Sustainability conversations commonly center around what something is made of and how. There is a more broad definition of sustainability as a measure of a business's health and ability to last - things like social responsibility, corporate citizenship, and profitability. We argue that simply surviving, even thriving, as a business today is not enough to ensure we'll be around tomorrow. If we disappear as a business, wasn't the energy spent to exist ultimately wasted?
The apparel industry is the world's second largest polluter, second only to oil. What drives this waste is an overflow of clothing production, major shifts from natural fibers to synthetics, and the fuel used to facilitate the process. Beyond the material, there are aspects of durability, repairability, style, and design that contribute significantly to the overall environmental impact of a piece of clothing. Because our industry creates a physical product, the first place to start in curbing environmental impact is the raw material.
Something we've found when broaching the topic of sustainability with people and organizations is not a resistance to the idea of lowering their environmental footprint, rather, we find a lack of knowledge about what to do, or often a fear of judgement. We'd like to address both of these issues with a lesson from Nike: Just do it. We don't mean to be playful or diminutive to the challenge of climate change, but we do mean to break down barriers of entry into the sustainability movement.
We started sketching and outlining what we would want in a perfect piece for each of our most well-worn styles. We knew we wanted the clothing to be dynamic, made with naturally technical materials, and have a subdued style. We drew a long sleeve t-shirt, a button down, a sweater, a jacket, and a pair of pants. LIVSN was born.
