What inspired you to begin your journey with The Forward Lab?

The initial premise of Forward Lab started while I was doing my MBA at IESE. I started looking into ethical and sustainable business practices. Barcelona is an important fast fashion centre with Inditex (an in-store and online retailer) which also made me look more closely in sustainability and fashion. After doing some research, I could not find a platform that spoke to me: a vibrant and trustworthy lifestyle platform with clued-up recommendations, smart content and a curated shop.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the premise of what you do?

Forward Lab is an online platform for culturally connected and forward-thinking individuals. We craft reliable, inspirational and independent content through a lens of style and responsibility. Our curated shop connects the dots between products and their environmental and social impact and helps you discover consciously made products for a new era of intentional consumption.

Can you tell us about the brands that you work with?

We work with small brands mostly based in Europe. Each of our brands have to fill in a sustainability guarantee questionnaire which allows us to make sure the brand selected fits our minimum requirements. This questionnaire is also beneficial for the brands themselves as it gives them a framework and help them set future sustainability goals.

What is the key piece of advice that you would give to brand owners to ensure that they are contributing to the world sustainably?

The first thing I would say is that 100% sustainable does not exist so don’t be discouraged. When designing products, don’t follow trends but instead keep in mind longevity or if possible circularity. You need to change your state of mind about consumption.

There is much more to sustainability than natural and low impact fabrics. Social and ethical issues, traceability, circularity of the products, transparency of the brand, supply chain management and more…

As a brand, pick areas you want to focus on, things that are non-negotiable and start working towards them. You won’t achieve all of it straight away and that’s ok, it’s a process. Keep track of your progress and more importantly continue to set sustainability goals year after year.

Has there been a highlight moment for you at The Forward Lab so far?

We launched Together Forward last December, a series of events where we put our community in touch with change-makers in the sustainable world through talks and networking events.

Our first event was a seated breakfast with Oyuna Tserendorj, founder of sustainable cashmere brand Oyuna where we discussed the importance of protecting cashmere’s supply chain. It was great to see our guests curious and engaged.

What is some advice you can give our readers who are looking to become more sustainable?

Being conscious in your life is a journey, one step at a time.
Pick something that you want to change and start with that. It could be a sustainable swap for your cleaning products, composting, eliminating water bottles… Stick with it until it’s naturally part of your life. Only then, pick something else. And don’t be too hard on yourself.

What are your favourite things to do to feel balanced and grounded?

Baking is one of the things I love to do every weekend if I have time. There’s something about the precision of baking and the smell of a cake in the oven. Art is a big part of my life and I try to see exhibitions wherever I am in the world. There’s always something to discover.  

What is next for Forward Lab?

I have launched FWD consulting as a new arm to FWD lab and am working on developing that. For FWD Lab itself, we are continuing to develop the marketplace and hopefully launch a pop up event at some point by the end of this year.

We'd love to know...

Where are you living in the world and why?

I’ve lived in many different places in Europe and London is the city where I feel home. I love everything about London. Every neighborhood has its own vibe, the art scene is great, same goes for music. People are welcoming and motivating which I believe lacks in other cities.

What’s your star-sign?

Aquarius
 

Favourite time of day? - Sunrise, sunset, or midnight?

I am usually a sunrise person; I wake up early and love the quiet hours before the world starts but I do love sunsets when on holidays.