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April marks Earth Month, a time to celebrate our planet and take action to protect it. It’s also the perfect opportunity to reflect on our shopping habits and consider how we can make more sustainable choices. And with the start of spring, now is a great time to update your wardrobe and beauty routine with some sustainable style essentials.

One impactful way to do this is by supporting fashion and beauty brands that prioritize sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

Read on to learn more about sustainable brands at Square One that deserve your attention and support this Earth Month and beyond.

When it comes to eco-friendly clothing, consider shopping for brands that use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and natural fibres like linen and bamboo. These materials are better for the environment and often have a lower carbon footprint than sustainable materials (plus, they feel like a cloud on your skin!). Additionally, look for brands that use as few natural resources as possible throughout their products’ life cycle, as well as companies that support ethical labour practices.

Canadian fashion brand Frank and Oak “inspires better living” with its conscious products that last through time, while Reformation (available at Holt Renfrew) has solidified itself as the fashion girlies’ go-to for cute clothes that you can feel good about. You can also find more sustainable brands such as KOTN, Stella McCartney, Veja and Girlfriend Collective at Holt Renfrew.

If you’re wanting to incorporate sustainability practices into your beauty routine, there are a few things to look out for. You’ll want to find brands that use sustainable beauty ingredients (that is, those formulated without harmful ingredients) and sustainable packaging that has as little waste as possible (think: reusable glass jars and compostable cardboard). And just like we mentioned, look for companies that take steps to lower their impact throughout their entire supply chain and that create products with the well-being of animals, people and the planet in mind.

A great place to start is by checking out Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” program which features products that are free from over 50 harmful ingredients, including sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Our top picks include Biossance, Tata Harper and Rose Inc.

Other sustainable beauty brands we love include L’Occitane en Provence, The Body Shop, Lush and Salt & Stone (available at Indigo).

Another way to incorporate more sustainability practices into your everyday life is to recycle and repurpose items you already own.

Holt Renfrew’s H Project, Sephora, The Body Shop, Lush and MAC Cosmetics have beauty recycling programs which allow you to recycle beauty items such as compacts, lipsticks and concealer, foundation and mascara tubes. From there, the items are sorted, separated and used to create new products. Additionally, H&M has a Garment Collecting program that collects any brand’s unwanted clothes or textiles in any condition (bonus: you receive a thank-you voucher to use towards your next purchase).

By supporting these brands and others like them, we can make a positive impact on the planet while still enjoying the latest fashion and beauty trends. This Earth Month and beyond, let’s make a conscious effort to shop sustainably and support brands that are working towards a greener future. For our top sustainable style picks, click here.

With September right around the corner, come into Square One and explore all the ways you can help your student feeling like their most confident self.

It goes without saying that we celebrate women every day of the year, but for this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8th, we’re shining a spotlight on six noteworthy women that are making a positive impact within our Square One community and beyond. A special experience was created in partnership with Portraits with Impact, an all-female team led by Julianne Costigan, CityLine Expert and Stylist at Large for The Kit, alongside photographer, Erin Leydon.

About Mishal: With well over a decade of experience covering beauty, fashion and lifestyle for some of Canada’s most renowned magazines, Mishal knows a thing or two about great style. Recently, Mishal made the leap from writing for publications such as FASHION and Hello! Canada to begin her exciting new role at Pinterest Canada. When she isn’t at the social network predicting the year’s biggest style trends, you can catch Mishal and her infectious, bubbly personality on-air at The Social, where she often shares her top beauty tips and need-to-know product recommendations. And as if her plate wasn’t already full enough, Mishal also finds time to run her impeccably designed website, 100 ml—a hub for all things beauty and travel. A leading (and style inspiring!) member of our community, she grew up near Square One and still lives close by, visiting the shopping centre on a weekly basis.

Her advice for other women: “My advice would be to always support each other because when one of us rises, all of us rise.”

About Sarah and Lina: Tapping into their motivation to help their community of Mississauga, Sarah and Lina collaborated to launch their up-and-coming company, Always Connected Treatment Network (ACTN). An interdisciplinary therapeutic centre for children, youth and adults, ACTN works within Mississauga, Peel, Halton and surrounding communities serving as a centralized hub of resources that includes both virtual and in-person support. Sarah and Lina began their initiative in 2015 as two therapists who offered mobile services and have since expanded their program into a dedicated team of collaborative-minded therapists and an integrative framework that supports the varying needs of the local community. Utilizing a wide range of tools including, but not limited to, speech and language, occupational, applied behaviour analysis and music therapies, Sarah and Lina go above and beyond to create safe, educational spaces for those in need. Their dedication and commitment with ACTN helps to bridge the gap between the limitations many people face today and the resources they need to thrive.

Their advice for other women:
“My advice for other women is make time for your other hats. It’s okay to prioritize when you need to and when you are, fully invest yourself in that time.” – Sarah

“My advice to other women is never forget how strong you are. You can carry so much on your shoulders, you can empower yourself, and you can really push through lots of different things. Also, I’m so, so incredibly blessed to be a mother and an entrepreneur and being able to capture both things in my life. As a woman, really shows the strength that we carry as women being able to empower ourselves and do all the things that we want to do.” – Lina

About Yen: With work displayed in public spaces all over Port Credit, Toronto and even at the Art Gallery of Ontario, no doubt you’re familiar with Yen’s stunning creations. The muralist and illustrator’s colourful artwork has been featured throughout the GTA, including local windows in Mississauga, art installations at the Distillery and High Park and most notably at Celebration Square. Drawing her inspiration from personal narratives, Yen dives deep into the whimsical to create everything from large scale, jaw-dropping murals to smaller, customized pieces for local businesses including window paintings and more. Through her art, Yen brings joy and a sense of playfulness to her community and beyond with her work elevating public spaces to a new level. You can follow along with Yen’s art-filled adventures on her blog which includes a recent trip to Los Angeles where she painted a mural that’s filled with a menagerie of animals from birds to a humpback whale. As part of this campaign, Yen has created complimentary downloadable iPhone wallpapers titled We Bloom and We Rise.

Her advice for other women: “The advice I would give to other women is just go for what you want. Do the thing.”

About Samantha: Samantha’s passion for design and travel inspired her to launch Catalyst & Co. in 2017. Her background in graphic design and business development guided her dream to create a space where she could share her love for whimsical jewellery that would bring customers joy through pieces infused with meaning and purpose. With Samantha’s dedication and hard work, she’s grown Catalyst & Co. from a tiny market jewelry booth to a shop in Port Credit followed by a permanent store location in Square One that also sells giftable home and lifestyle wares. An entrepreneur with a vision, her brand is built on the connection between quality and simplicity and Samantha says it’s a reminder to live on the bright side and to appreciate the small things in life.

Her advice for other women: “Be fearless because you’re capable of more than you know.”

About Deloan: Like many people working in the charitable sector, Deloan is an unwavering champion of philanthropy, dedicating her career to enhancing her community through years of professional experience. Her journey began while studying at the Schulich School of Business, where she worked part-time as a Student Philanthropy Officer at York University’s alumni office, igniting a passion that still inspires her today. As a Senior Development Officer at Trillium Health Partners Foundation, Deloan’s tireless efforts have helped raise critical funds for Trillium Health Partners. A true leader, doing charitable work comes naturally to Deloan and is an inherent part of who she is. Her unwavering efforts have undoubtedly touched the lives of many.

Her advice for other women: “You deserve to live a life that brings you joy. Don’t be afraid to put yourself first and do what makes you happy and proud. ”

Simons Michael Kors L’Intervalle Holt Renfrew Banana Republic Club Monaco Torrid Laura Frank and Oak Aldo

Plan your visit to Square One.

Did you know that a big part of Lunar New Year traditions is finding ways to bring good fortune for the rest of the year? This includes surrounding yourself with lucky charms and shopping for a new look. To share just how important the Spring Festival means to them, we asked 8 inspiring Canadians on what they’re looking forward to this Lunar New Year and the lucky gifts they’re buying for themselves to celebrate the Year of the Tiger.

“I’m most looking forward to enjoying a big feast with my family. And for good luck, I’ll most likely be wearing red and gold throughout my look and/or makeup to call in all the lucky spirits.” – @chermycloset

“I’m excited that it’s finally the Year of the Tiger — my zodiac sign! A few traditions I always do is to clean before the spring festival, have dinner with my family on New Year’s Eve and exchange red envelopes. I like that the act of cleaning symbolizes bad luck being swept away and I can start the year anew. During Lunar New Year I like to cook a few dishes that are deemed lucky within Chinese culture. This includes fish for prosperity, wrapping my own dumplings to bring in wealth, and longevity noodles for great health and long life.” – @justinwu What’s on Justin’s shopping list:

“I’m most looking forward to seeing my family although it’ll likely be digitally again just to keep everyone safe. Also, eating tteok mandu-guk, which is a Korean dish typically eaten on New Years that consists of rice cakes and homemade dumplings (mandus)! It’s a lot of work so it’s a good thing we only eat it for New Years celebrations.” – @imalyssalau

“Spending time with my family and celebrating all the traditions is always my favourite thing, especially after the past few years. It’s nice to have something to look forward to and it’s always a happy time. My favourite family tradition is making dumplings together. We all have our role in the “dumpling assembly line” and it’s always extra special because we did it together.” – @allons.y

“Lunar New Year has always been a very important celebration for me because my whole family gathers to celebrate over a delicious meal my grandma spent the whole day working on. It is thanks to Lunar New Year that I got to learn to cook some of my family’s dishes just by watching my grandma working on the feast. As such, I think that my favourite thing about the Lunar New year would be the sense of family and community you feel during that time of the year. I also like the red envelopes, too.” – @didieryhc

“Something I look forward to every Lunar New Year is the gathering of the family together and eating a table full of delicious food. Growing up as a kid, one of my favourite traditions is receiving red envelopes (lai see). It symbolizes good luck, good life and happiness to those who receive it.” – @chloezhaang

“I am most looking forward to the food during Lunar New Year. My mom and I always make dumplings from scratch ahead of the new year. It’s a fun activity to do with family–not to mention, we get lots of delicious dumplings from it. – @qingaling

“I’m looking forward to buying rice cakes (nian gao) because in Chinese, it sounds like “getting higher year by year,” which is great in terms of income or position. Rice cakes can be made either sweet or savoury. It’s chewy and the perfect addition to any LNY celebration.”