The Duck Store is proud to launch our newest collection from Ivy Citizens, a brand focused on reducing the environmental and societal impact of the apparel industry. While many brands making claims about sustainability just barely scratch the surface of this complex issue, Ivy Citizens takes a more thorough approach.
We interviewed Ivy Citizen’s co-founder and designer, Amanda Laird Cherry about their brand, green-washing in the fashion industry, and the college apparel market.
As you state on your website the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions and the second-largest consumer of water, and Ivy Citizens is committed to reducing its footprint in these areas. Why is it an important pillar of your company and what have been your successes in these areas?
Due to the overdue sustainability issues the world currently has, water is the new “currency”. It is a valuable resource in which the collective manufacturers around the world are not protecting. Water is critical to our survival.
With carbon emissions there is not enough planning around where the product is made. Companies are shipping every aspect of product development from one side of the world to the other and everywhere in between. With a better strategy we can support production that is closer to the end user. That is why we believe making local and buying local has to be more and more relevant.
Working toward sustainability is always a work in progress. There continues to be a lot of work to do. We choose fibers with low water consumption. We produce with factories with stricter environmental regulations. We seek as much local US production as possible. We really look at the proximity of our supply chain to reduce time on the water and in the air.
Fair wages and fair working conditions often aren’t mentioned in the same breath as sustainability. Ivy Citizens founded The Committed Citizens Project to address the working conditions of fashion manufacturers. How did this project come to be and how does it coincide with your commitments to environmental sustainability?
To us sustainability is not just environmental, it is also human. How are we taking care of the earth and how are we taking care of the people who live here? Fighting back against inhumane working conditions, unacceptable health and safety conditions, unfair wages and child labor and forced labor in the apparel industry is as important as protecting our water sources. This is an acute concern for the industry in which we work. It impacts the world. From the outset our drive was as much socially driven as it was aesthetic. We can’t keep silent.
Sustainable fashion is becoming more mainstream and businesses and consumers are making efforts to be more mindful with their production and purchasing, respectively. As a result, there is a lot of “green-washing” of products from companies that don’t have sustainable practices and it’s difficult for consumers and brands like The Duck Store to find vendors and suppliers who meet their standards. How does Ivy Citizens differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded field of brands making claims of sustainability?
We are very intentional about our work and products. We choose to work directly with the factories, walk the floor and meet the people. We have stories of stopping production and sitting with the makers personally to find out what their needs are. Our membership with the FLA (Fair Labor Association) is deeply important to us and our choice to use Tencel over cotton was made because it is a more sustainable fiber. We also believe in being transparent with our decision making. If we can’t produce in the US/North America, we tell our customers why.
In the last two decades, the amount of clothing the world consumes has grown by 400%. This is largely due to the rise of fast fashion and an increase in seasonal collections by clothing brands, rendering the items consumers purchased “out of style” every few months. With many fast-fashion labels filling people’s closets to keep up with ever-evolving trends, the environmental and human rights costs associated with those items are often ignored or hidden from consumers. How do you approach designing clothing that is meant to last and break this cycle of over-consumerism?
We design in a way that is not just “fad” focused, but rather incorporates current trend and fuses it with form and function to give longevity. This allows our garments to transcend the ever-shortening design season. We choose fabrics that are high quality and made to last through wears and washes. The intentionality around style lines, fit and function ensures comfort and ergonomics so customers are able to and want to wear our product for longer. We also do not over brand our products. Too much branding can date the product and limit its life. Trendy graphics can especially limit the product lifespan. We want the garment to live beyond just one function or one season.
The collegiate apparel space is a great opportunity to introduce brands of all sizes to various regional audiences. Your licensing partnerships happened early on in Ivy Citizens history. Was this in the plan from the beginning of the company and why was it important to get into this space?
We love the college environment. It is a place of innovation, learning, curiosity and experimentation. We have always felt this is aligned with who we are. Lisa spent many years in this space personally and professionally as a college athlete and college coach. Her lived experience gave us a tangible perspective about the pros and cons of college apparel and motivated us to get involved in this space. We believe in the spirit of education and the power of sports. It is who we are. There is an energy you can’t beat.