globalization to the beginnings of colonialism 500 years ago or the rise of free trade treaties in the last 40 years, its impacts are far-reaching. And few people engage with both its problems and potential solutions as clearly and eloquently as Helena Norbert-Hodge. We first learned about Helena through the excellent podcast Green Dreamer, and have since been plowing through her writings, including the book Local is our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness.

 

Helena argues that localization is the antidote we need to the exploitation of human and natural resources – and the homogenous consumer monoculture – created by globalization. Localization means "shortening the distance between producers and consumers wherever possible, and striking a healthier balance between local and global markets…[Shifting to] ‘small scale on a large scale’.”

 

Fashion is a prime example of how absurd the globalized economic system can be. A t-shirt sold in New Delhi might be made of cotton grown in India, blended with other cotton from Australia, spun into yarn in Vietnam, woven into cloth in Turkey, sewn and cut in Portugal, bought by a Norwegian company and shipped back to India – and that’s a relatively simple supply chain. In fact, companies are employing detective agencies to sniff out supply chain fraud, which is rampant. 

 

There are so many manufacturers, traders, aggregators, agents, and middlemen that the big brands actually selling the products know just a handful of the players closest to them. And of course, they have plausible deniability when things like forced labor in Xinjiang cotton production, or hazardous working conditions in Bangladesh (remember Rana Plaza, where 1,134 fast fashion workers died in a building collapse in 2013?) occur in their supply chains.

 

By contrast, localization brings commerce back to a more human scale. Products are produced mostly within one geographic region, and even if they don't stay local, this shorter supply chain creates more accountability, a lower carbon footprint, and stronger, more diverse economies at the community and national levels. Just as important is maintaining cultural diversity and craftsmanship – authentic products that have a sense of place and a story are so much more meaningful, and carry an emotional durability you'll never get from mass production.

 

All this is a huge part of why Blank Slate has been dedicated to small, artisanal, independent brands from Day 1. Today's Slates highlight brands that are really leaning in to localization. They're providing a blueprint that we hope others will follow.

Try playing with unexpected colors (Tibi's color wheel is a good resource). Bonus points for mixing in brands keeping things local! 

 

The embroidered shirt is by Runaway Bicycle, who combines materials grown and woven in India with traditional Indian craft skills to create beautiful easy-wear pieces. The knit vest from La Fetiche is 100% British wool, made in Scotland. Arkitaip, maker of the lovely midi skirt, maintains an entirely European supply chain, from the linen grown in Belgium to the manufacturer in Portugal. And the fisherman sandals are by British heritage brand Grenson, which still makes many of their shoes by hand in their Northamptonshire factory using traditional techniques designed to last.

Morning drop-off often calls for loungewear, but you can still look like you tried with some clever accessorizing. Start with a matching set, throw on a cool jacket or vest, and cap with sleek shoes and jewelry.

 

This lounge set is by Harvest & Mill, made in the USA "from seed to stitch." Their mission is to rebuild American supply chains and we love to see it. The reversible quilted coat is by Seek Collective, made in India with handwoven naturally dyed cotton. The brand's founder is part of a Fibershed group exploring how to design with natural fibers grown on Climate Beneficial™ farms and ranches in Northern California. The slides are designed and produced in Ukraine by Hvoya using European leathers, and a local jeweler makes the brass accents. Speaking of jewelry, the earrings are by Panconesi, handmade in Italy.

A little bit preppy, a little bit boho, a little bit Western, Ralph Lauren's Spring Summer 2023 show in SoCal had it all. Channel the look in a more subtle day-to-day way with some denim and patchwork, plus a pop of red.

 

Christy Dawn's knockout dress is made with cotton from Oshadi Collective’s regenerative cotton farm in Erode, India. The farmers use indigenous practices to improve soil, ecosystem, and community health. The brand's production is either in India, close to its material source, or Los Angeles where it's based. The denim jacket is made by Etica at its vertically integrated factory in Puebla, Mexico. Ma'am makes the suede slides from Italian material; all its shoes are made in LA, a rarity, and local manufacturing is the cornerstone of their business. Finally, Ruslan Baginskiy's sweet bucket hat is made by hand in Ukraine.

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