Fashion Atlanta designer committed to eco-friendly fabrics and materials

By Clare S. Richie

Tired of leggings? Atlanta native and recent SCAD Atlanta graduate turned Masterclass instructor, Christina Yother, just launched her first spring line.

“My goal is to create sustainable, comfortable, unique pieces,” Yother said. “The inspiration for this collection is yoga; ‘the dance between control and surrender.’ I use gatherings and drawstring details to control the fabric and create the surrender in the drape.”

Yother’s collection features six pieces: three dresses, a top, a tunic, and wide leg pants plus masks and scarf accessories made from excess fabric.

“I absolutely love wearing the Rachelle dress. It is so sophisticated and stylish, yet sexy without trying too hard. Love the movement in it, how light and airy it is and unexpected asymmetry throughout. It will definitely be on a heavy rotation for the spring/summer season,” shared Tatiana Barburasi, local Atlanta blogger.

From making her own clothes in high school, to honing her skills at SCAD Atlanta, to learning the business side of the industry at Carter’s – Yother has always set her sights on starting her own business.

“I’ve been working on my line for a long time, sourcing fabrics, finding a factory, getting samples, making sure the fit was perfect,” Yother said.

At the core of her brand is sustainability – to avoid contributing to the excessive waste produced by the fashion industry.

“I’ve always been passionate about the environment,” she said “At the age of 12, I asked my family to start recycling as my birthday present.”

That’s why she chose eco-friendly fabrics like micro modal made from Beech tree wood pulp and cupro made from cotton production leftover fibers and only uses Global Organic Textile Standard Approved dyes. But her sensitivity to her brand’s environmental footprint doesn’t end there.

“I’m using zippers, branding labels, hand tags and packaging that are all made from recycled materials. The straps on one of the dresses are made from a fiber created from recycled ocean plastic,” Yother said.

Her factory in New Orleans even recycles excess fabric into accessories, whose profits Yother plans to donate to a women’s shelter in Atlanta.

Her environmentally conscious creations are already well-received.

“I absolutely adore my Jasmine tunic. It has the softest material with a super flattering and timeless fit. I can dress it up or dress it down. It’s definitely one of my go-to’s” stylist Roz Kaur Roz shared.

Photographer:

Makeup: Najah Mansur

In September 2018, Yother showed her collection at Vancouver Fashion Week and the positive response helped her take the leap this fall. With 50 backers she exceeded her $22,000 Kickstarter goal with fulfillment expected in March 2021.

About half of Yother’s customers are from Atlanta with the rest scattered across the U.S. and abroad. Her pricing reflects one-of-a kind pieces, high quality materials and production in an U.S. based factory that pays fair and living wages, provides a safe working environment and follows sustainable practices.

Yother is already designing her fall 2021 collection.

“I’m excited to incorporate some more casual pieces mixed with my comfortable fabrics into that fall collection,” Yother said. “You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style, comfort or sustainability in your clothes.”

To order from the Christina Yother collection, visit christinayotherdesigns.com.