Beitragsbild Daniel

Nice to meet you: Daniel – Fashion, Bouldering and Politics

Portrait Daniel
31-year-old Daniel lives in Marburg, Germany.

Small Steps toward a Better World

What does living “sustainably” really mean? Do I have to do without things I’m accustomed to and change my lifestyle completely? After all, fundamentally we could all behave more sustainably in practically every aspect of our lives. We can ride our bike instead of taking the car. We can use domestically made groceries instead of importing them from abroad. We can avoid using plastics and start wearing only second-hand clothes.

Initially, that sounds like a lot of work and even more sacrifice. That’s certainly how Daniel from the German town of Marburg felt about it in the beginning. He confides to us,

“In my experience, lots of people starting to try a more sustainable lifestyle end up overwhelmed with information and the fact that there are so many individual issues to focus on. It was like that for me. At first, my reaction was to retreat into the comfort of my own ignorance”.

But once his initial resistance dissipated Daniel began approaching a more sustainable lifestyle step by step. Daniel’s tip is not to go overboard at first. Instead, start with one step at a time. For his part, Daniel began by questioning the ethics of buying strawberries in the wintertime and by looking for alternative fashion labels.
“Fair, sustainable clothing is steadily replacing my wardrobe from back in my college days. Back then, a tight budget meant that most of my clothes were second-hand”, explains political science graduate Daniel. He says that fashion and various clothing styles have always interested him, and he’s fascinated by the expectations people attach to different styles. With such a keen interest, Daniel is all the more encouraged by the growing number of sustainable and stylish fashion labels.

“Today it’s possible to combine my interest in stylish fashion with my sense of sustainability.”

Daniel an seinem Arbeitsplatz
Daniel at his workplace at the Philipps University of Marburg.

Daniel is a political scientist at the Philipps University of Marburg whose work focuses on professions with societal structures. Pension issues are his special passion. He explains that in recent years the concept of “sustainability” has also gained importance in this field as a guide to leaving a world behind for future generations that’s worth living in.
Daniel believes there’s room for improvement on this issue in many areas. He explains,

“When I examine sustainability in terms of the environment and fair trade, it seems to me that the political possibilities haven’t been exhausted yet. The political world has to act on this issue much faster and more comprehensively”.

Climbing high: Daniel likes to trade his Ethletics for climbing shoes to spend his free time climbing or bouldering. While climbing involves using safety ropes, bouldering is done at relatively low heights without safety harnesses. Daniel spends several hours a week on the climbing wall. What is it that he likes about this sport?

“Bouldering rewards your efforts quickly. That’s highly motivating!”

Daniel’s favorite sneaker is one of our most unique models. He loves our Fair Trainer “The Living Dead”, designed by Pakistani artist Shehzil Malik for an Ethletic “Limited Edition”. It’s both fair and “fashionable” – Daniel’s favorite combination!

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REPOST & SNEAK PEEK // We are so honoured that #pakistani artist and designer @shehzilm, well-known for her powerful feminist graphics, decided to develop a #limitededition #sneaker with us! This is the first pic and post she shared with her followers today: "My sneaker collaboration with @ethletic just arrived! Ethletic shoes are designed in Berlin and manufactured sustainably in Sialkot, Pakistan. They use #ethical manufacturing processes (#vegan raw materials, #organic cotton and rubber from #sustainable farming practices) to produce the shoes and so when they asked if I wanted to do a limited edition artist line, it was a hell yes!! 🎉 Thanks Johanna for sending these over! They're prettier than I could've imagined!" 💖🌈 >>> Available by mid-February! #artist #collaboration #fairtrade #sneakerhead #fairtrainer #sustainability #erhicalfashion #vegan #sneakers #regrann #fairtrainerhi #fairtrainerhi18

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Redaktion: Sandra Laffrenzen & Annika Langhagel
Translation: John Jeffrey Collier