Modest Materialist May 2016

MATERIALIST MODEST

MAY 2016

KROCHET KIDS and ETHICAL

APPAREL MANUFACTURING

HILLARY KERR

MULTI-BRAND MULTI-PLATFORM MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SUCCESS

IRIS APFEL FASHION ICON AT

7

94

TRENDS TO FOLLOW THIS YEAR FASHION

and TECHNOLOGY

#bffs

ADRIENNE ARIEFF WHAT BRANDS NEED TO SUCCEED

REBECCA MINKOFF

WANTS YOU TO JOIN THE STEAM

Iris Apfel

The Perks of Being

Curious

Have you ever wondered what a cross between art, interior design, and fashion would look like? Your brain would probably spit out an image of Iris Apfel. At 94-years-old, this eclectically-dressed woman from Queens, New York is all the hype in the youth and beauty-obsessed world of fashion.

Ryan Dixon

MAY 2016

MODEST MATERIALIST

I

ris’ is the epitome of what individuality and style should look like, and is studied amongst other style icons by students at Academy of Art University’s School of Fashion in San Francisco. She’s identifiable by her short white hair, tomato red lips, oversized round glasses, weighty tribal necklaces and layering thick bangles.

Her affinity to also wear color, fur and feathered garments makes her look like a rare senior chick, but recently she’s more of a busy bee.

In 2005, a planned exhibition fell through at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but “Rara Avis” (Rare Bird), a last-minute show put together by Iris herself was an instant success. Rara Avis was comprised of Iris’ personal multicultural and eccentric high and low-fashion finds she accumulated through the years. She used to be an avid traveler and art collector along with her late husband, Carl. The quirky pair did biannual trips to Europe’s antique shops, trade shows and flea markets and brought back ideas for their textile firm Old World Weavers in New York — which they ran from the 50s to 1992.

Iris’ unique and confident way of expressing herself was early encouraged by Frieda Loehmann who told her, “You’re not pretty and you’ll never be pretty, but it doesn’t matter. You have something much better. You have style.” It might have taken decades before the fashion industry noticed this worldly woman, but Iris is currently sought after by major fashion brands— even the automotive industry.

The self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet” overcame challenges imposed on older women in the fashion world when she began appearing in fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair MODEST MATERIALIST

Iris Apfel

after the exhibition at the MET. Ridding of the aging stigma, the rise of the senior supermodels soon followed when Joan Didion became the face for Céline, Charlotte Rampling for Nars, Jessica Lange for Marc Jacobs Beauty and Joni Mitchell for Yves Saint Laurent.

A model herself and shot by renowned photographers, Iris appears in campaigns for the brands MAC, Kate Spade, and Blue Illusion.

She is also a jewelry designer selling her jewelry line, “Rara Avis,” on the Home Shopping Network. WiseWear company hired her to design fashionable safety-alert bracelets for seniors, while DS in the U.K. and France made her the spokesperson for their DS 3 car. Le Bon Marché, a department store in Paris, is hosting an exhibition and pop-up shop with Iris as it’s subject called “Iris in Paris” that is running from Feb. 27 to March 26.

Iris can also write down ‘film star’ on her impressive resumé. During February of this year, the Charles H.

“You’re not pretty and you’ll never be pretty, but it doesn’t matter.

You have something much better. You have style.”

-Frieda Loehmann

Ryan Dixon

Bruce Weber

MacNider Art Museum’s 2016 Winter Film Series, “Films in February, Movies in March,” screened IRIS (2015).

IRIS, a documentary film by legendary 87-year-old documentarian, Albert Maysles, captured Iris’ optimistic approach to life, style, and her emphasis on the value of curiosity —something taken for granted by younger generations.

In a scene in the documentary, Iris is filmed teaching a group of students at the University of Texas of Austin when she says, “The computer has ruined [young people]. They equate curiosity with pressing a button. When I was a kid, I was very involved in the process of getting the answer…they are robbed of their imagination.” She also finds online shopping dehumanizing because she needs to touch and smell what she’s buying and says, “…but I guess people like it because it’s easy; it saves time. What are they doing with all the time they are trying to save?”

MAY 2016

Iris Apfel

Bruce Weber

The answer to that is probably spending more time on a digital device and not exploring other cultures, visiting different places nor defining one’s self.

Taking the safe and easy route to anything has never really helped anybody, and that is something Iris hopes younger people truly understand. She uses a simple example, “…I found that for instance, that all the girls that I know that were pretty girls and got by on their looks, as time went on they faded. They were nothing. When you’re somebody like myself in order to get around and be attractive you have to develop something, you have to learn something and you have to do something—so you become a bit more interesting and when you get older you get by on that.

Anyway, I don’t happen to like pretty.”

“…but I guess people like it because it’s easy; it saves time. What are they doing with all the time they are trying to save?”

-Iris Apfel

This not so pretty “granny” with a “more is more” fashion sense and endless career goals has unearthed a new kind of pretty, and proves that great style is ageless. Aware of how her curiosity has allowed her to express who she is Iris says, ”There is really no substitute for experience… That helps a lot… If you don’t know yourself, you’ll never have great style. You’ll never really live. To me, the worst fashion faux pas is to look in the mirror, and not see yourself.”

MAY 2016

MODEST MATERIALIST

Trends

Trends

Autumn / Winter

2016

Those Sleeves though

Milly

Jenny Packham

Zimmermann

Claire Barrow

Moschino

There was a different play on sleeves throughout the collections including peasant, bishop, and flounce sleeves.

Some sleeves were off the shoulder which accentuated the exposed shoulders and wide neckline. Layering was a constant trend for the fall and winter seasons and adding that element to the sleeves was not an exception.

images: WGSN

Delicate Florals

Alberta Ferretti Marlen Hernandez

MAY 2016

Leitmotiv

Marchesa Notte

Even though the blooming season doesn’t match up with the fashion one, florals have become a stubborn staple for this season. Printed, sewn-in, or applied florals added a delicacy and femininity even to the simplest of silhouettes and fabrics. This botanical trend added to the romanticism and time travel themes —to times when technology hadn’t yet corrupted the connection between human and nature.

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Trends

Leitmotiv

Leitmotiv

Shine Bright Like a Diamond The use of shiny fabrics and materials were recurrent especially in Leitmotiv, Gucci, and Zimmerman collections. Whether it was silver, bronze or gold color, the shine came through in the form of woven lamĂŠ, sequins or glossy fabric finishes. Most of the designs with this great amount of luminosity, and liquid attitudes, were in long silhouettes which added elegance and futuristic appeal.

MODEST MATERIALIST

Max Mara

Zimmermann

Gucci

Marc Jacobs

Marchesa Notte

Angel Sanchez

MAY 2016

images: WGSN

Jenny Packham

Diane Von Furstenberg

Trends

Dark Romantic

Alberta Ferretti

Alberta Ferretti

Marchesa Notte

Balmain

Jenny Packham

Erdem

Lace and shear dresses with ruffles and fringes revived the sumptuous history associated with these fabric features. However long the hems or sleeves may be, modesty is put to the side with the disappearance of the lining exposing the body underneath it, as seen in previous seasons. It’s quite a reminder that lace and shear is adapting to the times yet remains a classic for evening wear. It also makes the romantic connection with the combination of ruffles and soft lines.

Fairytale Cape

Desigual`

Alberta Ferretti

Vivienne Westwood

Zac Posen

Salvatore Ferragamo

Vivienne Westwood

The cape will once again resurface this winter and it seemed, from the looks of Alberta Ferretti and Vivienne Westwood and Zac Posen, the innocent red-riding hood cape is evolving into a mature and dramatic floorlength cloak.

MAY 2016

MODEST MATERIALIST

images: WGSN

images: WGSN

Valentino Red

Trends

Stripes on Stripes on Stripes

Balmain

Alexander Wang

Victoria Beckham

Tommy Hilfiger

Zimmermann

Christian Siriano

Emilia Wickstead

Contrasting stripes were used in complete outfits or divided with dissimilar stripes copying, past season trends of print-on-print. The stripes were given direction emphasizing the female form especially the waist.

Circular Motions

Sportmax

Milly

Marchesa Notte

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

MODEST MATERIALIST

MAY 2016

images: WGSN

Circular flounce and ruffles on bottoms, sleeves and necklines were on full display at the Milly, Christian Siriano and Sports Max collections. The movement created from circular cuts and uneven hemlines added volume and architectural impressions.

MET Gala

Owning the Night Who owned it at fashion industry’s most important event?

On Monday May 2, The Metropolitan Museum in New York City rolled out the red carpet for their Costume Institute annual gala. The theme, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” is not only the name for the new exhibition, which focuses on the dichotomy between the art of traditional garment making and machine-made, but also what attendees’ fashion choices should adhere by.

While many wore literal interpretation of technology, the best dressed was Claire Danes in a Zac Posen light blue organza gown. Danes was transformed into a real-life Cinderella when LED lights underneath her dress illuminated the fibre optic woven organza. She was the belle of the ball and no one could ignore even if they wanted to. She lit up the way.

nine msn

MAY 2016

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MET Gala

The second best-dressed was Emma Watson in an eco-friendly 5-piece outfit by Calvin Klein and Livia Firth.

The look was part of the Green Carpet Challenge and was in collaboration with Eco Age whose fabrics are woven with yarns made from recycled plastic bottles. The pants, bustier and train are reusable.

images: VOGUE

Emma Watson

MODEST MATERIALIST

MAY 2016

Adrienne Arieff

Success: It’s Going With the Flow and Adapting to Modern Ways Lauri Levenfeld

Adrienne Arieff, a successful public relations and communications expert gives a glimpse of what her career is like and the industry’s new direction.

I

n a hypercritical world of ever-changing design, style, marketing, technology and most importantly trends, Adrienne Arieff, a public relations executive with over twenty years of experience, has always managed to stay on top and ahead of it all.

In 2015, she joined The Outcast Agency, a marketing and communications firm, in San Francisco who’s clients include Facebook, LYFT, AirBnB, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon and HBO among many others. Currently, standing as the Senior Vice President at The Outcast Agency, this style and design expert is no stranger taking in executive roles nor implementing integrative marketing programs for prominent brands. She was managing director of her own MODEST MATERIALIST

PR firm, Arieff Communications, in San Francisco which she founded in 2002 and who’s consumer accounts included Adidas, Gilt, Lexus, Equinox Fitness, Tiny Prints and Ted Baker.

With an education from Columbia University and a second office location in New York for her firm that is no longer active, Arieff prefers New York City but resides in San Francisco with her family. “I’m living here so I want to embrace it a little bit. I still have the integrity of where interests lie—design and style and all that good stuff and they just happen to be all part of technology now,” she says. “I’m almost like a beginner, but not really, in a whole new industry and it’s kind of fun. It keeps you on your toes MAY 2016

Adrienne Arieff

and keeps you thinking clearly, and not getting stale,” she reflects on her philosophy and on living in Silicon Valley.

Not only is Arieff herself embarking on a new journey but so is the modern market. With a clear understanding of brand innovation, Arieff analyzes the new strategic direction of marketing and consumer relationships, “I think the wave of the future is in messaging…[messaging apps] are evolving because they are spending a little bit of money on 3D technology and the VR headsets. They [Facebook] bought WhatsApp so they are probably not going anywhere because they are trying to evolve all technologies under their platform,” she says. Arieff believes that integrative services have definitely revamped the entire marketing and advising plan, “You’ll find that pretty much any major player is always going to focus on technology and innovation regardless of subject,” she says.

“ You’ll find that pretty much any major player is always going to focus on technology and innovation regardless of subject” -Adrienne Arieff

a clear company credo, others don’t and sometimes fail.

Mark Cuban, a successful businessman and investor, shared his 12 rules for startups on entrepreneur.com in 2012 and number eleven states, “Never hire a PR firm: Whenever you consume any information related to your field, get the email of the person publishing it and send them a message introducing yourself and the company…They will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack.”

Though this magnate’s suggestion has worked for him, it seems this is somewhat out of touch advice for entrepreneurs new to the field. When Arieff was asked about her thoughts on Cuban’s number eleven statement she said, “Well, if you are Mark Cuban that is absolutely correct, but if you’re just some CEO from a startup it’s totally not relatable…I think a good PR firm—they have relationships and that’s the game changer. They know how to navigate the corporate narrative which most CEOs do not and that’s why you would hire a PR firm.” Some of her best advice however, is written in a book.

Not only is Arieff a successful entrepreneur, career, and family woman but she is also an author. She partnered with business expert, Beverly West and wrote Fairy-Tale Success: a Guide to Entrepreneurial Magic released in 2014.

“It’s kind of a roadmap. The next step if you don’t want to work for a traditional company because they are really different experiences and I feel that anyone is very lucky

E

verlane, a basics luxury clothing e-store from San Francisco with an attractive transparent business model, invests more on social media than advertisements to reach their customers—a successful method that has kept their markups low. “I think what they are doing is so interesting for a company I find so boring. I can’t believe. I think what their marketing is—I can’t think of anything exactly that great, but their promise is very compelling and that is why I find them so fascinating. I think Everlane in terms of their production model, business plan and social [media], I think they have really nailed it,” Arieff said.

While some startups are up to speed recruiting help from social media experts, to create MAY 2016

Lauri Levenfeld

MODEST MATERIALIST

Adrienne Arieff

Lauri Levenfeld

if they can have both…” she said. The guide book wasn’t constructed out of a whim, “I’ve had a million young people work for me and just found them really inspiring,” she said. In Fairy-Tale Success: a Guide to Entrepreneurial Magic, success stories of innovative female entrepreneurs are also shared and embody Arieff ’s inclination for mentoring young women.

Although she’s no longer part of The Project of Women mentoring program, Arieff continues to mentor younger generations through her job at The Outcast Agency and through her new teaching gig as a PR instructor for fashion students at the Academy of Art University.

Besides her entrepreneurial guidebook, she also co-wrote SPA, a book about wellness, and shared her personal story of becoming a mother through surrogacy in the book, The Sacred Thread published in 2012. The book became a global sensation and without the absence of controversy, “… it really resonated with a lot of women, but for the whole bioethics component of it too. So I had to deal with that but I knew that was going to happen. I didn’t write it to MODEST MATERIALIST

change people’s minds on surrogacy, I wrote it to help people and empower them if they are considering surrogacy and give them as much information based on my experience,” this now mother of twins confessed.

With a powerful message on motherhood and an impressive background and experience in the industry worldwide, Arieff doesn’t rely on long term plans, “I’ve never had a timeline, I mean I never thought I’d be working with technology and innovation communications company…I’m one of those people who doesn’t have this crazy vision for the future. I just want to be fulfilled professionally and personally, and I certainly am…I think if there is an opportunity that would really speak to me, I would certainly jump on it…” she said. Time will only tell what she’ll accomplish next.

“I’m one of those people who doesn’t have this crazy vision for the future. I just want to be fulfilled professionally and personally, and I certainly am...”

-Adrienne Arieff

MAY 2016

Fashion x Technology

Is There a Science to Fashion?

Marlen Hernandez

Intel Partners Up with Rebecca Minkoff to Tour Colleges and Motivate Women to Stay In or Join STEM

A

bout 100 female college students from the Bay Area attended Intel’s first stop for their “Unleash Your Creativity with Technology College Tour” at UC Berkeley on Monday April 11. The initiative by Intel feature fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff along with other industry leaders who spoke to female millennials about the fascinating opportunities available for students studying a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) degree.

The conversation focused on technology education with a creative and artistic approach. Brit Morin, founder and CEO of Brit + Co, and one of the panelists said she likes to say “STEAM” instead of “STEM” because, “We’re all makers and designers…When I think about STEM, I really always call it STEAM because there is no science without art.”

MAY 2016

“We’re all makers and designers…When I think about STEM, I really always call it STEAM because there is no science without art.”

- Brit Morin

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Fashion x Technology

I

ntel’s main goal when they initiated their “Unleash your Creativity with Technology” project was to invite women to join the tech industry, if they are not already, because the world needs more tech for women designed by women. Fashion and accessories designer, Rebecca Minkoff, incited laughter when she mentioned that the “fat mirrors,” designed and installed by men, at her NYC flagship store’s (of the same name) fitting rooms were a source of annoyance among her female customers. Minkoff is also excited about the development of VR fashion shows. Her site already sells VR headsets.

The audience consisted of computer science, journalism, business, engineering and fashion majors, to name a few.

Hillary Kerr, founder of online fashion magazine Who What Wear and sister websites Byrdie, My Domaine and Obsessee, regrets not learning how to code herself and encouraged the young women there to do so.

One does not immediately associate technology with fashion, but Minkoff also reminded people of wearables, “[Technology] is becoming so much more complex and evolved that is going to be almost invisible”. 3D printing is also transforming the fashion industry. “I can now see prototypes of hardware. Before I go open a mold for $5,000, I can now print out and see what a bag will look like.” said the fashion designer Minkoff whose partnership with Intel was no accident.

Jess Lee, from Polyvore, mentioned she wished she could have been able to explain to her younger self what “impostor syndrome” is, how common it is and how to overcome it. Impostor syndrome is denying yourself opportunities, even in the face of evident achievement, because of feelings of self-doubt and fraud. “That is exactly the view you should be chasing because it basically means you are challenging yourself to do something you don’t know how to do, but then you’re going to go learn it . You should always be challenging yourself because that is how you grow and get better. As soon as you feel like ‘I know exactly what I’m doing all the time and I’m great at doing my job,’ that is when you need to add more responsibility with trying something new. Thats how you grow and become more successful,” said Lee. The Polyvore CEO also told the audience that it is important to speak up when you are passionate about something just like when she merely suggested to add a rotating feature to Polyvore, but was hired to fix it instead.

Marlen Hernandez

“…being that you are studying STEAM...you actually can create your future. You are poised to be able to be part of this whole maker movement, and say ‘ You know what I don’t want to go work for someone... I can be a digital analyst within a fashion company. There are so many career paths now that are open to you that it’s a gold mine…So I encourage you to stay with it.”

-Rebecca Minkoff

Marlen Hernandez

MODEST MATERIALIST

MAY 2016

Fashion x Technology

For millennials who sabotage themselves when they set up a limited path for their future, Dr. Renne Wittemyer who lived in Africa for five years after graduating college, and worked as a social scientist and designed programs, created research plans and listened to women on grassroots levels—discovered that “…there are more opportunities to create different fields.” Minkoff also added, “…being that you are studying STEAM...you actually can create your future. You are poised to be able to be part of this whole maker movement, and say ‘You know what I don’t want to go work for someone... I can be a digital analyst within a fashion company. There are so many career paths now that are open to you that it’s a gold mine…So I encourage you to stay with it.”

Marlen Hernandez

Throughout the talk the subject of mentoring repeatedly resurfaced. Everyone expressed that they never really had an “official” mentor and people shouldn’t just go up to someone and ask them to be one. Lee’s better approach to it is to, “…look for that person that is really talented that you want to learn from and follow them around.”

Considering that the audience was almost 100% female, moderator Tiffany Reardon and UC Berkeley’s Director for EECS Diversity and Achievement, asked the panel about what they would say to ambitious women who feel they have to sacrifice certain things such as motherhood.

Brit who is a mother of one, and pregnant with her second, due in three weeks, said that the younger women start having a family, the better. Her mentor was Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, and whom actually took back her advise of waiting until the age of 35 to start having kids. Mayer confessed to Brit that she wished she could have more children but is out of years to do so. Nevertheless both are successful CEOs who have managed to run a company while simultaneously being a parent, even if it makes for awkward Uber rides when in the back pumping breast milk according to Brit. However, Alexandra Bernadotte, founder and CEO for Beyond12, admits the attention to both job and parenting is not equally divided and alternates constantly, but the efficiency derived from it is good.

Marlen Hernandez

It became evident that Intel’s first college tour stop was a successful event when, during the Q & A session, many expressed their sincere concerns, questions and ideas. Some ladies asked about advice for training before an internship, about age and one even suggested to Minkoff to expand her brand in the Asian market.

The evening concluded with Rebecca Minkoff handbag MAY 2016

Marlen Hernandez

MODEST MATERIALIST

Azalea

no experience no problem It took risky decisions, interesting ideas and understanding their customer for a pair of college friends to succeed in the fashion business

W

ith little business and retail experience, Catherine Chow and Corina Nurimba, two college buddies from Cornell, can safely say they’ve made it in the fashion industry. When they set out on a fashion business venture in the early 2000s, they never imagined that their women’s boutique, Azalea, would actually expand to multiple locations in the Bay Area. Customers love that Azalea offers something for everyone; with a mix of high and low-priced, trendy, urban and casual women’s wear as well as menswear. What surprised them more was the addition of two sister brands Welcome Stranger and Rand & Statler— a menswear and luxury boutique respectively. All three brands have succeded in close vicinity of each other in the Hayes Valley District of San Francisco.

However, big sister brand, Azalea, didn’t grow up without any efforts. In a discussion with PR expert and friend Adrienne Arieff, Chow talked about the ideas her company initially tried to boost their business. She began with the name, “We wanted it to start with an ‘A’ so that everywhere it was listed it was always on the top, but later realized that the second letter ‘Z’ brought them down from the list,” she said. Later, something unconventional for a boutique was added to the back of the store, “In order to be different and to stand out in the retail market, we needed to do something that was kind of a cool concept to get a store behind us so we added a beauty salon…” Chow remembers. Although, Azalea no longer has the beauty salon, “You [were able to] shop with your girlfriends and have a party while getting your nails done and shopping right after,” business woman Chow mentioned. The Welcome Stranger boutique also remained nameless for the first 60 days while a community contest decided on a name, which spread the word about Azalea’s new menswear brand.

Marlen Hernandez Marlen Hernandez

“We wanted it to start with an ‘A ’ so that everywhere it was listed it was always on the top, but later realized that the second letter ‘Z’ brought them down from the list.”

-Catherine Chow

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MAY 2016

Azalea

Today, with great success across the board, Chow and Nurimba’s brands conduct in-house PR but the big shift in technology and social media has not gone unnoticed, and realized that retail companies are still trying to figure out the millennials. Arieff adds, “Find your narrative if you are an existing brand or new. Where you fit in? What you are doing differently? Messaging and positioning could change from one quarter to the next.” One thing is for sure, Chow mentions the Azalea customer is, “The interloper: She’s kind of like the Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls…she’s all those different groups. She doesn’t know she’s cool.”

Marlen Hernandez

Adrienne Arieff talks with Catherine Chow at Azalea Boutique Hayes Valley, San Francisco

Marlen Hernandez

Marlen Hernandez

Marlen Hernandez

MAY 2016

Marlen Hernandez

MODEST MATERIALIST

Hillary Kerr

conversations: with

Hillary Kerr from

WHO WHAT WEAR

On Thursday May 23, Hillary Kerr partnered with Banana Republic on Grant Avenue in San Francisco for their Your Life.Styled event, to promote The Career Code— a practical guide that advices how to reach entrepreneurial success while staying in style.

Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, founders of online fashion magazine Who What Wear, co-wrote The Career Code—the third installment to the Who What Wear book series. The first book is called Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style For Real Life and was released in 2009, and the second installment, What To Wear, Where came out in March 2011. Their company keeps expanding and delving into different industries so the series may not stop at three books.

It was only 2006 when Kerr and Power started their digital business and since then, reached multi-brand, multi-platform, and multi-million dollar success. Sister websites include: byrdie.com, a beauty site; mydomaine. com, a site with lifestyle and home décor advice and inspiration; and recently launched Obsessee, a social-media only publication for inspiring stories.

With over 31 million followers and digital conquest across their sites, Kerr and Power keep evolving in the tech world. They even have plans to launch a shopping app in the near future.

I talked to Hillary at Banana Republic and our conversation went like this: MODEST MATERIALIST

Marlen Hernandez

Hillary Kerr promoting her book The Career Code

MH: This is your third book!

HK: Yes! It is very concrete and has practical stuff that anyone can do.

MH: I read your website and sister websites. What I like about them is that they are so easy to read because nowadays people don’t have time to read and everything there, is straightforward.

HK: We try to make it so there is lots of take away and practical actual dicing of anything—if it’s about beauty, if it’s about whatever, and that same idea is true for career stuff.

MH: What future plans do you have using technology?

HK: We have a shopping app that is gonna come out soon. Probably not next quarter but the quarter after that, so that’ll be the next big thing and just trying ideas to make shopping as easy on your phone as reading the sites are.

MAY 2016

Hillary Kerr

MH: We have a few rental startups here. Do you think your company will ever get into that business?

HK: No, I think that is such an interesting and lucrative business model but, I’m a little bit different from what I think we want to do because we work with brands and retailers all the time and help contextualize commerce for them. That is easier to do when you have a wide assortment of sizes and everything, and the problem with rentals—to a degree, is that there is just not as much volume. So we’ll recommend something but then it will be sold out or someone will borrow all of it and then that becomes a problem.

MH: There is a lot of controversy with textile pollution. Do you encourage your audience to recycle or donate their clothing, since you are a fashion site?

Yeah, we absolutely do. We don’t do any manufacturing ourselves but we always talk about vintage and reusing and donating. I just went through [my closet] and cleared out sixty bags of clothes that I took to Goodwill. All of them. So I feel like we’ve always done a lot about shopping smart and staying away from fast fashion in that sense of thinking ethically about where everything is coming from and how to sort of maximize your money with all these resources, so we do a lot of that stuff.

Marlen Hernandez

Attendees, including sports reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, at the Your Life.Styled event at Banana Republic in San Francisco May 12

MH: I feel like that is the new direction.

HR: Yeah, like reformation.

MH: It’s a lot of basics and reusing, minimizing the closet and being like the new Mark Zuckerbergs.

HK: Exactly! Like Marie Kondo. She wrote a book about the magical art of tidying up which is all about reducing. It’s really good. That’s how I get rid of so many clothes like “Is this a smart choice? Am I really using this?” It’s an interesting concept.

Marlen Hernandez

Marlen Hernandez

MAY 2016

Marlen Hernandez

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KROCHET KIDS

Krochet Kids Apparel

ethical apparel manufacturer

#knowwhomadeit

Krochet Kids intl. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization

they implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system to make sure results are of the greatest impact for the worker’s lives and their families

through a selective program they employ poor women from Uganda and Peru

each product’s label is personally hand-written by its maker

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images: krochetkids.org

the women are given education and resources for long lasting and sustainable change

krochetkids.org MAY 2016