green is black founder, Kerry MacMullin was so disenchanted with the wasteful North American lifestyle that she found herself not wanting to shop any more (shocking, I know!). Despite her love of fashion, she could no longer justify buying things that were made at the expense of others and the environment. She started buying everything second hand, doing her part to reduce and reuse. She also found she spent a lot of time and energy lecturing her friends about the importance of living a greener lifestyle, but this proved to be more frustrating than productive. Out of that frustration came a revelation: There must be others out who feel the same. Why not open up a shop that carries only eco, reclaimed, recycled and vintage products and make that statement in a more positive, impactful way? Kerry loaded up her credit cards and credit lines to make her dream possible... hmmm, funny! We did the same thing with ChickAdvisor! That investment seems to be paying off.

green is black started as an online retailer, but has recently launched a store on 624 Yonge Street in Toronto. They carry women’s and men’s green clothing, eco clothing, shoes, and accessories created by cutting edge designers who use hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and soy, as well as reclaimed, recycled and vintage materials. They also only deal with manufacturers who employ fairly paid labour practices, which eliminates the dilemma of choosing between fashion and ethics.

I met Kerry when I went to her store to interview JUZD designer, Jing Liu about his collection and discovered that this shop is such a gem, I simply had to review it. Racks full of guilt free clothing that is high in style and quality but still manageable in price, is something everyone should know about.

If you get the chance to meet Kerry, say hello. She is warm, smart, and her story is very inspirational.

green is black
624 Yonge Street
416.454.5650