Instagram Accounts You'll Want to Follow | 2020

I've been at it a long time. And I've been working the Dunitz& Company social media for a long time too. Sometimes I refer to it as a giant time suck.  I'm not sure all my efforts pay off. Being the rather stubborn person I am, I keep at it. And I dream that my endless energy promoting our ethically made and fair trade jewelry is making a difference. Are you on Instagram? The Dunitz Instagram account definitely steals plenty of my waking hours [Follow us. Hint. Hint.]. Creatively featuring our designs and mission, so as not to be too pushy and in your face is an ongoing challenge.  

 

What I've learned most, is in order to succeed with Instagram, you must be willing to watch, learn and engage with other brands and people. Yes, I watch my Fair Trade Federation colleagues, and I do have my favs.  And, I watch Fair Trade Federation too. Some of the most fun is when  I put on my detective hat and discover people and brands that except for this random connection on Instagram, I wouldn't have known. With this blog post, I wanted to share, in no particular order, some of my new favorite Instagram accounts I enjoy following. You might enjoy engaging with them too.

Tatty_moo - From across the pond, this account seems to inspire me with each of her posts.  The woman behind this account is innovative and environmentally conscious. She tears apart old clothing and pieces scraps from various items together to make new wholes. She designs wood-cut stud earrings that are super cute too.  And you know it takes a lot for me to say that. If this account doesn't inspire you, I don't know what account could. 

 

fredrika_and_the_apricots - Don't ask me how I stumbled upon Sarah the illustrator. What I do know is I have fallen in love with her aesthetic.  Her drawings are beautiful. Her presentation on her Instagram posts is perfection.This woman is so talented. 

bonniestauch - Bonnie is an amazing costume designer who has been responsible for the look of many a famous actor and actress in many films you might have seen.  She also has a wonderful IG feed you can absolutely get lost in. I haven't a clue where she discovers so many wonderful images. You'll love the fashion shots and artful photographic compositions she posts.

rosiemae27 - Rosie Mae, apparently from Brooklyn, or living in Brooklyn has swagger.  I'm partial to wall and graffiti art and she posts a lot of it. She's ethically minded and describes herself as a slow fashionista. What's not to like? And I'm certain she is drinking fair trade coffee.

sustainable.kay - I've been watching Kayla for a bit, and I'm often impressed with her suggestions for low waste living. OMG she is studying sustainability. Of course, she gives us tips on composting  and how to use less plastic around your home.  Please check her out. I know you'll get some good info that may change your life. And help our planet.

tussenkunstenquarantaine  - This account certainly doesn't need my help in obtaining followers! Clearly there is a reason this feed is so popular. You know those images you've seen from time to time with people imitating fine art? Well this feed is just that on steroids. It is so fun to watch this feed. And the reenactments come from people all over the world. Case in point, the image to the right I've featured hails from Iran.

coacoa13 - Don't even ask how I stumbled upon Colette Tucker's account. But I did. And every day this veterinary tech posts photos of cats and dogs from behind the scenes at the clinic where she works. They keep me smiling. Yes. Yes. I'm a dog person. Have you seen mine? If animals live in my house, they go by Dunitz mascot! 

mabeldorr - This resale shop located in Binghamton, NY actually is a client of Dunitz & Company's. They sell our fair trade jewelry there. I adore watching their IG feed because the owner, Heidi has a keen eye for fashion. Her selections and posts of luscious vintage clothing has resulted in my drooling. If you love fashion and you love vintage fashion, you must must must follow this account. I've warned you. You'll definitely find some pieces you'll want to have in your closet.

jillian.isabel - Yup, she's very far from me. Jillian is Down Under as we say. She reports from Australia. She has such a great eye with her camera shots.  I love that she posts oodles and oodles of street art photos. She doesn't know it. But I know if we were actually acquainted in person, and could walk around town together, we'd be attracted to much of the same.  I too love snapping pics of outdoor murals. If I find painted utility boxes, even better. Wait wait. That reminds me. I saw one on the way into work today. (Yes, I'm working on Saturday.) I must go back and take the shot.

 

racheladelicia - And finally, I had to make another shot-out to Rachel Adelicia. My pointing out her IG account is not new. I've actually interviewed her before.  I still love following her feed as much as I did when I first started. She's sassy and she has great style. She knows designers and she is crazy for thrifting. I'm sure I would have a pile of fun if I could actually ruffle through her closet and dresser drawers. This is a great account if you are into vintage fashion.

So there you have it. My current recommendations for Instagram accounts I think you'll enjoy following. While you're clicking away, don't forget to follow the Dunitz & Company Instagram account.  I promise, I don't just post pics of our fair trade jewelry. I also include travel pics from Guatemala, model shots, artisans at work and inspiration quotes.  If it wasn't our account, I'd still suggest you follow it! Thanks for reading. And if you have some suggestions for me, please let me know. - ND

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Eco Friendly. Sustainable. Green. What is the Difference?

Just recently, Dunitz & Company agreed to be part of NY NOW's upcoming Wholesale Digital Market. Participating in a virtual trade show is a completely new concept for us. (OK, it's probably new for most of you reading this too.) The on-boarding for this show has been a huge task.  It also brought up questions about words I've used so often interchangeably. But when this digital show delineated between "Eco Friendly" and "Sustainable", it made me realize there were subtleties I obviously didn't understand. Are you in the same boat? After scouring the internet, I came up with these definitions and explanations for their difference. And while I was at it, I decided to throw in the word "Green" too.

First off, so many people use the word "Green" these days.  No, not the color, green. The dictionary describes green when used in the context of this conversation as "to make less harmful or more sensitive to the environment." People tend to use this word as a catch all to describe anything that is benefiting our planet. Guilty.

Now let's talk Eco Friendly. The use of these words together isn't quite as broad as 'green.'  It means that something doesn't harm our planet.  Webster's dictionary simply says "not environmentally harmful." When it comes to fabrics, using dead-stock (not producing more) might be seen as eco friendly. Recycling or upcycling textiles and other stuff (yup, broad term, "stuff") would be the same.  We've come to realize that many people also freely use the words "eco friendly." Stop and ask them what they mean. On products, for such terms to be actually listed on their packaging, the FTC requires explanations of the whys and hows something won't harm the planet.

Dunitz Eco Friendly Designs

Great. After that, I knew that several designs in the Dunitz & Company collection would be classified as Eco Friendly. We incorporate recycled denim we buy at the flea markets in several of our jewelry designs. (I promise we wash everything before we use it.) We use vintage Czech glass buttons which hale from dead stock. (They're super cool and really beautiful.) Retired coins. Old watch parts. These too make for great looking jewelry. Our laser cut earrings are made with particle board created from recycled eucalyptus wood.

 

So what is Sustainable then? Sustainability is much more precise and is measured by so many more variables. Sustainability looks to our future. It means the item or action is generating environmental, social and economic benefits, while not using up too many resources or causing pollution. According to ecocult.com, "sustainability includes eco friendly activities and green products, but green doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable. For instance, a product made from renewable resources is considered green, yet if a life-cycle analysis shows that it required a lot of energy to manufacture and ship to you, and if there isn’t a proper way to dispose of the product, then it’s not considered sustainable."  With this definition, we know that there are very few consumer products that would be considered sustainable. And for this reason, we decided that Dunitz & Company jewelry would not be classified as sustainable. (We sure are curious to see which of our NY NOW exhibitor wholesaler colleagues will classify their items as sustainable, and what those items are.)

 

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Our eyes have been opened a bit more. After exploring more accurate definitions of Green, Eco Friendly and Sustainable, it's clear we'll be using these words differently going forward. Our Pinterest boards have been corrected. Dunitz & Company is a verified Fair Trade Federation member and a gold certified Green America business.  You can always feel good wearing and selling our designs. And now you know that many of our designs can accurately be described as Eco Friendly. -ND