Welcome to The Conscious Citizen – CF’s monthly spotlight on the most inspiring sustainable collectives paving the way in mindful innovation and impact.
Including a pre-loved pop-up shop at Bicester Village with 100% of the proceeds giving back to charity, a Scottish fragrance company with a seed-to-scent approach, and a B Corp hotel and spa in the Sussex countryside – these are a few of the names making a positive change this November.
FASHION
Bicester Village is celebrating 30 years of luxury shopping and five years of partnership with Smart Works, the UK charity empowering women into employment. This year, their collaboration takes shape in The Village Attic, a pop-up presented by DO GOOD, where retail meets purpose. Curated by stylist and fashion editor Bay Garnett, a pioneer of thrift chic, the space offers a treasure trove of vintage and designer pieces – from Alaïa to Celine – with 100% of proceeds supporting Smart Works’ mission to give women the confidence, coaching and clothing they need to succeed. Open from 23 October to 20 November, The Village Attic celebrates conscious consumption and the joy of a really great find.
JEWELLERY
MONICA VINADER
With traceable gemstones, recycled silver and gold, and lab-grown diamonds created using 100% certified renewable energy (producing 95% less carbon than their mined counterparts) Monica Vinader is trailblazing industry change, for the good of the planet. From biodiversity initiatives at its UK headquarters to full product transparency through its innovative Product Passport, every detail reflects care for people, planet, and future. The newly launched Riva collection continues this vision, showcasing brighter and bigger lab-grown diamonds in this new chapter for what is one of the brand’s most iconic collections.
STAY
South Lodge, the luxury hotel and spa in Sussex, is celebrating the first harvest from its on-site vineyard – planted three years ago in collaboration with Ridgeview English sparkling wine. The hand-harvested grapes have been transported to Ridgeview’s solar-powered winery, where they’ll be crafted into an exclusive English sparkling wine, set to be released in 2028 and served only at South Lodge and across the Exclusive Collection – a certified B Corp leading the way in regenerative hospitality. In a visionary extension of its vineyard project, South Lodge has also partnered with Pelegrims, the pioneering English skincare brand championing vinotherapy and circular beauty. Using by-products from the vineyard, including grape skins, seeds, and stems, Pelegrims has developed a bespoke line of antioxidant-rich treatments for the hotel’s award-winning spa. It marks the first UK partnership to transform a working vineyard’s natural by-products into spa-grade, sustainable skincare. The hotel itself is impressive in it’s sustainability efforts: powered in part by renewable energy sources, with a biomass boiler and combined heat and power unit reducing carbon emissions across the estate. Its kitchens champion a zero-waste philosophy, sourcing produce from the hotel’s own garden and local Sussex suppliers, while wildflower meadows and beehives nurture the surrounding biodiversity.
BEAUTY
JORUM STUDIO
If you’re looking for a fragrance brand that delivers on sustainability and style, get ready to go on an olfactory journey with Jorum Studio. Founded in Scotland by perfumer Euan McCall and creative director Chloe Mullen, the company believes in a ‘seed-to-scent’ approach, which means it is one of the few independent fragrance houses that handles every step of the process – from distillation to bottling – in-house. That ensures the use of the highest quality of locally sourced natural ingredients (reducing its carbon footprint) and a firm commitment to eco-friendly manufacturing: think small-batch production, recyclable or recycled packaging and the use of biodegradable ingredients where possible. This November, the brand is setting up shop in London too, with a new Marylebone Village-based flagship. Here, visiting feels less like shopping and more like an immersive, beautifully crafted experience – just like the fragrances. My personal favourite is the Scottish Odyssey collection, which takes you on a sensory journey through Scotland’s wild landscapes. Becki Murray
EAT
SAEL
The menu at Sael London, Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton’s upscale British brasserie in St James’s Market, celebrates the best of the British Isles, championing seasonal produce sourced from trusted farmers, fishers, and growers with whom the team has worked for over a decade. This local-first approach not only reduces food miles, but also showcases the richness and diversity of homegrown ingredients. The restaurant’s sustainability ethos extends well beyond the plate. Chandeliers from the site’s former occupant, Aquavit, have been carefully restored rather than replaced, while tables are crafted from storm-felled, reclaimed wood by the eco-conscious makers Fallen and Felled. Even the seating nods to innovation, upholstered in a soft, plant-based “mushroom leather” made from discarded UK-grown mushrooms, a sustainable alternative to traditional hide. The wine list further underscores Sael’s commitment to mindful dining, spotlighting low-intervention and biodynamic producers who share the restaurant’s respect for the environment.
Lead image: South Lodge
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