JeLisa Marshall

America has a problem. Its $9 billion fashion industry is riddled with workplace abuse and wage theft, issues that the nation’s current labor policies do not adequately address. Imagine sitting at a sewing machine from sun up to sun down every weekday, assembling hundreds of garments with no breaks, constantly fighting the urge to faint from heat exhaustion and inefficient ventilation all to be given a paycheck that is drastically lower than minimum wage.

Owning a business is no small feat. According to psychologists from Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm, it requires an “appetite for risk, creativity, and determination.” The list of requirements is even longer for Black-owned brands because of a lack of access to resources due to centuries of systemic inequity. In 2020, the Federal Reserve System conducted a survey with small business owners.

When you think of sustainable fashion, what comes to mind? Clothes? Shoes? Handbags? How about jewelry? Can you name any brands that you know partake in ethical production standards? If you’re having difficulty, don’t feel bad. While jewelry designed with eco-friendly and ethical practices in mind does exist, this way of working has yet to become an industry standard. Oftentimes, the brands that are doing it right are small and born out of a personal passion for preserving the planet and its people.