Miranda Bennett Studio

Words by Guadalupe Triana Photos by Eric Morales

In a time when fast fashion reigns supreme, Miranda Bennett Studio is embracing a steady, more sustainable process that’s gracefully leading to a greener future. 

One garment at a time, fashion designer and business owner Miranda Bennett is asking customers to reexamine their relationship with fashion. “We’re asking the customer to have a really big paradigm shift,” Miranda explains. “Our garments are rooted in functionality, craftsmanship, [and] personal style—they’re not rooted in trends.”

Founded in 2013, Miranda Bennett Studio is an ethical and sustainable apparel brand based in East Austin with customers around the globe. 

From designing to dyeing, to cutting and sewing, the entire process takes place within the city limits. “What really drew me to East 11th Street was that it is one of the last thoroughfares in Austin that’s all locally-owned,” she says. “It also happens to be primarily women-owned businesses, so it was just the ideal place for us.”

Now, after eight years in East Austin, the team continues prioritizing major elements of the production process. To Miranda, knowing exactly the conditions under which people are working, taking full ownership and being accountable as a brand—all help shape the direction of the business. “There was a lot of intentionality,” she says, “not only in terms of how that nourished me as a creative but also how that would allow us to ensure we had an ethical and sustainable supply chain.”

Throughout the years, Miranda has put the core tenet of treating everyone with dignity first, including her team, customers, and, of course, the planet. At the studio, she works alongside her team, ensuring that textile dye is always safe for the environment, and waste is kept out of landfills. 

Miranda’s efforts are a direct response to the fast fashion culture that dominates American markets today. According to a 2020 study, each year the fashion industry goes through 79 trillion liters of water and 92 million tons of waste—an issue Miranda is well aware of.

While there may be a few who criticize her studio for its higher-standard, which is reflected in their prices, Miranda urges people to understand the process and examine their own fashion choices. She explains that while lower prices may be more agreeable to consumers, the environmental price and cost of wellbeing of all the people who interact with the garment is much higher.

With many questions quickly rising around climate change and sustainability, Miranda remains positive and optimistic about the future. “It’s a space that is incredibly diverse in the [number] of stakeholders that there actually are in this movement going forward.”

For those interested in pursuing more sustainable practices, she quotes American professional tennis player, Arthur Ashe, and suggests that people ‘start where you are, with what you have.’

“The first thing you can do is start to ask questions of the brands that you’re shopping,” Miranda smiles. “When you start to do a little bit of investigating, that will tell you so much about the brand.”

Currently the Miranda Bennett team is gearing up to release the new fall line, which will feature items in a range of colors, including new rich reds, deep leafy greens, and natural tans dyed using walnut shells, madder root, and Mexican Mint Marigold – which have all been grown just 20 miles outside of Austin.

Contact: 
(512) 432-5121
1211 E 11th St., Ste. 101
sales@mirandabennettstudio.com
shopmirandabennett.com
@mirandabennettstudio