INTERVIEW #113 SARAH MEHLER
Name: Sarah Mehler
Occupation: Advertising photographer
Based in: Bremen, Germany
Website: www.sarahmehler.de
Instagram: @sarah__mehler
Hi Sarah, Welcome to A Sustainable Closet can you tell us more about yourself and .Magnitude? What does the 100% Climate Neutral Campaigns mean?
Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m a professional advertising photographer. I’m specialised in sustainable fashion, green lifestyle businesses and brands that want to become more sustainable. I also funded the brand „.Magnitude“ with my partner Florian Lüers where we offer video productions to our clients. We are currently funding our own climate project in Nepal to bring our individual businesses’ carbon emissions to zero. Currently, we are only doing campaigns because we are on the journey to calculate the climate benefit with a certified third company. The emissions caused per individual campaign or production will be compensated by tree planting.
To do this as transparent as possible, with 100% direct financial impact we are currently setting up our own climate project in Jhapa, Nepal instead of buying climate credits from a third part company. Our in-house climate compensations also reduce costs otherwise spent on marketing and so on. We hope to start with our own climate-carbon project in October 2022.
What is your own interest in clothing and fashion?
I’ve always been fascinated by fashion. I even wanted to study fashion design as a teenager but then decided that I like photography more. Now I combine it. As my own lifestyle became more sustainable, I start switching from being a fashion photographer to being a sustainable fashion photographer. I was truly shocked the more I learned about what was truly happening in the fast fashion industry- especially since I am part of it.
How would you describe your style?
Edgy, sometimes really clean with good organic basics and sometimes infused with extravagant unique sustainable design pieces. Nearly 80% of my closet is also quality second hand by now.
How would you describe your closet?
Massy sometimes, but my first walk-in closet feels like in a Hollywood movie, although it’s small.
What is a sustainable closet for you?
A lot of quality second hand with infused and always combined sustainable and luxury design key pieces.
What do you think about the fashion industry?
Since I got deep insights into the fast fashion industry and its bad effects on our environment, planet, people, animals and all the workers and employees I think it’s time for an urgent change. Someone always pays the price of fast fashion, other people, animals or our planet. That needs to stop and we need to start consuming less.
What do you believe needs to change?
Less consumption and conscious choices of what we buy. There used to be four collections per year, now the new average is 28. That’s insane! Plus more regulations for big fast fashion brands such as environmental regulations and labour laws to protect more workers. We should also ban all animal products from fashion.
What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
Less consumption and conscious choices of what we buy, I guess. Repairing what’s still good, leasing clothes or/and swapping with friends or via platforms.
