Evewear Sleepwear – sassy, sexy, sustainable πŸŒπŸ’•

I wanted to make clothing that is environmentally conscious, locally produced, & that you actually wore & didn’t just hang in your closet – you could say that it’s in my DNA.

πŸ’– Tell us about Evewear Sleepwear – what lead to you guys setting it up? 

Evewear is the way I always wanted fashion to be! I used to design for other brands & there were certain elements that always stood out to me that I wanted to change.

I wanted to make clothing that is environmentally conscious, locally produced, & that you actually wore & didn’t just hang in your closet. I wanted Evewear to live in the world of thoughtfulness & care. 

πŸ’– Tell us about your journey – what is it like running an ethical business in LA? 

I think it is harder to be a young female running a business than running an ethical business.

Working sustainably & ethically has always come second nature to me. My father has run waste & energy businesses my whole life & my grandmother was a part of creating the first recycling centre in the state of New York – you could say that it’s in my DNA.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the way in which contractors & other business related people treat young female entrepreneurs. I feel at this point I have proved myself with my experience & knowledge. However – it wasn’t always easy.

I think it is harder to be a young female running a business than running an ethical business. What I wasn’t prepared for was the way in which contractors & other business related people treat young female entrepreneurs

πŸ’– It’s really great to see more brands having sustainability as a focus – what differentiates your approach from that of some of the big corporations? & what does sustainability mean to you?

Recently I went to a β€œsustainable” event by a big fashion corporation & couldn’t believe the greenwashing that occurred.

They believed that by fixing clothing that was damaged they had now become sustainable because – since their start in 2007 anything that was damaged was thrown out (?!?!?!). I couldn’t believe my ears! In what universe is it ever okay to throw pounds & pounds of clothing in the garbage because of a stain or a tear??

The room was filled with about 100 people who ate it all up, I felt like I was in a time warp.

At Evewear we work in a 4.7 mile radius from design to pattern to sample & to production. We use only deadstock fabric, which is fabric that has already been created but remains sitting unused, & without intervention this fabric would end up in landfills. We don’t use anything that needs to be created new, such as trims & no garment is ever thrown out. 

πŸ’– Tell us about your involvement in earth day

Last year on Earth Day we launched a capsule collection & volunteered, cleaning up our local parks & community centers. This year, we had a plan in place before the world was hit with Covid-19 so we are figuring out a new plan of action at the moment.

πŸ’– You have a much more fun & kitsch style than we’re used to seeing from sustainable fashion. Do you think there’s been a gap in the market for this? & how would you describe your aesthetic?

Thank you so much! For Evewear’s aesthetic I was never trying to fill a gap in the market or anything like that, the branding is just what I’ve always loved & gravitated towards: soft colors, feminine flare, youthful expression, optimistic imagery . . .

Evewear is sustainable because it is the DNA of our ideologies, I think all brands should express themselves in their most creative ways & also have important ideals such as being sustainable or local or ethical. 

πŸ’– Describe your main consumer. Who are they? What are their likes/dislikes?

When I was in design school, we had to know every aspect of our customer, her likes, dislikes, habits, interests, etc… Those exercises always really bothered me. In a female dominated industry why are we taught to learn how to stereotype or characterize each other; I’m super feminine but I’m also tomboyish, I never truly fell into a category, & honestly I don’t know many women that do.

I knew when I had a clothing brand, no matter what a person was like I wanted them to be able to be my customer & find themselves within the clothing. I decided to make the different garments different personality types. One day I wake up as The Princess, & go to bed as The Free Spirit, & then the next day I am The Goddess & so on. 

πŸ’– I feel as though a lot of your range could be worn as everyday wear – is there a law against that?

Never! Day to Night & Night to Day baby! The modern woman can wear whatever she wants whenever she wants.

πŸ’– What’s your opinion on fast fashion? What impacts do you think it has? & how can we as businesses & consumers move away from it?

I think fast fashion ruined the fashion industry & the shopping habits of all shoppers. I think we all live in excess & have way too many options in our closets. I think fast fashion taught us quantity over quality & the environment is paying the price.

A study came out a few years ago that said women wear each piece of their clothing an average of 7 times. That is ridiculous! I do feel optimistic in the last few years that the paradigm has shifted & people are starting to value the idea of shopping for staple pieces as well as vintage & thrift shopping. 

I think fast fashion taught us quantity over quality & the environment is paying the price

πŸ’– What positive impact do you feel sustainable clothing has on women globally? Both as producers & consumers.

As producers & consumers, I believe the more information we have at our fingertips will help us become more conscious of our impact on the environment. The ability to disseminate that information to the masses will shift the current consciousness of our value system especially during this crazy time.

πŸ’– Is ethical fashion a feminist issue?

Ethical Fashion is a Human Issue. I just looked up the dictionary definition of Ethical, it means: relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these.

I believe issues such as fair trade, acceptable working conditions, the environment, & sustainable practices should all be concerns of the human, no matter what gender. 

πŸ’– You recently did a pop-op – what was it like? How did that go?

We LOVE having Pop-ups! Getting to meet the customers in person is always an amazing experience πŸ’–

Our team is especially great at set design & store set up, we love creative worlds on the internet but more importantly off the internet for our customers to step inside the world of Evewear πŸ™‚

πŸ’– Will we ever see IRL Evewear shops? & if so where do you see that headed?

One day! Having Pop-ups has been really nice because we can totally take over a space & live there – only for a short amount of time & then discover new & interesting places to do the next ones at.

My grandma always says, β€œinch by inch life’s a cinch, yard by yard life is hard.”

πŸ’– Finally, we really like to help readers get to know the people behind the businesses – tell us about yourselves & what do you get up to when you’re not Evewearing?

While running a business is a 24/7 job that sleeps with one eye open, I do really love crafts & reading.

I am always working on some random embroidery or miniature house & cannot go to sleep if I don’t read for at least an hour before bed. 

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