MAYU meets the Sustainable Man
MAYU meets Dan Pontarlier, ‘The Sustainable Man’, a remarkable voice promoting vegan and organic fashion. From his intriguing tattoos to his bold philosophies, we had a wonderful time chatting with him.
Dan is an eco-fashion blogger, a designer, and also the co-founder of the European Sustainable Hospitality Club. When asked about his take on sustainability, he remarks “Sustainability is something that has always been present in me, one way or another. I believe that the concern for sustainability, and for the world in general, has to be embedded in the DNA of people.”
Dan initially worked as a marketing director at a hotel and also taught on the side. It was when he started to study tourism and sustainability, that he realised what a huge impact he could make by inculcating eco-conscious values across different industries. Even today, he teaches but carefully curates the topics he imparts knowledge on.
“I have never been very tolerant of injustice”, Dan emphasizes. As a homosexual, Dan faced many challenges growing up. Subjected to countless difficult situations where the people he interacted with knowingly (or unknowingly) ostracised him, he learned the importance of equality. Cheekily, he also tells us that he learned to love plants and animals a little bit more!
“Citizen awareness is very important that is where the “influencers” can really make a difference,”. Dan strongly believes that we can all be changemakers and play a part in reducing the attitude the world has towards ‘waste’. “We have to end the mainstream concept of putting a piece of clothing on for a photo and then putting it forever in the closet, throwing it away, or even keeping the labels to return it and taking other photos with new clothes –believe me, there are people who painfully do that,”. We think he’s doing a splendid job in putting his word out against fast consumerism.
Dan grew up in the suburbs of Barcelona, and his small-town charm still remains with him. His dedication and eagerness to make something of himself is both endearing and inspiring. Today, Dan is a PhD candidate and he is a man who creates his own opportunities. When asked about his impeccable style and very elaborate tattoos, he laughs “Of course taste is subjective , but I think that seeing sweatpants all the time made me want to be different,” Well, Dan, we think that you’d make sweatpants look straight off the ramp.
If you enjoyed reading this edition of MAYUmeets and would like to know more about Dan’s work, follow his handle @dpontarlier.