Heather Fritz is the founder of Izela, a curated online marketplace dedicated to supporting small, sustainable brands and making conscious shopping effortless. With a background in web development and a passion for sustainable fashion and design, Heather is determined to simplify the process of finding high-quality sustainable products and supporting ethical brands.

I interviewed Heather in the Conscious Fashion Collective Membership as part of our Member Spotlight interview series.

Below are some of the highlights, including:

What it takes to make conscious shopping effortless,
The process of developing an online marketplace that supports ethical brands,
And the process of vetting sustainable brands before stocking.

What was the moment you knew you wanted to start Izela?

One day, I was feeling upset about the state of the world. I did a meditation on what it would feel like to live in a world where we truly took care of our planet, animals, and people. The idea for a sustainable marketplace came rushing into my mind as such a necessary solution for a better world. To create real change, we need to spend money in ways that support the future we want to create. A curated sustainable marketplace makes this so much easier to do.

Can you tell us a bit about the journey of developing an online marketplace?

It has been such a process. When I first came up with the idea, I wasn’t in a position to fully go for it. So I spent several years researching and filling notebooks with ideas of what it would look like, the technology I would need, and figuring out the sustainability standards. My biggest lesson in it all has been to trust in my vision and to be relentlessly persistent. I know that if I come up against a challenge, I’ll find a solution if I keep working on it.

How do you make conscious shopping effortless?

Consumers will almost always choose to buy what is most convenient — and that’s understandable. Our lives are so busy, so it’s hard to take the time to research the sustainability of a brand and not fall for greenwashing tactics.

Having sustainable products from different brands on one site — like Izela — makes it so much easier to find what you’re looking for, compare products, and buy from multiple brands at one checkout point.

My goal is to build trust with consumers who share our values as a marketplace so that they can shop freely without having to research each product and brand.

How does Izela address the challenges that small, sustainable brands often face when scaling and becoming profitable?

Almost every founder of a small, sustainable brand I’ve spoken with has struggled with marketing effectively. They have put so much energy, effort, and time into building an amazing brand and getting their products made. Then they start running ads, and nothing works well enough to sustain their business long term.

The problem is that these small brands are all marketing separately to the same customers, and the cost is usually too high when they don’t have a huge catalog of products to sell. The best way to beat a system that doesn’t work well for small brands is to come together on one site and combine marketing power.

On Izela, brands know exactly what the commission will be for selling a product instead of trying to anticipate ad costs. They can continue to grow and market their brand on their own, while having an additional way to increase sales without more upfront costs or time.

What is your brand vetting process?

Brands don’t have to be considered small to be on the marketplace, but part of my mission is to help small brands gain the visibility they need by coming together on one site. Overall, I'm looking for brands that genuinely prioritize sustainability — not just treat it as an afterthought or a marketing tactic.

Our primary focus is on natural materials, so products must be made from at least 90% natural materials — unless synthetic materials are needed for function, like in swimwear. We have different requirements for each material. For example, cotton must be organic or recycled, and wood must be Forest Stewardship Council® certified or reclaimed. The products must also be high-quality and have listings and product photos that match the standard for our site.

Beyond materials, brands must also show an overall commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. This can be shown in a variety of ways, including fair labor practices, non-toxic dyes, sustainable packaging, small batch production, inclusivity, and support of social justice causes.

I know that no brand is perfect, so I want to support brands that have a solid foundation for sustainability with founders who care about creating a better world. There are more details about what we look for in a brand on our Sell With Us page on our site.

From the web development side, what are some of the features and details that can make browsing for sustainable products online easier?

It can be difficult to find and compare sustainable products from so many different brands, so having the products on one site is crucial. When you search for a sustainable product, the top results are often from highly funded brands that are greenwashing to boost sales. The brand you would love to support — if you knew they existed — is buried ten or twenty pages into your web search. Shopping on a sustainable marketplace allows you to find the exact item you need without spending hours researching and visiting multiple websites.

I’m also working on having easy-to-use filters so customers can search for products that meet their specific values, like being Fair Trade, Vegan, or having a certification from OEKO-TEX® like STANDARD 100. Providing clear sustainability information, product comparison tools, and having accurate reviews can help customers make the best choice when purchasing to reduce returns and waste.

How do you think the future of retail — online and offline — needs to change to support a sustainable fashion future that includes small brands?

Consumers are already craving uniqueness and individuality in a world that tends to become homogenized by social media. Small sustainable brands can tap into this desire since they’re already making unique products with limited production. We need more retailers to recognize this value and give small brands a chance to gain visibility.

What is your long-term dream for Izela?

My vision is for customers to be able to find anything they need on Izela so it can become their first stop when shopping. I want them to know that they’re making a sustainable choice without having to think about it. So many people care about the environment and social justice, but struggle to buy in alignment with their values. My goal is to make shopping responsibly so easy and enjoyable that it becomes a default habit.

Long term, I would love to provide more resources to brands, which could include help with sourcing, manufacturing, navigating importing products, and fulfillment services — resources that would make their processes easier in such a challenging space. It would also be amazing to be able to fund research and projects in sustainability to make an even bigger impact.

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