Compassionate Consumption

Whether it’s sustainable materials, local manufacturing or vegan products you’re after, we’ve done the work for you and narrowed down Melbourne’s best shopping with a conscience.

Green Horse

Makes the list for bringing together multiple green brands.

Green Horse [255 High Street, Northcote] has it all: fashion, homewares, kids’ gear and cosmetics with a conscience. The focus here is on organic, sustainable and Fairtrade merchandise. While you’re looking for that perfect item for your home or wardrobe, pick up some delicious Mörk chocolate, made right here in Melbourne. Green Horse is great for gifts, too. There’s a menagerie of kids’ toys, including the adorable collection from Kenana Knitters, which employs Kenyan women to make loveable organic critters for littlies to cuddle.

Hamish Munro

Makes the list for his small footprint as a local maker.

Hamish Munro [38 Cambridge Street, Collingwood] is carving out his own niche in Melbourne’s design scene. We love him for his quirky and playful take on accessorising your look. The self-taught jeweller and installation artist has recently opened a new showroom in Collingwood. The stunning showroom is conveniently located just across the hall from Hamish’s studio, and features a selection of accessories, apparel and publications to peruse, in conjunction with his beautiful new collection.

Kuwaii

Makes the list for its environmentally sustainable practices.

Home-grown Kuwaii [Shop 7–8 Cathedral Arcade, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne] celebrates slow fashion by placing quality above quantity. Here, retail therapy isn’t just about feeling great in the perfect new outfit; it’s also about knowing it didn’t come at a cost greater than the one on the price tag. Waste is minimised and environmentally friendly materials are used. Not only that, every Kuwaii store is run on 100 per cent renewable energy, and special sales are held to support charities each year.

Hunter Gatherer

Makes the list for reducing, reusing and recycling.

Retro-fit your wardrobe with Hunter Gatherer’s [Royal Arcade, 335 Bourke Street, Melbourne] hand-picked recycled fashions. Not your average op-shop, this is a treasure trove of new and pre-loved styles, short runs, samples and seconds from designer labels. Proceeds from purchases go to the Brotherhood of St Lawrence, which fights disadvantage and poverty in Australia.

Nobody Denim

Makes the list for its commitment to workers’ rights.

Get good feels at Nobody Denim [396 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy], a family-owned Melbourne business with street cred and a clear conscious. The company manufactures its clothes on shore and is accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia, meaning it offers fair wages and safe working conditions.

Vegan Style

Makes the list for its compassion for animals.

Popular international vegan brands are brought together under the one roof at Vegan Style [345 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy ]. Find high-quality footwear, bags, belts and other accessories, backed by the store’s 100 per cent kindness guarantee. All products are guaranteed to be vegan, cruelty-free, environmentally friendly and of high quality.