MEET ZERO WASTE DANIEL, Brooklyn based Zero Waste Designer

Meet Daniel Silverstein, the visionary behind Zero Waste Daniel, in Brooklyn, New York. Daniel is a pioneer in the Zero Waste movement, garnering support from celebrities and publications across the globe for his genderless, ethically made clothing. From mixed-print hoodies to monochrome joggers, each Zero Waste Daniel item is a striking, one-of-a-kind creation. Daniel re-uses fabric scraps from FABSCRAP in his “make/shop” — a hybrid studio and storefront — to create unique pieces that each tell a different story. His is a new approach to design and one that stands out among the plethora of mass-produced retail shops across New York City (and the world). Transparency is a large part of the Zero Waste Daniel philosophy: he invites customers to visit the make/shop, where they can see the sewing in action. There’s something pleasantly antiquated about the way the shop is run, as if it were an artisan’s workshop from another era. (In fact, the first time I visited Daniel’s shop, I met his entire family.) The warmth and honesty he exudes speaks to an innate respect for every customer. In the make/shop, each item of clothing has a maker and a narrative, both of which are made wonderfully accessible. At the make/shop, where designs hang from different heights and fabric scraps create a sort of three-dimensional mural that surrounds the space with color and life, Daniel shared the story behind building his brand and details about what’s to come. A Shirt to Launch a Brand Daniel came from a family of conscious consumers, so it was a natural evolution to integrate sustainability into his design process. But the path to Zero Waste Daniel wasn’t exactly linear. In cleaning out his studio, he gathered years’ worth of fabric scraps into huge garbage bags and took them to a dumpster. Before he could actually throw them away, Daniel had second thoughts. “I thought to myself, ‘I can’t do this. This is the antithesis of who I am, this is not what I stand for,’” he sai