Friends, I am so beyond excited to share this blog post with you! The Kickstarter campaign for the ethically sourced clothing line, Garment Collective, was one of the very first ethical fashion companies I stumbled across in my research for #write31days last fall. The launch of this stellar company has been in the works for well over a year now and today it is my great privilege to share with you the story of a gal with a big dream of running a company whose goals and impact are life changing.
Garment Collective is a clothing line full of women’s garments {ethically produced in Nepal} which you can mix and match together, all while adding your own unique style.
Their commitment is to choosing quality fabrics, making sure the designs are in style (but will not quickly go out of style!) and that the production process is ethical. Not only are they working with a manufacturer who is ensuring the workers are paid fairly, but they are also committed to contributing directly to the artisan’s well-being and growth by working to provide long-term solutions and motivating them to help others in their own communities to do the same.
Garment Collective – How an Ethical Clothing Line Brings Redemption for All
Bree, can you share with us how Garment Collective began?
The story of Garment Collective is a beautiful but painful one. It started out with my personal blog, BreeLoverly.com, where I wrote out about my life as a church-planter’s wife + stay-at-home momma to 4 littles, 5 and under. Not too far into it, my sweet 3rd child, Ezekiel, who we refer to as Zekey, started having seizures.
{On my blog} I talked about my fears, my faith and the hope I would cling to. Eventually, my boy received the devastating diagnosis of Batten Disease and we would learn that his life would be short but witnessed strength, joy and peace through his life of 4 years, 4 months and 4 days.
It was Zekey’s strength, joy and light that defined him as he reflected Jesus in the midst of his suffering and I keep those memories in my heart as well as the redemption God is pouring out into the artisans bringing my designs to life, as I to continue in pursuing this dream.
During that time, I was contacted by an online friend who remembered, somewhere along the way, that I had mentioned wanting to design clothes. She told me about friends of hers who were out in Nepal, looking for more designers to provide work for the artisans, at-risk or rescued from trafficking. I provide the designs, and these artisans bring my designs to life. They are paid well and work in a safe, uplifting environment. I couldn’t believe it! God was bringing a dream I had as a little girl to life, through my son’s life and was bringing hope and freedom to these artisans all at the same time. The rest is history!
What is the significance of the wording in Garment “Collective”?
I know that the idea of ending trafficking in the world (as much as we hear about it in the news) or simply buying only ETHICAL clothing can sound extremely overwhelming and daunting. But, the idea behind my line is that, if we all work together, collectively, we can play a part in bringing, “Redemption For All”…a tag line you might see from time to time ;)
Why Nepal?
Nepal found me! And I have grown to love this country. Because Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia, trafficking is high. I want to play a part in the redemption this country needs.
How do you see and hope to see that the women will be impacted by their work with Garment Collective?
I know that the manufacturer we work with is out to bring healing to these women, show them that they have invaluable worth and have God-given gifts. As I grow my businesses, more women will be impacted and more jobs will be created. I truly see God’s hand in GC and I am excited to enjoy this wild ride and see redemption and hope lived out!
I know you are very passionate about drawing people together in this endeavor. How do you see the consumer being impacted by being a part of Garment Collective?
Well, first of all, you’re going to love these pieces!
I pay attention to be on trend but choose quality fabric, so you can simply feel your best in the garments you choose.
But, even more importantly, you will feel really good about your purchase. You will be wearing redemption and can know you truly are playing a part.
How can we help?
First off, buy what you love each season! I plan to have a ‘look book’ to help you know what to wear with your garments and how to mix and match them. Our prices reflect the “invaluable worth” the women encompass as we talked about earlier. It reflects our standards for all involved in the process- NO SLAVERY! So, don’t expect a $15 tee- we would drive our business to the ground and would no longer be able to provide jobs for these women.
Also, when someone compliments you on your garment, you can tell them a bit more about the story behind it.
Have a fashion shoot with a friend and tell your social networking followers about us – every bit helps these women!
Have some Christmas gifts to buy? Why not support ethically made fashion and the commitment to helping exploited and marginalized people? #garmentcollective #redemptionforall
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Today is #GivingTuesday, a day where we think about how we can make a difference with what we do, how we spend our time, money, gifts, talents.
It’s also the first day of #Dressember, a month-long initiative dedicated to raising awareness and funds to fight human trafficking and slavery. Take a few moments today to learn more about how you can impact the lives of others around you, just like Breena has been doing with Garment Collective. Making small choices like changing where you shop, what you buy and how, really do make a difference.
A homeschooled student turned homeschooling mom of 5. Passionate about teaching my children the truth of God's word through his creation and his-tory, spending time as a family and outdoors, learning how to be more creative, and giving glory to God. Seeking to serve Christ and set a godly example for my children, to grow in love and encouragement, failing forward, learning to lean on God's grace and trust in his strength.
