1. Material Use

Handbags

Our handbags are made from a vegan cactus-based biomaterial that has the look and feel of traditional leather but is much more ecological, and are lined with 100% Organic Cotton.

​The cactus we use for our biomaterial is grown on a farm in Zacatecas, Mexico solely on rainwater, meaning it uses 1/5 the amount of water to produce than traditional leather. Once grown, only the mature leaves of the plant are cut, without damaging the cactus or cutting the tree itself. These leaves are then dried under the sun for three days until the correct humidity levels are reached and there is no additional energy used in the process. The dried leaves are then powdered and the organic raw material is processed to make it part of the farm’s patented formula which allows them to create this material. 

Our cactus biomaterial is partially biodegradable (cactus part) and the remaining components (bio-based PU, not to be confused with conventional PU) are highly recyclable. There are also many benefits of using cactus, as it naturally regenerates the soil and has a great CO2 sequestering capacity.

Ready-to-wear Collection I & III

Our RTW collections I and III are composed of 54% eucalyptus lyocell and 46% cotton fibers. Lyocell is made from eucalyptus trees that are fast-growing, do not need irrigation or pesticides, and are produced in a closed-loop system that recycles almost all of its solvents with minimal waste. Lyocell is also 100% biodegradable. 

This mix of lyocell and cotton felt the most suitable for the line, as it is durable and can ensure your pieces will last for years to come, but our goal is to eventually find an organic alternative to our conventional cotton.

Ready-to-wear Collection II

Our RTW collection II is composed of 100% TENCEL™ Lyocell. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are made in a responsible closed loop production process, which transforms wood pulp into cellulosic fibers with high resource efficiency and low environmental impact. 

This solvent-spinning process recycles process water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%.

Packaging

Our mailers are made from 2 layers of secure and commercially compostable bubble padding on the inside, and recycled paper on the outside.

Our hang tags are made out of biodegradable paper that is embedded with wildflowers. When you plant the paper in a pot of soil, the seeds in the paper germinate and grow into plants.

Our hangtags are hung using organic hemp cording. Hemp requires very little water to be produced, a small amount of land to cultivate and no pesticides or herbicides are used in the process.

Our tissue paper is printed with soy-based inks on FSC-certified paper, is acid, sulfur, and lignin-free, and 100% compostable.

The stickers used in our packaging are made from FSC-certified paper, printed with soy-based inks, and are 100% Compostable.

Our mailer boxes are made in the US from corrugated cardboard, whose fibers can be recycled up to 25 times. 

Our packaging tape is water-activated and printed with soy-based inks on FSC-certified paper.

2. Climate Change

Production

Our products are hand-made to order and in limited production locally in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Midtown, Manhattan.  Fully manufacturing our items locally helps us reduce our CO2 emissions, boost our local economy, ensure better working conditions by allowing us to regularly inspect ethical aspects, and develop better-quality long-lasting products by working closely with our manufacturer. 

Material Certifications and Compliance

Our vegan cactus-biomaterial is dyed using only biodegradable organic pigments and only uses finishes that are water-based, free of restricted substances, and that comply with California Proposition 65 and REACH EU. 

The 100% Organic Cotton used to line our handbags is Control Union Certified and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified on dyeing and finishing processes. The inks used on our custom lining print are free of heavy metals, formaldehyde, and Alkylphenol Etholzylates (APE), making them non-hazardous and non-toxic. Additionally, they are 100% biodegradable and adhere to the strictest human health and environmental standards. They contain no animal by-products and are completely vegan. 

Waste

All of our products are either made-to-order or in small batch limited production runs of 25. As a small company, focusing on this kind of production is our way to take more direct control of our inventory, reduce overproduction and textile waste.

Additionally, both of our manufacturers have been properly trained on low-waste cutting techniques and 75% of our textile waste is reused. Our RTW fabric scraps are currently being used to create fabric-covered buttons and our handbag cactus-biomaterial scraps are currently being developed into card-cases. 

We also aim to create long-lasting, durable products that you can ensure to enjoy for many years to come.

Water Use

As part of our mission, we aim to source textiles that help us minimize our water use. Our cactus bio-material uses 1/5 less water to produce than traditional animal leather. This is mainly due to the cactus being grown solely on rainwater where it is native.

3. Labor Conditions

Garment Workers

We're lucky to manufacture our products locally, which allows us to visit our factories on a weekly basis. This helps us ensure workers are working in safe, healthy conditions by conducting regular inspections and we're currently developing a Code of Conduct.

Living Wage

All of our manufacturers and suppliers are paid high-end, above-market prices to make sure they can live decently. Contractors such as our publicist, models, photographers, and photo assistants are also paid fair living wages. We’ve never denied or negotiated an increase in production costs, which we’ve seen a lot of this year, as we’re committed to supporting them the same way they’re helping us build our brand. ​

4. Giving Partners

Sprout

We have an ongoing partnership with Sprout. For every item sold, we plant a tree where it's most needed.

Women's Prison Association (WPA)

In honor of Black History Month, we partnered with the Women's Prison Association (WPA) by donating 10% of our proceeds for the entire month of February 2022. 

We are constantly looking for and investing in opportunities to minimize our waste and actively implementing new ways to make our brand more sustainable and create a positive impact on our planet. Thank you for being part of this journey with us!