On April 29, Remake, in collaboration with conscious fashion marketplace Galerie.LA, water-saving denim line Triarchy and leading sustainable fashion podcast Conscious Chatter, co-hosted the Los Angeles debut of Wear Your Values, the event circuit Remake tours around the world to turn fashion into a force for good.
The Wear Your Values sustainable pop-up shop and panel was held in an interactive space in ROW DTLA, a multi-use development where retailers, restaurants and offices are replacing the former American Apparel factory lot. ROW DTLA houses fashion brands such as Splendid and soon the Adidas Los Angeles HQ.
Talking about sustainable fashion next to some of the world’s biggest brands? Kind of revolutionary, isn’t it? The location matched the revolutionary tone of the panel conversation, moderated by Kestrel Jenkins, a slow fashion advocate who hosts the Conscious Chatter podcast. Kestrel asked each of the panelists to share their “woke” moments to make fashion do more good.
Ayesha, founder of Remake started off:
“The story of how our clothes are made is not new. We all know the story of sweatshops and the impact on our planet. But I have to apologize for us activists, because we’ve been telling you the story all wrong. Shaming you with how awful the fashion industry is but giving you little in terms of practical ways to be a part of the solution.”
Ayesha was describing the fleeting headlines, reporting that captures awful disasters such as the fall of Rana Plaza, where there was little direction on what everyday shoppers who care could actually do.
“Which is why I thought there was a space in this market to remake connections: woman to woman, maker to shopper. I founded Remake to put a human face to our clothes, so you can see yourself in the narrative of the people who make our clothes. I hope our stories can move you to buy better.”
Dechel founder of Galerie.LA continued with her woke story:
“Remake encourages us to ‘wear your values’ and at Galerie.LA we’re all about ‘shopping your values.’ I was a celebrity stylist for many years, and then became a conscious consumer. I couldn’t find the brands I wanted to wear and support that also supported my values.”
Dechel described our growing ability to support beautifully made local brands or brands who support artisans and preserve their culture and history through design.
“You can value these things and wear them. So it’s not about chasing after the latest trends, but establishing a strong personal style that’s independent of those winds.”
A packed house for our LA Wear Your Values debutAdam, Creative Director of Triarchy denim ran a conventional denim brand for a few years until it became obvious to him and his sibling team how wasteful traditional denim is. Triarchy went offline for a year and redeveloped as a low water consuming, sustainable brand. They also launched their luxe Atelier line which is made entirely of repurposed denim. It’s their mission to shine a light on ways to make denim responsibly:
“What I’ve loved seeing since we’ve done this whole re-brand is that people gravitate towards it. I think that a lot of times, when people get the facts behind their garments it kind of shocks them, and then that gives way to new consumption habits.”
The Wear Your Values pop-up featured 12 unique sustainable fashion brands whose gorgeous, everlasting threads attracted guests and passersby alike.Prior to the panel, visitors enjoyed a pop-up of 12 unique sustainable brands including Ziran and MATE the Label. They also toured the 1,200 sqft interactive space, featuring videos sponsored by Remake and Beyond the Label and other immersive and educative installations.
As part of the interactive space, Triarchy told their brand story from inspiration to final product, featuring select items from their Atelier line to touch and feel.Triarchy storied their production process in 3D, showing inspiration to final product through touchable denim moments. Social Clothing, a brand who hand paints activist statements on upcycled jackets, did live painting while displaying their values-driven line.
Social Clothing, a brand who hand paints activist statements on upcycled jackets, did live painting while displaying their values-driven line.The SnapBar sponsored a very fun selfie experience where Remake Ambassadors and guests got silly striking a pose.
Our first activation of Wear Your Values in Los Angeles united all layers of our movement from education and dialogue to a shoppable ethical fashion experience.
Guests came away with facts the fashion industry didn’t want them to know and practical ways to #wearyourvalues.
The event closed out Fashion Revolution Week, a week when fashion enthusiasts worldwide come together to commemorate the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, where 1,134 men and women lost their lives. Each year during this week, the deadliest garment factory accident in history we ask our favorite brands #whomademyclothes?
I totally support your cause and efforts to save the planet. I have been recycling my clothing and accessories for many years. As a designer I give workshops around Los Angeles.