Spotlight on SUSTAIN
/BY CARA SCHAEFER
Can you look great, live life to the fullest, and help the planet doing so? We spoke with Reza Cristián, founder and editor-in-chief of SUSTAIN, about eco-conscious fashion and normalizing a more sustainable lifestyle.
Photos courtesy of Reza Cristián.
OUT THERE: So for those who have never read SUSTAIN before, what is all about?
REZA CRISTÁN: SUSTAIN is a grassroots online media publication that is essentially trying to shift the narrative of sustainability and environmental justice in media, and make it more inclusive in a way that is very fun, unique, and budget-friendly for all ages.
OT: Where did the idea for the magazine come from?
RC: I love magazines. I grew up reading all the teeny-bopper fashion magazines and books. I come from a Mexican-American Hispanic household, so when I went to school for journalism I wanted to change what I saw growing up on these magazines. You know, everyone wasn't as diverse. I feel like some of the things I would read, you'd have to have money to buy these certain types of products within magazines like Teen Vogue or Seventeen.
When I went to college, I started learning about the word “sustainability” and what it really meant. I realized I had these types of ideas and lifestyle hacks growing up, but I didn't really know that I was being environmentally friendly. Like my family and I would reuse Ziploc bags and containers, and reuse the plastic spoons from the Yogurtland near my house. And once I realized what sustainability was, and how bad fast fashion was, I then saw that there weren't many sustainability or environmental justice magazines. We wanted to create something that was fully about this topic and all the intersections around it, and then just normalize it. This was back in 2017, so at the time it was still a new thing for a lot of people. At least in the mainstream — of course, it wasn't new for cultures and communities that had been doing it for years.
OT: Do you have a favorite piece that SUSTAIN magazine has put out?
RC: I love them all, but a recent one I really like is by Gunjan Nanda. She has written about sustainability in gaming — she’s a gamer herself — and how we could become more eco-conscious within the gaming world, and how the gaming industry itself can be more sustainable.
OT: What does living a sustainable lifestyle look like for you personally?
RC: For me, it's not only my little everyday tasks, but trying to reduce my carbon footprint. And also making sure I question the practices of corporations that I may either buy into, or I feel the need to buy into. I try to avoid big corporations like Amazon. If I have to buy anything, it's small businesses for sure. Then of course, just trying to educate myself on different topics within the sustainable space. It's always changing, and there's always something to learn and unlearn. It’s trying to do the best we can with our own life, but understanding that we don't have to be perfect as well. There's many ways to be having that lifestyle, and it looks different for everyone.
OT: Is there anything you wish more people knew about sustainable living?
RC: I wish more people knew that they don't have to buy their way into it. I think a lot of people still have that notion that they need to do everything perfectly, and they need to buy their way into it, like purchasing all the new sustainable products that come out from startups and brands.
I think people need to understand that it’s baby steps, but at the same time to educate themselves about the policies, like how corporations and our governments maybe help — or hurt — the environment. How we could, as citizens, fix that and try really hard to make a difference that way. So it's not just blaming consumers, but it's also placing blame on the larger corporations. I think it's a balance, and people are trying to figure that out. Some people still feel like it's just about loving Earth. And yes, it is, but it's about loving the people as well.
OT: When it comes to fashion, how has your style, and where you get your clothes from, evolved over time?
RC: Definitely thrifting! I only thrift right now. If I get any clothing, it's usually from small brands that I like or from friends' closets. My style has evolved into what I would call more quality pieces, because when I thrift I want to find pieces that will last. When you thrift, you can find all types of things. You can find fast fashion secondhand, which is still great. But I try to stick to more quality pieces, because I want whatever I purchase and put on my body to last a long time, so I don't have to end up throwing it into the landfills. Also, my style has evolved to be more colorful. In the past, I feel like I was wearing more neutrals, and now I wear a lot of colors. And a lot of relaxing clothes.
OT: What is the one thing in your closet that you love to wear over and over again?
RC: Right now they're my mom jeans. I got them this year at a pop-up thrift shop. They’re actually men's jeans, so they are kind of big — I have to wear a belt. They're so soft. Even though they're like thick mom jeans, I absolutely love them. I probably wear them almost every day. I only have a few pairs of jeans, and I always stick to the ones that make me feel the best!
OT: How can someone create a more sustainable wardrobe of their own?
RC: I would say find the basics that you really want or love. First find things that can be versatile, things that you can kind of switch around and create multiple outfits with. You don't have to feel the pressure of buying all the trends. Like right now with shoes the trend is these very slick, Bratz-type shoes. I see them on platforms like Instagram all the time. Maybe instead of going to a trendy Bratz shoe that Steven Madden might be selling, you can purchase a black pair of boots at a thrift store, and have that in your closet. It will still be very relevant to the trends that are happening. If you buy these types of basics that you can always use, they're never going to go out of style. They'll always keep up with the trends, and the new versions of these trends. Only purchase what you think you will be wearing years down the line.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
You can find SUSTAIN magazine at their website or on Instagram. You can find Reza on Instagram. To see Gunjan Nanda’s article on eco-conscious gaming click here.
