Hassan Pierre is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of MAISON-DE-MODE, a hybrid luxury ethical fashion retailer. It combines concept brick and mortar experiences with a seamless and luxurious online boutique. He first got his start by designing a demi-couture fashion line, The Way It Should Be, which only used upcycled fabrics. After designing this line, he met his business partner Amanda Hearst and came up their current retailer.

“We only sell brands and designers that adhere to a set of ‘sustainability icons’ we created to inform customers about their purchases. The icons are: Recycled, Organic, Made in USA, Artisanal, Fair Trade, Cruelty Free, Charitable, and the Butterfly Mark.”

During his upcoming panel Ethics in the Luxury Market: The Human Element, Pierre, along with several other panelists, will be discussing the processes retailers, brands and non-profits have put in place to ensure a positive impact on consumers in the global supply chain. The panel will focus on compliance programs and responsible sourcing practices, as well as how these processes are communicated to consumers.

“The focus is the people involved at every stage of a products life-cycle: farmers growing and harvesting plant-based materials, such as cotton, spinning and weaving the fabric, sewing the garments, selling the products to the end-consumer, and then what to do with those products in the post-consumer stage.”

Pierre wanted to represent his retailer and speak at SXSW because it is a unique platform to voice his retailer’s mission and the mission of other like-minded companies.

“I think the biggest draw for us was the diverse topics covered and the focus on the future that sets it apart from other conferences.”

His inspiration behind the idea of the panel was to focus not only on the environmental impacts of manufacturing, but on the well-being of the people involved as well.

“We want to be sure the consumer doesn’t forget that actual human beings touch, sew, and dye your clothing, jewelry, and home goods throughout the entire supply chain. Without focusing on the well-being of the people involved how could a company be sustainable?”

Pierre believes the panelists and the industries they work with will make their panel stand out from other panels at SXSW. He also hopes audience members’ main takeaway from the panel is to shop smarter.

Sunday, March 11

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Four Seasons  – Ballroom CD

Find out more: Ethics in the Luxury Market: The Human Element

Featured image: MAISON-DE-MODE