Mindfully Made

Good design is inherently sustainable. Our clothes are conceived of with care, to sustain both wear and whims. We make pieces that are worth holding on to, taking care of, and make life a little better. At SVILU we design at the magical intersection of purpose and joy.

These are the things we think about when we put pen to paper:

Timeless
We design for longevity, pieces that endure the ebb and flow of trends, so you can build a wardrobe or fewer, better things.

Well made
Our clothes are intended for life’s everyday adventures, made from high quality, easy to care for materials that get even better over time.

Thoughtful
We consider the function of each piece and take our time to get the details right. From the shape of a collar, placement of a button, to the size of a pocket bag - little things that make a big difference. Clothes that feel wonderful to wear and make you feel like you.

As a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the fashion industry is testing the physical limits of the earth’s natural resources. We work to ensure that our footprint is as small as it can be by considering our environmental impact through water, land and energy use.

Water
From irrigating crops, to spinning fibers, to weaving fabric and dyeing garments, the textile and apparel industries are highly water consumptive.

We focus on using fibers and fabrics that use less water to grow, process and dye such as Tencel and linen.

Land
Conventional crops require heavy use of insecticides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which contaminate the soil, and lead to decreased biodiversity and a more fragile ecosystem.

We look for textiles made from fibers that are easy to grow, encourage crop rotation and don’t require large amounts of pesticides.

Energy
At every step of the supply chain, clothing production has an immense carbon footprint- from the energy required to transport raw materials and create virgin fibers, to the carbon emitted from shipping goods around the world.

We choose to work with recycled and renewable natural fibers rather than energy intensive petroleum-based synthetics. We manufacture 90% of our collection locally in New York City’s garment district, package all our clothes in recycled pouches, and carbon offset our shipping.

Consideration for our farmers, makers and community is paramount to everything we do.

Farmers
Exposure to toxic pesticides from conventional crop spraying and harvesting is making farmers sick.

This is a major reason why we believe in using organic fibers that don’t rely on pesticide use. In organic farming, cotton crops are rotated with food crops to promote soil vitality. Not only does this increase food availability for the farmers and local communities, but it also ensures a reliable income that helps to spread the economic risk if one crop fails.

Makers
‘There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness’ (Mahatma Ghandi)

SVILU’s makers are the most important part of our supply chain – from the patternmaker, to the grader, cutters and machinists - we rely on these women and men to bring our designs to life. We've visited countless manufacturers to build a network of partners that we trust. Our factories are compliant with state labor laws, pay their employees fair, livable wages, and provide clean and safe working conditions.

You
We think fashion shouldn’t be toxic.

Unlike the food or drug industries, the fashion industry doesn’t have a regulating agency, and many of the finishes added to conventional textiles contain chemicals, such as formaldehyde and phtalates, that are known carcinogens. We rely on rigorous third party certification such as GOTS and Oeko-Tex, which guarantee that no harmful substances are on our clothes.

With a finite amount of natural resources on our planet we want to make the most of what we have, and do our best to work towards building a circular supply chain. This means keeping clothing in use longer, reducing the use of non-renewable resources, and upcycling existing renewable materials. There are a handful of ways we do this – by using fabrics that are biodegradable, made from recycled fibers, or from dead stock. Working with non-virgin materials cuts back on the energy and resources needed to make new clothes, while elevating scraps into new garments. Like our fabrics, all our packaging consists of recycled plastics and paper products.

Our clothes are intended to be worn and enjoyed, and with that comes wear and tear. Closing the loop means thinking about what happens after you‘ve worn your SVILU to death.

We’re working on a program that will give new life to your old SVILU clothes. With this in mind send us back your previously loved SVILU and stay tuned for updates as we take our next steps towards circularity.