It’s Wednesday and we are at the mid-point of our Gender Inclusive Eco Designer week, so this is the perfect time to chat with Kaya Dorey of Novel Supply! Gender Inclusion is one of the pillars of Novel Supply, as all their tees are sold as Gender Neutral, so you pick your size and eschew Gender labelling. It’s not a huge thing, but it’s big in terms of ensuring all persons feel included and considered.
Environmental responsibility is another huge part of Novel Supply’s company foundation, so if you didn’t make it to our Spring Event, make sure you check out or Spring designer interview here to get up to speed! We love that Novel Supply incorporates the work of local artists and illustrators and we are very excited to have Novel Supply back for Fall 2018.
We recently chatted with Kaya about lots of things, here’s what she had to say!
What’s new for Fall 2018?
I will have a few new prints from a collab with my upcoming artist, Natalia Pavanelli, and new tote bags.
What excites you about Fall fashion?
My favourite thing about fall fashion is being able to layer up and wear toques. I am working on sourcing a sustainable option for a toque however it has been challenging to find anything that isn’t acrylic or at least part synthetic. If you ever wondered why you sweat in a toque when it’s freezing out, it’s because of the plastic you’re wearing on your head.
What inspired your Fall collection?
The epic West Coast is what inspires my designs and my integration of sustainability in every one of my garments. This is a beautiful place we live in and it’s important that we keep it that way so that our kids can have the same privilege of knowing this beautiful place. I want to protect this planet since we only have one and I want to make apparel that doesn’t pollute our waterways, fill our landfills and starve the people making it. I want to make apparel that’s good for the planet.
What “fashion rules” do you think are outdated? What trends do you wish would finally die??
I think that anything you buy that doesn’t last needs to go. Also, clothing that doesn’t match with anything else but the same colour also needs to die. Like that grape purple shirt, it doesn’t even go with black so don’t bother. We need to start moving towards capsule wardrobes (garments that can be worn together in different ways) and fabrics that don’t pollute our environment and our bodies. We should choose fabrics like: organic hemp, linen, cotton, wool, alpaca and make sure they aren’t toxically dyed or made by people who aren’t getting paid fairly. Say goodbye to cheap fast fashion and hello to quality, more expensive, ethical, natural and organic.
What do you wish shoppers knew more about?
I wish the average shopper thought more about the entire supply chain from the point of sourcing whatever fabric it is made out of to the point of disposal. I feel like if they had a better understanding of the people making the clothing and the fact that it will eventually end up in a landfill somewhere, would change their purchasing decisions for the better.
How is your collection eco-friendly/ slow fashion/ thoughtful/ sustainable?
I use hemp and organic cotton fabrics for my sweatshirts, tees and tanks. The fabric is undyed so there is no toxic chemicals in the fabric. The dyes I do use are natural organic indigo which fades naturally and beautifully over time. I use inks that don’t have PVC or Phthalate in them for screenprinting. All my apparel is made right here in Vancouver where the people making my apparel are getting paid fair wages and working in safe working conditions. I am also sourcing other sustainable products made from natural fibres and I am supporting local artists by collaborating with them on the designs and promoting their work on my platforms.
Why do you choose to work in this way, given the extra effort involved with eco/green production?
Because there is no other way. If we want to continue to live on this planet, we need to change the way we eat, the way we dress and the way we live.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. What motivates you to keep going?
Seeing the way I have changed the behaviour of some of the people around me and having meaningful conversations with people at markets where I teach them even just one thing about how they can shop more consciously is what keeps me going.
What’s the best thing about being part of the Handmade movement?
I would have to say the other people that are in this movement, taking risks, starting businesses and hustling super hard to make it happen. They are an amazing and inspiration bunch who continue to inspire me to keep doing what I am doing as well.
Make sure Novel Supply is on your shopping list for our Fall 2018 First Pick Handmade Market, we can’t wait to see Kaya and chat more at the show!flower
