Owning beautiful things often comes with a certain amount of guilt. Because most beautiful things are bad for the environment: inks and dyes pollute the water; sleek, seamless plastic stays around for centuries; most cool fashion out there is made in sweatshops and by the world's largest polluters… The list goes on. So how can we live pleasantly whilst curing our aesthetic guilt?
Enter GLTY, the new creative project that stands for ethical, sustainable design that is also beautiful to look at and feels good to own. The brainchild of Athens-based designer (and busybuilding's creative director) Dimitris Gkazis, GLTY stands for effortless creativity, hand-picked quality, and hard optimism, becoming a generator of sunny, happy-place vibes all year round.
The philosophy behind this project is to design durable, high-quality, and aesthetically pleasing objects that will help us own less and live more. By owning and using things for longer, we reduce the waste we produce, hence we minimise our environmental footprint. Add sustainable materials and ethical fashion manufacturers, and you have a collection of fashion and accessories that will allow you to live clutter-free and with a clear conscience.
GLTY produces many of its designs with SOFFA (Social Fashion Factory, soffa.gr), a Greek fashion manufacturer that promotes ethical fashion and the social integration of refugees and survivors of human trafficking. The cotton used in most of the products is produced in Greece, thus reducing emissions resulting from transportation, whilst most plastics are either recycled or recyclable.
So far, GLTY has released two collections, both decidedly minimalist and monochromatic. The summer vibes are strong with A Place in the Sun, the launch collection that features beach towels, water bottles, large totes, even a frisbee — in short, everything you'll need for those warm summer days. A second collection called The Tomorrows is for the colder months, and features a limited-edition hoodie and other fashion accessories.
You can find out more about the project and browse all GLTY collections on glty.gr.
