The Sustainable Lifestyle Awards (SLAs) are the first awards of its kind to verify and celebrate brands that hold style and substance in equal measure. This UK award event aims to put the spotlight on the conscientious creators who are dedicated to making beautiful lifestyle products with positive social and environmental impacts.
Empowered by their craftsmanship and dedication to do things better, the SLAs recognise the critical role these pioneers play in influencing and driving positive change within their industries.
BLANC wins ‘brand of the year’ award
We are beyond grateful and proud to receive the ‘brand of the year’ award, as sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We send our most heartfelt thanks to the judges and everyone involved. Here is what the jury said about BLANC:
“In our opinion. BLANC was the obvious winner for this category based on the fact that they are tackling an industry where toxicity is really rampant. Many traditional dry cleaners use a chemical known as PERC (perchloroethylene) that is bad for both our health and the environment. However, BLANC works with non-toxic, biodegradable detergents and pure water which is safe for both people and the planet.
“BLANC are also vocal about the issues with plastic within the dry cleaning industry and have switched to brown paper bags where possible and reduce as much as possible. They are constantly looking for more solutions to the problem at hand and always ask the customer for feedback – the judging panel really appreciated this transparency.”
As a sustainable brand, we want to bring awareness and appreciation to those trademarks who are as concerned with leaving the right kind of planet to our children as we are, so we thought we’d share with you the winners in each category and their sustainability practices awarded by the jury:
Accessories Brand of the year: Pala Eyewear
The SLA judges comment: “We were impressed by a number of sustainable aspects which Pala has built their brand around: from their use of ethical and recycled materials, both for product and packaging, providing fair wage employment for workers, empowering women and giving back to communities by supporting eye-care programmes in Africa, and the fact that they also offset their carbon emissions with every purchase of eyewear.”
Beauty Brand of the year: Evolve Beauty
The SLA judges comment: “Evolve’s commitment to sourcing ingredients not only in a sustainable, ethical way but also as close to home as possible, before venturing out for exotic ingredients from far-flung corners of the world, is what all brands should be looking to emulate.”
Content Creator of the year: Conscious Chatter
The SLA judges comment: “With a growing and engaged audience, the content is informative and engaging whilst providing a level of substance which encourages repeat listens and shareability. Her content sheds light and questions on key and emerging issues within the fashion industry, such as consumerism, production practices and representation. Using an inquisitive interview-style, Kestrel pushes her guests to share opinions and digs a little deeper on rich topics and themes.”
Fashion Brand of the year: Riley Studio
The SLA judges comment: “Riley Studio is a hugely impactful sustainable fashion brand that balances responsible business practices with a pleasing aesthetic. Garments are ethically produced from waste such as plastic bottles, fishing nets and textiles. Their small but perfectly formed collections are underpinned by a principled approach to manufacture and a well-communicated ethos of mindful consumption. The brand gives a lifetime guarantee to all its products, offering a Recycle Programme in order to prevent their garments ending up in landfill.”
Footwear Brand of the year: Juta Shoes
The SLA judges comment: “Juta Shoes combines celebration of style with a preservation of traditional craft whilst teaching skills and providing a route to employment for marginalised women. Juta Shoes are a great example of the type of business model we need to foster if we want to see more inclusive, slow, sustainable businesses.”
Gift & Lifestyle Brand of the year: Kloris
The SLA judges comment: “Kloris stood out to us as a business that is committed to sustainability from start to finish, who do not compromise design, quality, and innovation, and who produce products that are not only deserving of a place on our planet but are worthy of the planet’s resources that it takes to create the products.”
Homeware Brand of the year: Aerende
The SLA judges comment: “The aesthetic, branding, thought and meaning behind the brand’s name and above all Aerende’s approach to social enterprise are exemplary. We were particularly impressed and humbled by the backstory of the brand, and – above all – how Aerende’s workforce is made up of people who are facing social challenges in the UK. We truly believe that Aerende is one of the most impressive brands any of us have come across in terms of combining different needs and products with incredibly desirable designs.”
Innovation of the year: Dame
The SLA judges comment: “There is a huge need and gap in the marketplace for sustainable tampons. To this end, Dame have provided a well-resolved solution with a good practical design: we were all unanimous in agreement that the product was considered and unique and sat well within the ‘green’ message of the Sustainable Lifestyle Awards.”
Jewellery Brand of the year: Yala
The SLA judges comment: “Yala scored highly for our judging panel on its sustainable story – including responsibly sourced materials, environmental impact, fair wage policies, transparency of process and social impact with the added certification that comes from being a B Corp. The judges were taken by the ability of Yala’s founder to make a success of the business with so little outside support. Finally and just as importantly in this application, the product is simple, beautiful and honest.”
Launch of the year: Springbond
The SLA judges comment: “The panel have chosen Springbond due to the sustainable innovation of an item that is so fundamental to most homes. Each roll of this new underlay material uses a combination of recycled single-use plastics and PET bottles, which aims to combat the 8 million tonnes of plastic thrown into our oceans every year. Furthermore, Springbond are combating indoor air pollution, which is a huge problem here in the UK, and are 100% recyclable, therefore giving it an infinite lifespan.”
Person of the year: Tabitha James Kraan
The SLA judges comment: “To produce a product that offers an alternative, whilst re-educating people on how to manage their hair and seek to challenge the lack of industry regulation, our Person of the Year choice is Tabitha James Kraan. Tabitha’s work covers so many important issues, from mitigating plastics to promoting the organic. She is a true inspiration.”
Restaurant of the year: Pensons
The SLA judges comment: “Pensons is the epitome of a sustainable restaurant, with hyper-local food, investment in local artisans and community, and a view to continuing this same ethos as it establishes itself. There is a well-rounded focus on the wellbeing of staff, community, and guests. Style-wise, the chefs, food, and interior speak for themselves, showcased in a classic rural England style without any unnecessary frills.”
Skincare Brand of the year: Beauty Kitchen
The SLA judges comment: “Beauty Kitchen have made huge steps to maintain true to their ethos as a fully sustainable brand. Beauty Kitchen have reimagined the supply chain from a consumable one to a durable refill one making it affordable. Their return, refill, repeat initiative is fantastic, making it easy for the customer to reduce their waste.”
Vegan Brand of the year: Tropic
The SLA judges comment: “Tropic Skincare has been a leading vegan beauty brand and they keep getting better. Having recently launched their refillable palettes, they are also now offering refillable serums too. They are certified carbon negative and, since October 2019, they have started working with United World Schools to help give education to children in Cambodia, Nepal and Myanmar. The products are made in the UK, without harmful chemicals and sustainably sourced. All products are recyclable too.”
People's Choice Award: KIND Jewellery
Finally, Kind Jewellery won the people’s choice award. Ethics and sustainability are at the core of the KIND ethos: all pieces of KIND Jewellery are handmade in London, from responsibly sourced materials. They are passionate about creating and making beautiful pieces of jewellery but not at the cost of our planet or the people we share it with.
