With the release of my new book, From Trash To Runway, I had the opportunity and the good fortune to deepen my collaboration with ForestNation, a for-profit company that is committed to offering products and services that combine environmental, social, and economical benefits to communities in need.
The heart of the book From Trash To Runway is composed of 20 unique upcycling designs, as well as guidance in how to choose items from your closet to upcycle. Upcycling brands and emerging fashion designers are also mentioned in the book as inspirational minds. One of the most important parts of the book focuses on selecting unused items from the wardrobe to turn into new ones.
In addition to being able to help people reuse their clothes with my book, I aim to help local communities achieve better life and well-being; I want to create awareness about the initiatives we have in hand that can change lives.
That is the reason why I am planting a tree for every book sold, not only to compensate for printing a book but also to increase my impact on the world. Thanks to the solutions that the ForestNation team offers, from tree planting kits to forests, they are able to promote sustainability by default. In Haiti, we are re-establishing a tree planting culture with local communities and farmers. Making landowners self-reliant through agroforestry and educating people about the benefits of afforestation.
I want to give every individual who buys my book this chance to be part of something bigger and something that will have a huge impact on the most needed communities. I am creating a personalized online forest, naming every tree with the name of the people that have bought my book. Why? Because we are a community and we thrive together.
Amazingly, Lucy Siegle, the renowned author of the book ‘To Die For’ and part of the documentary ‘The True Cost’, accepted to write a quote for my book, and I was speechless to receive her comment after I send her my book:
“In order to defeat the linear take-make-and-waste model of living that wreaks such havoc on the planet's life-sustaining resources, we need visionaries. These are those individuals pragmatic and skilled enough to coach us in how to adapt, but also exciting enough to inspire us to ditch our safety net. Dan Pontarlier is that person for fashion. He makes upcycled fashion aspirational and accessible to everyone. This is not just a project for a rainy day, it's a new way of thinking”.
What else can I say? I am thrilled with this project! Read From Trash To Runway, to get different, innovative, and original inputs, for your wardrobe but also for your lifestyle.
You will not regret it! :)