Our vision

Émilie-Rose wants to make people aware of the importance of their consumption and its value by sharing her experience in thetextile industry with transparency, in the last two years. Some may say that buying local is expensive. Of course, it is. However, have you ever thought about the real value of the things you buy?

For example, your 5$ sweater that you bought in a multinational store, what would be its true value if it were done in fairness? I am going to tell you. The price for the fabric (front and back) for a medium-sized adult cotton t-shirt would be around 3$, if it were bought in Quebec. Already there, you encourage a shop from here by buying your fabric locally. Then the time for cutting would be around 15 to 20 minutes. Finally, the time for putting together the pieces and finishing the seams would be around 30 minutes. Knowing that the minimum wage in Quebec is 12.50 $ an hour, the value of the time spent making this jersey would be $ 10.42. Now, let's add the fabric price, for a total of $ 13.42. That's the cost if the person is paid the minimum wage. Now, if you want to sell it and make a profit out of it, multiply this amount by at least 2.5 for a total of 33.55$. With this margin, you have a plenty of options. You can offer free shipping (or take a part at your expenses), you can reinvest in your business to make another sweater and increase your business value, you can develop other products, you can pay your local or your web host, you can pay yourself a small salary, etc.

Now, let's go back to the 5$ sweater sold in a multinational store. If the company that sells it has a profit margin of 60%, how much is paid the person who makes it? Remember the horror story of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, a collapsing building because of its poor conditions where six textile factories producing for multinationals were installed, in 2013, resulting in the death of 1,138 workers whose the situation was miserable. This is the kind of industry I don't want to encourage, but I know how hard it is to resist the tempting prices of these stores. I say to myself: "Oh my God, the sweater is so cheap, I have to buy it, it's just $ 5 anyway!" We devalue by ourselves our consumption. How did we get there? It's crazy when you think about it. I'm trying to remember a material purchase I've done that made me proud. I think every time I paid a little bit more than I am used to for something, I take care of it because of its value.

For example, I bought five dresses at 80$ each on an online store that is doing their products by hand, recently. Previously, I was used to pay up to 30$ for a dress and that, in a multinational store. So it was more expensive than what I was used to pay, but I already had a dress from this shop and I really loved its quality. I have worn it so much that my purchase has been profitable. In short, I have worn all the dresses several times since I received them, a month ago, and I really pay attention to them. I wash them at delicate cycle, I do not put them in the dryer to avoid damaging them and I iron them. These would be my only new dresses for the summer, which is already a challenge for me since I'm used to buy clothes online. It is with small challenges like this that I improve my consumption. By buying less, but buying better. If you have read up to here, I offer you ten dollars off on your purchase with promotional code sale10.

Since I have Mimz, I think twice before making a purchase. I am much more aware of the work behind each product. That's why I absolutely want to share my vision of responsible consumption. First and foremost, it has to be done in small doses to stay healthy and sustainable in the long run, just like vegan nutrition or a training program.

I must admit that I had an addiction to online clothing orders. I used to order clothes on the Internet every week, so in order to not deprive myself and feel a lack, I decreased my frequency by starting to shop online once every two weeks. Then I managed to lower this consumption every three weeks. Now, I am making orders to the months and I will continue decreasing quietly. If I would have stopped all of it at once, I know myself, I would have emptied my bank account because I would have been too private. Now, I try to consume better. Already, I will not buy other dresses for this summer, which is a feat for me.

Another sphere where I apply the principle of buying local is in the food industry. When I go to the grocery store, I try to take fruits and vegetables from Quebec. Of course, if I want to eat a pineapple, I will not deprive myself because it is not made in Quebec. I am talking about tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, strawberries, etc. It's a small thing that makes a difference for farmers here. It's the same with swimsuits. If what you want is not available locally, buy one at another company, but if it is available, it's a small gesture that will make a difference for those here!

In conclusion, it is the consumer who has the most power in the economy and he must be aware of it to have a more sustainable consumption in the long term.