The sustainable fashion industry is expected to hit $8.25 billion by 2023. But as sustainability has grown from trend to foundational pillar, one category has been left behind, legwear. That is until now. Introducing CLOVO, an emerging sustainable stockings brand. Learn how Megan Martis built her business from the ground up and the process that it took to get here, in today's Brands Behind the Scenes interview.

Last week was a hard week for America as we continued to weather the uncertainty of COVID-19 while collectively mourning yet another black man killed by the very people who exist to serve and protect. (This topic is nuanced and deserves attention, so for more education and ways to be involved please visit Black Lives Matter). As you find ways to take a stand we wanted to shine a well-deserved spotlight on some black-owned ethical fashion brands who are killing it. We've encouraged everyone during this COVID season to support small brands whenever possible and the same rings true as you support black owned ethical fashion brands who are doing their part to address ethical employment and sustainable supply chain practices in fashion. 

It's not uncommon to learn about the problems in the fashion industry and be compelled to make it better for people and planet. But starting a brand requires a lot of work, flexibility, patience, and most of all beautiful, quality product that people want to buy. Getting to this point is challenging and often unclear, so we try to feature brands who are doing regularly so you can get a peak behind the scenes of what it feels like and what challenges to expect. Here's a look into the Canadian based brand Poème Clothing and our interview with Founder, Connie Howes. 

A large contributor to fashion's waste problem is the pre-consumer textile waste also known as fabric liability or deadstock fabric. Tons and tons of deadstock fabric is collecting dust in factories and ateliers around the world and if we start sourcing it, it could begin to reduce the amount of raw materials in demand and therefore the strain we put on the planet. One of the easiest categories to implement this strategy is knits, since deadstock yarn is still unspun and much easier to mold into the designs you need. "We see leftover production materials happen in real time, to the tune of at least 15+ tons of yarn per year in Peru alone," says Ellen, who has spent many years working production in Peru. This experience prompted her to create a solution with her newly launched deadstock sweater brand The Endery co-founded with Kelly Phenicie.

Building a fashion brand is hard and most people who undertake their own label can tell you they had no idea what they were getting into when they begun. To make it slightly easier we like to spread the wisdom. So here's our interview with the founder of Poplinen at a look behind navigating the supply chain and creating a brand that is based on ethical and sustainable practices as well as body inclusivity. 

At THR3EFOLD we are passionate about building a fashion industry that positively impacts people and planet. So we love going behind the scenes of ethical fashion brands doing much more than just making beautiful clothes. Agaati celebrates women and their power to change the world. Their luxury designs focus on being responsible to our communities and the environment. Learn the ins and outs of building a brand with this behind the scenes look into this incredible brand! 

Due to the nature of our business, we spend a lot time reading and talking about sustainable fashion. We even have some great sustainability leaders speaking at all four of our fashion revolution week events. So it's encouraging when we pause for a second and lift up our eyes to see other industries tackling areas of need in our planet too. That's why we were so excited to partner with two fantastic sustainable spirits brands for our upcoming Panel & Pop Up Event in NYC. Interested to see what happens when your cocktail cares? Read on.

As millennials have flocked to big cities to build their career and raise families they are dealing with a different problem than their parents did, much-less-space. Many of us grew up in big suburban houses filled to the brim with stuff, with the mentality that we needed more space, not less things. So when we moved to these tiny city apartments, it was only a matter of time before something had to give. So in 2014, when Marie Kondo's The Magic Art of Tidying Up book was released it created quite the sensation. In droves, city dwellers began massively embracing minimalism, which only magnified the simultaneous movement happening around conscious fashion sparked from the Rana Plaza collapse that had occurred just a year prior. This incredibly woke generation had, had enough. 

Now, she is back and out for the masses. Our team has loved watching Marie Kondo take on middle America in Netflix's Tidying Up. Minimalism is a practice everyone on our team already practices and we are so excited to see it hitting main street America. Here's the THR3EFOLD team's favorite takeaways from Marie Kondo's Tidying Up movement. 

​After years of experience in law, advocacy, and nonprofit management I was propelled to start Maven Women for two reasons. First, I had been a frustrated consumer for over a decade, as I couldn’t find clothes that matched my values, vocation, and aesthetic (i.e., timeless, elegant, urban, and professional). Second, I dreamed of a different kind of company that spoke to the millions of women who share this aesthetic where clothing is created to honor them as well as people and the planet. But dreaming and doing are two different things. Here is how we practically run a socially conscious fashion brand.

One of the biggest things we try to educate brands on, is that sustainability is a journey, your ethical sourcing is a journey. The place where you launch your brand on day 1 is just the first step to building a brand for people, planet, and profit. One of our favorite brands who exemplifies this journey most is Mara Hoffman, who has slowly grown her business to be a leader in sustainable fashion one decision at a time. Last week we had the privilege of attending the launch event of their latest sustainability initiative Mara Hoffman: Repaired and Renewed in partnership with The Renewal Workshop. Here's our conversation with the team and what you can takeaway for your own sustainability journey as well.