We sat down with gorgeous Rana Good, Travel and Lifestyle Journalist for Forbes, Coveteur with more and talked with her about her passion for traveling and sustainability.
Rana Good wearing the Dream Set Skirt.
What led you into the world of travel & lifestyle journalism?
After receiving my master’s degree in journalism, I was an editor at a website called Société Perrier where I covered travel, music, fashion, nightlife and art. I gained a really comprehensive overview of all things lifestyle and started getting invited to review properties around the world, which I loved and started my love for travel writing. The website eventually folded (RIP) but I had established a lot of great relationships and immediately transitioned into freelance travel and lifestyle writing.
How do you see travel changing in the post-covid world?
I think people are going to be much more conscientious about traveling, both in terms of their health and the impact it has on our surroundings. I expect people to travel less and make it more meaningful. Additionally, I think there’s going to be an increased popularity in “private” vacations — villa rentals, treehouses and standalone bungalows since people want to minimize interactions with others and avoid contagion hot spots.
Rana Good wearing the Dream Set Skirt.
What was your inspiration to launch Naïra?
I grew up in Switzerland and didn’t see a lot of diversity in media when I lived there. Then I moved to the US and while it’s much more diverse, I still felt that women of color were underrepresented. I wanted to create a platform that celebrates and empowers women of color, and also provides engaging content for people from all backgrounds covering beauty, travel, style and culture.
What does sustainability mean to you?
To be less wasteful and try to preserve the planet the best we can. We’ve done a lot of damage to the planet already so we need to act fast and decisively to ensure we don’t cause further harm. Using less plastic, allowing fewer chemicals to enter our environment and consuming local products are the top things that come to mind.
'Sustainable Travel' has been identified as one of the top trends for 2020. Can you share some tips on how to travel more sustainably?
Sure! To me there are micro and macro aspects to traveling more sustainably. On the smaller side, doing things like bringing a refillable bottle or snacks from home creates less waste. Similarly, using refillable containers for beauty products rather than buying travel-size items that get thrown out is a small yet significant step. On the larger scale, avoiding air travel when possible is important, and if you do, flying direct is more sustainable than with layovers. Staying at eco-friendly properties which use clean energy, buy and serve local food, and avoid plastic waste is also helpful.
Rana Good wearing the Dream Set Skirt.
Would you say you are a conscious consumer? How do you incorporate a sustainable living in your everyday life?
I would say that I am, although there are definitely still areas of improvement for me. I’m trying to adopt an attitude of replacing things rather than getting something new, whether that’s bringing my own shopping bag, refilling a product (for example olive oil or vinegar) at a filling station shop or buying a second-hand piece of clothing. I’ve set a hard rule of only being one retail clothing item per month because I do not want to contribute to the waste the fast fashion industry produces.
What are your go-to sustainable fashion brands?
I like Oramai, Reformation, Lunya, and the swimwear brand FISCH. They make stylish yet comfortable items that are eco-friendly.