Since my last product review for this brand, I’ve had a lot of comments and questions from you. It’s so great to see that my blogs are creating conversation and that you feel like this is a safe space to talk to each other about these things. In this second product review, I will try and answer your questions, give you some more in-depth information about the brand and finish off with some styling tips.
My shoe capsule for SS21, the first two pairs are from VIVAIA.
First things first. Let me start by saying that not a single clothing/accessories brand out there in the world is 100% sustainable. It could be argued that creating new products by itself is already not a sustainable thing to do. However, what is important to me personally, is that I can see that a brand is actively trying to change its ways.
VIVAIA has always done this, since my first collaboration with them much has changed. They have explored using different materials for example and have given me an insight into their practices. They want to work on, as a next step, communicating this better with you. And I’m very excited to help them do this via my blog.
VIVAIA’S production
I received a lot of questions about where VIVAIA’s shoes are produced. They are produced in China. I know this might worry some of you, which is why I wanted to go in-depth on this topic a bit more.
As an international company, VIVAIA has chosen to ship their product directly from their factory to the customer. This means their products aren’t being kept in a warehouse, so it reduces their CO2 footprint because the product has one less stop to make before reaching its customer.
Their factories are also closely monitored. Each year again they get certified for compliance by a Control Union. I got quite excited reading that this company is based in the Netherlands. I recently moved back here, and it warms my heart to see how much is going on here regarding sustainability.
VIVAIA shared the certificate with me personally and gave me a look into all the areas they get checked. They are the following:
- Laws and Regulations
- Child Labor
- Forced Labor
- Harassment
- Wages and Benefits
- Hours of Work
- Health and Safety
- Non-Discrimination
- Women’s Rights
- Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
- Environment
- Subcontracting
- Communication
- Monitoring and Compliance
Their total compliance score is currently 98.5%. Very high but still a little room for improvement which they are aware of and working on.
Some exciting facts to share about the brand
VIVAIA is celebrating their 1st birthday this month! In the past year, this is what they have achieved:
Over 100,000 members of VIVAIA contributed to environmental protection
Over 1,000,000 plastic bottles we used were sourced from the ocean
Over 20,000 trees we indirectly saved by using recycled-paper-made packaging
The SS21 collection
To end this blog, I quickly wanted to share my experience with these new shoes. I’ve been looking for shoes that would complete my summer shoe capsule for a while now. I was missing something smart and flat. This really can be a challenge, but VIVAIA absolutely nailed this in my eyes. Even to a more formal occasion, you could get away with wearing these. The best thing? They feel like slippers. Comfort all night and no need for heels. You can see in the picture below how I would style them.
I’ve also experienced washing these shoes now. I went shooting with them in a tulip field and they got VERY muddy. Just rinsing them off outside already made them look as new and after a quick wash, they also smelled nice and fresh again. I find this one of the strengths of these shoes. They will last you for such a long time!
Please do let me know if there is anything else you would like to know about this or any other brands. I will do my best to answer all of them, always.
Yours in Sustainability,
Inge
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