With Love, From Paris: 3 Luxury Accessory Brands That Are Eco-Friendly

By Linh Do

In the unassuming corner of Paris’ 10eme arrondissement lies La Caserne—one of Europe’s hottest hubs for up-and-coming creatives promoting eco-responsible luxury goods. During my few years in Paris, I was lucky to stumble upon this hidden gem, where I discovered a handful of independent brands and designers, all unique and ethical.

While the beautifully crafted products speak for themselves, the people and stories behind these brands are just as compelling.

The brands at La Caserne are all unique, but they share the same ethos in highlighting sustainability as a core of luxury. Rather than engaging in an exploitative industry that pushes commodity fetishism, these brands invite you into the process of how these items are made, from conception to creation.

Through thoughtful design, these accessories ask us to reflect on what luxury means and reimagine what it could look like in our modern world.

Phi 1.618

Phi 1.618 gets its name from the Greek letter Phi and the number 1.618, paying homage to the golden ratio. Referred to as the “divine proportion”, the golden ratio is abundantly present in nature, architecture, and art (just look to Da Vinci). By sourcing deadstock fabric from luxury French houses and promoting sustainable tanning methods, Phi 1.618 carries on the legacy of timeless aesthetics in design.

domestique

Just take a glance at the brand’s Instagram account and you’ll instantly notice an undeniable allure. Founded on the study of desire and everyday objects, there’s an inherent playfulness embedded in the brand, manifested in each item’s versatility. Domistique’s leather goods are customizable through cutting-edge laser technology, meaning you can personalize your leather goods with high-quality prints and images.

Yuni Yunan

Meaning “Here and there” in Laotian, Yuni Yunan stands as an artifact of cultural fusion. The brand is self-described as independent and quiet and that’s exactly the mood promoted by the objects. Both practical and subtly elegant, the accessories draw upon the similarities of seemingly different cultures, showing us that we may be closer to each other than we think.

While the most sustainable action is to love the items already in your closet, these emergent designers offer us alternatives to luxury consumption and more importantly, allow us as consumers to continue celebrating the joy of innovation, beauty, and creation in a slower fashion ecosystem.