This article is part of a series I launched at Social Change Nation – I interview social entrepreneurs from around the world for my podcast, and now you’re getting the inside scoop on the lessons they are teaching me…I’m sharing these with you so that we can learn together from these change agents. I’ll publish a new one of these 3x per week for at least a month – and even longer if you all love it & comment on it. Want to keep up? Then follow me on umano.me, subscribe to my podcast, or just link up with us at socialchangenation.com.
Modavanti founder David Dietz is no stranger to revolution – as a conflict journalist chronicling the dawn of the Arab Spring, he witnessed first hand how citizen led movements can dramatically upend systems. Upon his return to the US in 2011, David channeled his revolutionary drive toward social entrepreneurship by seeking to disrupt the fashion industry in some highly sustainable ways.
I love a lot of things about Modavanti, and count David as an amazingly helpful friend, stellar change agent, and a true leader in the space of sustainable fashion. Another piece I love about Modavanti is how David has surrounded himself with a core group of fellow revolutionaries who are genuinely committed to reshaping fashion – just check out some pieces of their mantra:
-We believe what we wear should be good for ourselves, and good for the health of our planet.
-A life consciously styled is about our interconnectedness to our clothing and our environment.
-It is about being able to shop with values without sacrificing on quality of design.
And I love their mantra, check it out:
‘At Modavanti we believe that what we wear doesn’t just affect us but those around us as well. We believe it is important to know and be proud of where your clothes are were made, how they are made and who made them. We believe that what we wear should be good for our health and the health of our planet.
A life consciously styled, is about our interconnectedness to our clothing and our environment.
It is smart design that is crafted with an outlook that sees beyond today towards a better tomorrow.
It is about being able to shop our values without sacrificing on quality or design.
It is about products that bring meaning and goodness to our lives and the world around us.
Join us in harnessing fashion as a force for good. Join us and #wearwhatmatters’
While their philosophy and mission are beautiful – it is their practical system that truly makes it all sing. David and his team have created a one-of-a-kind badge system that allows you as a customer to confirm that your clothing meets standards in core areas that you care about:
- Artisan
- Eco-Friendly
- Fair Trade
- US Made
- Zero Waste
Each item has a certain set of badges in each of these core areas - all of them reach a the rigorous standards laid out by Modavanti, but the badge system allows you to be even more selective and find clothes that stand for the standards you want to represent.
You can be sure that when you buy from Modavanti you’re buying from a crew of people who get it too - check out this blurb on their team:
We’re a team of dreamers, believers and friends. Some of us have known each other for years. Others have just recently joined our family. One of us is gay, one of us is a mom, one of us hails from the land down under (yep, he’s Australian) and one of us is a sports fan from the Midwest. We have incredible student interns on the team too. We’re all travelers and explorers. Before Modavanti we worked in Cairo, Cambodia, Ghana, Tunisia and New Orleans. We speak French, Arabic, Spanish and Aussie. Some of us are from California, Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, Connecticut.
Whoa - do you think most fashion teams bring such diverse views, perspectives, and talents to the table, I bet not. Modavanti is THE group that will completely transform the way we view fashion.
Want more stories of purpose-driven entrepreneurs? This story originally appeared in our Social Good Guide – 50 businesses. 50 causes. 50 ways to change the world. You can find them all at socialgoodshopping.com.
