Here’s one brand that doesn’t believe in “fast fashion.”
The fashion industry has a bit of a saturation problem. In order to keep up with the constant demand for new clothes and new styles, many brands order materials in bulk and burn through them like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a bit on the wasteful side to say the least, and it’s a problem that’s been exacerbated by the current circumstances. Brands have a bunch of materials that are just gathering dust in a warehouse because there’s not enough sales right now. Instead of going through an entire pallet of fabric to make one batch of shirts, one company wants to focus more on sustainable fashion. That means not only using less resources, but creating clothes that can stand the test of time.
San Francisco’s Cuyana is a brand that only creates clothes it knows it can sell. They use high-quality materials to create sturdy, highly-functional designs that know no season. Any time is a good time for Cuyana clothes, and as a result of their outlook, they tend to sell through at least 90% of their stock on a regular basis. Since their clothes are good year-round, if they have any leftovers, they can just be rolled over into the next launch, no harm done.
In order to raise awareness about fashion waste and urge customers toward sustainability, Cuyana has launched a challenge they call “100 Days, 50 Wears, 2 Pieces.” Cuyana posits that with just two pieces made from their sturdy Pima cotton, someone could theoretically create enough styles to last 100 days.
The company’s co-founders, Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah, spoke to Fortune recently about this new initiative. “Cuyana created this challenge because the average consumer buys 68 items of clothing per year, but wears each item only an average of seven times before it is discarded. It is no wonder why fashion is a major contributor to climate change,” Gallardo said.
“Unlike most brands, Cuyana encourages customers to buy less by buying better. Furthermore, our relationship with the product doesn’t end once it’s in our customer’s hands. We ensure that our pieces are worn as much as possible by inspiring new ways to keep our core pieces in rotation, as well as encouraging our customer to extend the product’s life through care instructions and care products,” Shah added.