5 Ways to Feel Good About Shopping, From an Indigenous Fashion Brand Founder

Now more than ever, there's a growing desire among us consumers to be more conscious about what types of businesses we support for clothing and everything else. Sure, the word "sustainability" has been a buzzword for some time now, but we can't let it lose its impact. A way to do that is to personalize the aspect of sustainability, so we reached out to someone who can speak to it better than almost anyone: Amy Yeung

Yeung is the Diné (Navajo) founder of 4kinship (formerly Orenda Tribe), which sells pieces made of upcycled textiles, restored and repurposed vintage clothing, and items crafted by her fellow Diné Tribe members and artisans around the world. Sustainability is at the company's core, and Yeung is constantly coming up with ways to support her community, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken such a toll. With all this in mind, it's easy to see why Yeung was the perfect person to tell us how to feel good about shopping, and once you see how beautiful 4kinship's pieces are for yourself, you won't soon forget them.

Keep scrolling for Amy Yeung's best shopping advice and to shop some of 4kinship's truly stunning pieces.

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Amy Yeung, Founder of 4Kinship
(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

Amy Yeung's Sustainable Shopping Tips

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(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

"By supporting vintage brands, you invite things into your life that are already here, not requiring new production. Adopt an old soul, that has been restored, recrafted, and repurposed. At 4kinship we "re-imagine" our vintage by re-colorizing to shades that bring us joy."—Amy Yeung

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(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

"Help us create a sustainable marketplace by supporting indigenous artisans. Many of our handcrafted products give back 100% to support artisans."

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(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

"At 4kinship, we are all about community. Join our circle of rainbow makers to spread love and shine light on our Diné (Navajo) communities."

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(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

"Take some time this holiday season, to be outside to greet the universe, between Mother Earth and Father Sky. Slow Down. Breathe. With an open heart and open mind, we can all walk this healing pathway together."

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(Image credit: Shaun Marcus for 4kinship)

"One of my favorite things is to simply honor a friend by doing good! You can donate to one of these organizations, and make positive change happen in the world!"

Voices of Hwǫłdzil

The Navajo Lifeway

World Central Kitchen

Community Organized Relief Effort

Next, 7 Beautiful Native-Owned Fashion Brands to Know and Love.

This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.