In the ’20s most people knew their tailor personally and oftentimes watched the in-house seamstresses sew while they waited. In the ’50s most people knew the owner of the dress boutique up the street who kept them up to date on the latest trends. Flash forward to the ‘80s where the only thing touch point the public has with a brand is the name of the designer because the brand was named after them.
Any personal connection with the designer or any part of the production team was completely removed for those of us that grew up wearing clothes from Contempo Casual or Kmart. The product development, any outside influence, production teams, and fabric details were hidden as the “special secret sauce” to producing a top-seller.
A new and rising shopping culture encourages consumers to get to know the brands they choose to invest in. Yerba Mate brand Guayaki is an amazing example. We were excited to share their business model as one of our brand sponsors for the very first Beyond the Label TEDxLA “Beyond the Label” panel discussion and break sessions event. They’ve created a company culture based around the healing attributes of the ingredients in their beverages that are grown in the South American Atlantic rainforests. “Because everyone needs to take action to build a healthy climate.”
“We can feed people and nourish ourselves and nourish the planet,” states Evan Marks, Executive Director of The Ecology Center. In partnership with Guayake, the Ecology Center in Orange County brings rainforest lushness to an arid environment and to educate people that visit the center about what is possible when growing crops compared to what has become acceptable.
While some beverage companies may have less ingredients per product to oversee than fabric manufacturing, it is not impossible for brands to oversee all aspects of production and share the positive attributes with their customers. Industry of all Nations (IOAN) has set up their Santa Monica store to reflect a science museum for the “Chemistry of Dyes and Fibers” exhibit. IOAN gives you the option to shop by fabric so that you can own items that match your personal passions. If you’ve never seen what indigo looks like as a plant or dye block, I highly suggest taking a field trip to the store. Beyond the Label was honored that Juan Gerscovich found time in his busy schedule to be part of the Second Annual Beyond the Label Fashion Show + Tell to educate Santa Monicans about better practices in clothing production.
