An interview with Enamore founders Rachel Braund and Gauruv Malhan.

The sustainable fashion market is growing, making it easier for conscious consumers to access responsibly made clothes. But what about sustainable underwear? Although several brands have jumped on the bandwagon of bras and panties made from organic cotton (even well-known brands like H&M and Victoria’s Secret), there is a need for more innovative materials and versatile ranges in sustainable underwear. UK-based lingerie company enamore is definitely on this track with its affordable new line of basics, and a fantastic attitude towards experimentation. With the aim of “changing the way people perceive eco-underwear,” this brand is on its way to doing just that.

Starting out as a pin-up inspired eco-lingerie brand, enamore has evolved in a completely different direction. The brand now adheres to the aesthetic of luxury basics, establishing their new collection on the concept of “effortlessly eco.” Enamore’s aim is to provide the highest quality, everyday range of underwear at affordable prices, hoping to wean the lingerie industry and its customers off petro-chemical textiles and harmful production processes. The collection showcases bras, panties, lounge pants and tops that are simple and designed for fit and comfort. All the materials used for this new range are produced from certified fabrics, in certified factories, and can even be washed at 30 degrees celsius. EcoSalon caught up with the Director Gauruv Malhan and Creative Director Rachel Braund to learn more about the business of sustainable skivvies.

How was the enamore label set up?
Gauruv: The label was set up initially in 2004 when there was a lot of destruction in the fashion industry, especially with the production of garments: sweatshops using synthetic materials and people not looking for alternatives. The label was supported by several charities at the time, and in 2011 went through a management change. Myself, Nina and Rachel took over, and we rebranded the whole company to make it into the simple and sexy pieces you see at the moment.

Are you using any specific, new technologies or materials for the development of the garments?
Gauruv: We’ve got a lot of innovation going on behind the scenes. For example, replacing the nylon liner that you have in bras with a completely sustainable, upcycled or organic fabric. That’s never been done before. We are about a year away, or at least two seasons away from using it in our garments.

To what extent do you directly collaborate with the factories producing fibers and garments for enamore?
Gauruv: We don’t use agents in any of our sourcing. We talk directly with our manufacturers and fabric suppliers. Cutting out the middlemen ensures a quality garment as things don’t tend to get lost in translation.

So you know your factory managers? Are you completely aware of their labor standards?
Gauruv: Absolutely. Our factories and our manufacturers adhere to standards set by organizations like WRAP and SEI. Those organizations have different grading systems and all of the manufacturers we use meet the highest possible quality standard that these organizations set.

How transparent is enamore? Are you planning on providing information of where exactly all of your materials and production are coming from on the website?
Gauruv: If any customer ever wants to see any of the certificates, authentication or see how our factories comply to different standards, we are more than happy to send those certificates across.

But you are not using transparency as a marketing strategy?
Gauruv: No, we’re not, and that’s an important factor for the new direction of enamore. Even though we’re an ethical underwear company, we mainly want to market the design and fit of the garments as opposed to being eco. Being ethical is close to our hearts but we feel that it’s being pushed in everyone’s face far too much. So if someone just buys our garment and sees that it is of really good quality, that gets rid of all the stereotypes of buying it with the knowledge that it is an ethical garment.

You’ve mentioned the quality as a key point several times. Why are enamore garments specifically of such high quality?
Rachel: From the design side, every detail is thought about, and I will produce garments over and over again to get that right, like all the stitching details. The design has to be perfect when it goes to the producers.

Gauruv: To add to that point, we source quality manufacturers. We’re now paying three times the amount than enamore was with the original manufacturer, just to ensure the quality. At the moment, we’re barely breaking even with our wholesale stock, because we would rather pay more for the quality to ensure that our customer is going to receive well-made products.

What kinds of difficulties has enamore faced?
Gauruv: One of the difficulties is actually showing people the quality of the garments. A lot of other lingerie companies aren’t as consistent in quality, and so when stockists see our garments, they are very surprised with the quality.
There is also another issue we’ve had, which is the concept of how “eco” our garments are. About 95% of our garments are completely eco, but the problem is that not enough research is going on in eco underwear and eco lingerie. Rachel has been working very hard to incorporate new eco innovations into our garments, but we’re still receiving feedback and criticism for not being 100% eco, and I find that a little bit harsh.

What exactly is preventing you from making 100% eco garments?
Gauruv: The liner, for example, is often made from a synthetic material but there is no other eco material that has the same durability. There are some materials, like plant-based nylons and polyesters, but they have never been trialed before and Rachel is working very hard on looking at these other options. So making 100% eco garments is only about a year and a half away for us, and no one in lingerie has done that before.

What is enamore’s long-term aim?
Gauruv: Our long term aim is to offer an alternative in the market for ethical, eco and sustainable underwear. We also want to bring down our prices. At the moment we’re charging 25 pounds for a bra, which is very reasonable for an ethically produced garment, but we still feel that we should bring that down a little bit more as the line improves.

The post Interview: Lingerie Line Enamore Promotes Design Over Eco appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnAn interview with designer Eileen Fisher.

Threads, seams, and sewing machines were familiar and fascinating for Eileen Fisher from a young age. Growing up with a mother who often handmade her brother and sisters’ clothing, Fisher enjoyed filtering through fabrics and selecting her favorites to be worked into her wardrobe. When she found herself more academically enamored by her college roommate’s interior design projects than her math major assignments, she knew design must be a part of her future and focus.

Organic cotton and cashmere cardigan

Fabrics Are Unforgettable

Fisher’s attraction and loyalty to fabrics stemmed from her early years, and has now evolved into one of the grounding forces behind Eileen Fisher, the brand. “You’ll notice we use a lot of the same fabrics over the years. We get really hooked on fabrics, we love the way they feel but we change the proportions to make them feel modern and to give women different ways to mix it up,” Fisher tells EcoSalon. Using this design approach allows women to buy consciously, adding to their wardrobe with staple pieces that will last, in style and quality.

It’s intriguing to realize that the design process for Fisher is integral to extending the lifetime of her pieces. “We’ve never used prints – we value rich color and textures in quality fabrics over patterns and prints. Avoiding prints helped me think about simplicity and how it worked – because when a garment is patterned, it becomes the ‘thing’ and can disguise poor quality,” Fisher explains. Instead, if the concentration is on investing in fabrics, garments will flourish and also maintain their versatility as prints and patterns tend to come and go instantaneously via the land of trends.

Linen and recycled cotton poncho and tencel dress

A Sustainable Mind

For Fisher, she believes her sustainable mind can be somewhat attributed to her roots. “Sustainability goes back to growing up in the Midwest. We didn’t waste things. I don’t like waste so I think clothes should last a really long time,” she says. Whether it be long-lasting, durable fabrics, or thinking more creatively in the way you style pieces, simple shapes make the Eileen Fisher world go ’round. Now a core value for the company, Fisher was inspired by the Japanese aesthetic through her various travels to the country.

“I was very interested in the kimono because for 1,100 years in Japan, people wore nothing but the kimono shape and I thought that was really interesting – what made it timeless, what made it last so long?” This simple art philosophy that has filtered down into Eileen Fisher’s collection is somewhat refreshing and calming amidst the world’s chaos.

Sheer silk georgette box-top with dolman sleeves and silk georgette cropped cargo

Design Without Borders

Global connections are undoubtedly part of the patchwork behind Eileen Fisher; with a team that sources wools from Italy, silks from China, collaborates with artisan groups in India, and develops fabrics in Japan, the accepting and open-armed nature of Eileen Fisher gives it an edge amongst the larger womenswear brands of today.

This spring Eileen Fisher will debut their first piece made in Africa – hand-loomed by a women’s collective in Ethiopia, and for Fall 2012, they will launch their first item made in Spain – artisanal natural-dyed merino knit gloves. In an effort to support the local American culture, Eileen Fisher also produces their garments in NYC and Los Angeles. Literally a quilted work of art, Eileen Fisher is a collage of global cooperative efforts that respect local techniques from the world’s artisans and producers.

The Peru Project

Directly in line with the acknowledging, thought-driven philosophy behind the brand, Fisher asked Julie Ribuner, the sweater knit designer who has been leading The Peru Project for the past few years, to take over for her and answer EcoSalon’s questions.

Born in 2005, this Project evolved out of an interest to boost Eileen Fisher’s use of organic fibers and materials. “After researching options, we turned to Peru because we saw an opportunity to participate in a holistic program – not only do they grow organic cotton locally, they spin the yarn and knit the sweaters creating a sustainable local story,” says Ribuner.

After instigating this venture with one iconic shape – the original box top in a simple reverse jersey stitch – Eileen Fisher has expanded the designs and production in Peru each season, due to their customers’ positive reaction. “Our work in Peru supports the local community – workers are paid fair-trade wages and they collectively reinvest capital into the community,” Ribuner adds.

The above video captures the authenticity and beauty of this project.

Hand-knit kneck warmer in yak yarn

Yak Love

Another fascinating project led by sweater knit designer Mimi Wong, is built around yak yarn.

“The sweater knit design team was captivated by the beautiful story of Yaks and the nomadic herders of the remote Qinghai-Tibetan plateau,” Wong says.

For these Tibetans, the yak is at the center of their livelihoods, providing them with fibers, shelter, clothing, milk, and yogurt, while also being used in farming and for transportation. With a body makeup designed to survive in frigid, high altitudes, these animals’ long hair and thick overcoat sheds naturally once each year in the springtime. This super-soft-cashmere-like fiber is then spun into yarn. For Eileen Fisher, they blend their un-dyed yak yarn with merino to maintain its luxe touch.

Wong tells EcoSalon, “We like using the fiber of Yaks as it also supports a vanishing way of nomadic lifestyle, traditions and community.”

Sheer silk georgette scoop neck box-top and silk Habutai tiered maxi skirt

Design For All Ages

Eileen Fisher appears to be taking on a younger edge as of late, but maybe it’s less about the garments, and more about the styling. “As a designer, I think my perspective can shift, but I hold onto the core values of simplicity, comfort, ease, versatility and being drawn to beautiful fabrics,” Fisher says.

Some of her designers have been working with the company for years and have a deep history, which according to Fisher, “blends with the new designers fresh out of school.”

In an emergence of design that is in-the-now and transcends time, Eileen Fisher’s cooperative design team seems to really be finding their groove in balancing these distinct angles.

Fisher tells EcoSalon that she consistently finds inspiration in the way different women in their office style the same garment, expressing themselves in an individual way. “For me personally, I have a daughter in college and she’ll take things from my closet, but when she wears them it’s completely different to how I would. We want the line to be intergenerational, to invite more women into the brand.”

Organic cotton knit box-top and tencel linen cropped cargo

Healing The Future Holistically

So what story does Eileen Fisher hope to share with the world?

“I guess it’s really thinking about eco and sustainability in a more holistic way,” Fisher says.

On a practical level, The brand offers wardrobe basics, like organic jeans and organic tees, or a pencil skirt made from recycled garments, but also luxurious silks that are made in a factory that uses fewer chemicals, less water, and less energy. However, for Fisher it’s about moving beyond simply being organic and integrating organic fabrics into your designs.

“It means looking at the supply chain and how companies can make a difference there too, from the factory workers all the way to the end customer. It isn’t easy, but we’re seeing how business can be part of lasting environmental solutions.”

When framed this way, the future of fashion from a holistic approach could prove beneficial for people and the planet. And we hope Fisher’s groundwork is something upcoming designers will embrace and continue to evolve.

The post THREADED: Eileen Fisher – Designing With Depth and Appreciation appeared first on EcoSalon.