Natasha López Tells Tulerie About the Sustainable Baddie Movement

Centering itself as the space for imperfect, sustainable fashion and living, Sustainable Baddie, an online space for creative and optimistic content, was started by Jazmine Rogers in April 2022. Since then, Jazmine has brought together a team of four other editors and staff writers collaborating to produce video content, infographics, and blog posts. They aim to reshape the sustainability narrative and unite a community of individuals seeking to build a more positive relationship with fashion. 

Natasha López is one of the staff writers and social media manager for Sustainable Baddie. Her work as a journalist has also been featured in Refinery29 and Edible NJ. She stands out as a leader among fashion influencers, showcasing a distinctive and team-approved “susty” style, representing the epitome of top-tier sustainability. Some of her recent stories have highlighted sustainable Black-owned businesses, Fashion Week’s “lived in” outfits, and how to recreate Fashion Week runway looks with a conscious mind. 

López established a connection with Tulerie, discovering shared values with Sustainable Baddie in leveraging community and education as drivers for sustainability. Amid ongoing Fashion Month and growing concerns about the industry’s impact, I chatted with López to discuss her goals as a fashion journalist and activist, the Tulerie and Sustainable Baddie collaboration, and why education on sustainability is essential.

Q: What does embodying sustainable style entail in your lifestyle, and how does Sustainable Baddie help you achieve that?

A: Something at the core of Sustainable Baddie is about trying to find the silver lining in the climate crisis and the state of the fast fashion industry. We pride ourselves on being about imperfect, sustainable living. Nobody's perfect. It’s not always about trying to sway people a certain way but just opening the conversation.

Q: What memorable experience reinforced your dedication to a sustainable lifestyle?

A: I don't have one specific moment that stands out, but rather, it’s the everyday occurrences that reinforce my commitment to sustainable living. For example, during my walks home from work, I walk up a hill with steps bordered by greenery, a rare sight in my city. However, amidst the beauty, I always notice an abundance of litter strewn about. The less traveled steps attract trash, from beer cans to plastic bottles and discarded clothing. It’s disheartening to witness such disregard for our environment and communities. These moments serve as reminders of the importance of living sustainably. They compel me to choose a lifestyle that respects the earth and its inhabitants and fosters love and care for the planet and its people.

Q: Do you believe in a capsule wardrobe, and how has it influenced your approach to sustainable fashion?

A: While I don’t label my wardrobe as a capsule wardrobe per se, I value the sustainable principles that underpin it. For me, the key lies in cultivating a collection of versatile pieces. Before introducing anything new to my closet, I make sure that I can envision countless ways to style it with items I already own. This approach promotes creativity and resourcefulness and encourages mindful consumption by prioritizing pieces that integrate with my existing wardrobe.

Q: Are there specific messages or strategies you find most effective in inspiring your followers to adopt sustainable fashion practices?

A: One of my go-to strategies for inspiring our audience to embrace sustainable fashion practices involves spotlighting other sustainable baddies committed to sustainability and creativity in their fashion choices. By showcasing these baddies, we can prove that fashion can be fun and expressive without supporting fast fashion. Sustainable Baddie, like Tulerie, really values the community aspect of sharing and relying on each other to help bring our style visions to life. That’s why we love to feature brands actively adopting sustainable practices, repost baddies who proudly re-wear their clothes through #ReWearThat, and support organizations like Tulerie that promote circular fashion while fostering a sense of community.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of promoting sustainability today, and how do you overcome it?

A: It narrows down to the fact that we now seek comfort and community through consumption instead of communication and sharing. Social media can easily give someone a false feeling of community when you’re just being influenced to buy things you don’t need so you can feel like a part of something. I’ve tried to consciously curate my feeds (by following or interacting with people who are also sustainable baddies) so that I’m inspired not by what people have and what I don’t but by their ideas and hopes for a more sustainable fashion industry.

Q: How can collaborations between influencers and brands like Tulerie contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry?

A: Collaborations between influencers and brands like Tulerie shed light on a lesser-known aspect of the fashion influencer world: the prevalence of borrowed or loaned clothing! By making this practice more transparent and normalizing the concept of lending pieces, these collaborations can help reduce the pressure to constantly purchase items solely because they are seen by someone else.

Q: Regarding fashion month, what are your thoughts on sustainability and the luxury industry?

A: Inherently, they are meant to be a more sustainable industry. It’s made to order, handmade, or produced at a much smaller scale than other brands. However, transparency is the answer. Ganni, for example, is transparent. They stepped down to open the space for smaller designers this past Copenhagen Fashion Week. That’s amazing, and I’d love to see other large brands take notes and look at what Ganni is doing. There are two sides to the coin for Fashion Weeks—one being frivolous and sometimes far removed from sustainability. But with  Sustainable Baddie, I’ve seen a side of fashion week that aligns more with our ethos and mission. That’s spectacular when those brands use the platform to promote sustainability, recycling, upcycling, and even vintage fashion.

-As always, elevate your wardrobe with respected fashion and embrace the shift in style.