Ethical fashion is becoming widespread and yet we find it difficult to access: a lot of research can go into finding the right brands and often you will find online shops are overwhelming. Sea of People is going to radically change this to curate women-owned brands creating a curated closet space to find interchangeable styles.
We interview the two gorgeous ladies behind Sea of People a soon-to-come online curated ethical fashion platform bringing back the power to women and aiming to positively impact social + environmentally the clothing industry. This platform is born to share fair trade stories, feature the most sustainable materials, support a more circular industry, and get you excited about ethical fashion again! If you also think it’s time for a fashion revolution watch out for their vision, it’s badass!
Hi Tori & Scarlet, we’d love to hear a bit more about your background and what led you to start the ethical fashion platform Sea of People?
We both met on our first day of college and were in the same classes that semester. It was actually so quick how we bonded over style and where we wanted to go in our careers. We were usually partnered on projects before, so this business venture together feels very natural. We initially started Sea of People as a swimwear brand, which was always based on sustainable fabrics and ethical work. Being so close to the Fashion District, we could see the women that worked on our suits and were able to build close relationships with them. We made the shift as the funding issues became more prevalent. We were tossed between so many male loan investors who kind of understood but had limited supply on investing in women’s businesses. It really became the same tune and we decided to reinvent a bit after speaking to other female entrepreneurs that needed the same opportunities. While keeping sustainability and ethical practices at our core, we wanted to create a space for women’s businesses to be celebrated and easy to shop. Too often sustainable brands are something we have to hunt for and we are the middle-man that makes that so much easier and curated.
We wanted to create a space for women’s businesses to be celebrated & easy to shop. Too often sustainable brands are something we have to hunt for & we are the middle-man that makes that so much easier and curated- Tori &… Click To Tweet
What is the mission of the brand, what’s the type of positive change you are seeking to create?
Our mission is to make sustainable, ethical fashion the norm in the fashion industry. Transparency is key! We see the increase of want for sustainable fashions, which means the demand is there. In 2017, there was a 100% increase in Google searches for sustainable fashion, which is where we come in to help. Fast fashion is just so easily accessible, which means we buy it quicker and get rid of it quicker. Our goal at Sea of People is to guide the consumer to make smarter purchases, which means we go the extra mile to show you how to style these pieces through many seasons and how to properly care for them. Fast fashion often returns to the incinerator less than one year after it’s purchased and that is just so much unnecessary waste. Sea of People acknowledges that sustainable, ethical fashion does not need to compromise the style and we understand that everyone has such busy lifestyles! This is for those girls that want to inspire change and look good while doing it.
Why women?
We want to inspire women and embrace women the way that they deserve. The faces behind some of the best-known brands that are made for women are owned by men, because funding is traditionally easier for them to obtain. We see great ideas that are made by women and we want to support them because their ideas are just as innovative and gorgeous. It’s basically the Golden Rule for us all over again- we want to treat and embrace these women the way we would want to be.
We want to inspire women and embrace women the way that they deserve. The faces behind some of the best-known brands that are made for women are owned by men because funding is traditionally easier for them to obtain Click To TweetHow will your fashion platform actually work and what features will it enable for users to easily access ethical clothing?
Our platform makes shopping ethically easier because we curated our space with brands that work so well with each other. Everything is very thoughtful and meant to be interchangeable with other pieces from other brands, which makes it feel more like a curated closet space, rather than an overwhelming shopping platform. They are also meant to embrace our girl’s busy lifestyles, which mean they go from day to night very easily to suit the days that our girls face.
What are some of the latest sustainable trends we are seeing between eco-fashion brands?
We are seeing such a huge spike in reinventing materials to replicate traditional, non-sustainable fashions, such as Piñatex to replicate leather. We know that leather workers tend to have the harshest working environments with the tanning of the leathers and it often affects their lifespan. This invention is so positive and would be so beneficial in the mainstream of the industry. This invention also makes eco-fashion a bit easier to digest for the consumer that is not typically seeking out sustainable fashion. H&M did a collab with them, which we all know is a HUGE trademark in the fashion industry- the more we see these crossovers, the more other brands will want to follow suit.
When it comes to materials, what are going to be your preferred choices to have available in your platform?
We use denim, cotton, linens, silks, wools, and recycled fabrics. Like with Sissel Edelbo, they recycle saris from India and make them into the most beautiful pieces, which makes those saris a product instead of waste. Those are the missions that we support and place on our platform.
Digging a bit into the industry, what concerns you the most about the current fast fashion trends?
The seasonal trends that can’t be sustained for more than a few hours sometimes and the lack of quality that comes with it. The idea that clothing is only made for one photo and can only be styled one way is an issue. That is why waste in the fashion industry is growing so much. Our concerns come from a place of seeing this waste in landfill and knowing it was in someone’s closet for less than a month, most likely- partially from the social aspect and partially the quality. We know that sustainable fashion is pricier than fast fashion, but perpetuating the idea that a t-shirt costs less than a drink means that someone compromised something to make that possible. There is someone making your clothes and it’s easy to forget that when seeing the price tag sometimes.
Thanks to Fashion Revolution, there’s now a question buzzing in our heads “Who made my clothes”. What is your system to trace your supply chain and ensure fair trade standards?
Every brand we have on our site typically has had some association with Fashion Revolution, which makes this process even easier for us! Even if they have not, they are so excited to share the story of their garment workers and how special they are to them. Our system begins at the very beginning before purchasing anything. We have spent numerous hours to check out these brands and that’s what makes our site so special. It feels like a family that is working together for the betterment of this industry. We hope to feature as many of these amazing workers as we can at Sea of People because their stories are incredible.
We know that #sustainable fashion is pricier than #fastfashion but perpetuating the idea that a t-shirt costs less than a drink means that someone compromised something. There are people making your clothes & it’s easy to forget… Click To TweetYou’ve just launched a Crowdfunding campaign. What are your goals and how can people support the project?
Our goal is to market Sea of People more and get more companies on our site. We want to watch our baby grow and let is be accessible to everyone- eventually with an app and events to push it. We want to create a little community. To support, we have been using the amazing platform, iFundWomen for our crowdfunding which is rewards-basedWe aim to do everything with purpose and this platform allows that. With each donation, you receive an award of your choice, which could span from installing a water filter, planting a tree, getting a handmade tote from scrap fabrics and even more!
To what are these 50k going to be allocated and what is the social & eco-impact you are expecting to make?
The 50k goes to purchasing more on our site and marketing our space to make it a real staple in the fashion industry. We also want to make real eco impacts and work with charities that make real change. We want to help clean our oceans, bring awareness to conservation, and help our next generation of shoppers become more aware of new shopping habits. We want to influence the next generation to really be aware of their ability to impact the environment positively.
You are based in Brooklyn, New York, how does a social entrepreneurial venture look like there? Do you feel there’s a change happening in the city?
There is SO much change in Brooklyn. So many people understand that they can make a real change for themselves and build their job the way that they see fit. There is such a rise in entrepreneurial ventures there and so many coffee shop veterans that get it done. The change is so real and so inspiring to see. This makes being an entrepreneur so much fun and so relatable.
If each of you could write a message on a big wall that the entire world could read, what would it say?
They would definitely be the same and fit in with our packaging- it would say “Better Together.” This goes for just about everything we do and could be for anything universally. Lots of flowers on the wall, too!
Finally, where can we find you aside from the crowdfunding campaign?
You usually find us having a glass of wine at La Cafette checking our Instagram @seaofpeople.shop or you can find us at www.seaofpeople.shop and leave an email to get notified when we launch officially this fall – in the meantime come and support our crowdfunding at iFundWomen and let’s make this happen TOGETHER!
Is there any other particular ethical fashion brand you’d like to see in their online curated platform? Make sure you share it with us in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Sea of People. Ourgoodbrands only features brands and contents that are aligned with ethical, sustainable, eco-conscious world, which means we have carefully researched and written the contents in this article, and specific product information is checked with the business. For the interviews, any opinions expressed are the writer’s own, generally being the founder of the brand. Images supplied and approved by the brand featured, or credited accordingly otherwise. For more information about our policies, click here.
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