November 30, 2009 - SUST: Organic Apparel for Women

Almost 30 years ago, SUST creators Tristan Gribbin and Marion McKee developed a friendship made strong by their common desire to incorporate all things organic into their lives.  The pair, influenced by the 60's Mod lines and colors wanted to take their love of organic and apply it to clothing.

[Special Offer: Use the code 'GREEN30' with all SUST purchases before 12/6/09 for 30% off]

The idea which was a bit ahead of its time wasn't brought to life until 2008 when SUST began designing organic apparel for women.  The go-green movement was in full swing and both Gribbin and McKee felt the timing was right to make their dream a responsible reality.  The pieces, which offer a modern twist on those Mod designs offer women fun, functional, trendy, and environmentally friendly clothing that can be dressed up or down.  Marion McKee, the Creative Director for SUST spoke to us about their sustainable line, their vision, and what they are doing to make a change in the fashion industry:

GGN:  Where did the vision/inspiration for SUST come from? What does SUST stand for?

MCKEE:  The original idea or inspiration for SUST clothing came from an idea that Tristan and I had in college, "Why not wear organic clothes?  If we eat organic why not wear organic?"  It  was the next step.   In the late 80's both of us were very into organic foods and were strongly against the use of pesticides in food production.  It was a natural and obvious progression, but way before its time.  When we finally felt the world was ready, the current Eco and Green movement was already in full swing.  This was in 2007 and every magazine was doing a "green issue" and the word "sustainable" was everywhere.   Both of us had embraced some of the Eco clothing lines, but there were none out there that were exactly what we were looking for.  Our original idea was classic basics in the best quality organic cotton.  We both wanted to see clothes that we could dress up or dress down.  The beauty would be in the fabric and classic silhouettes.  Our style inspiration came from our love of 60's mod bright colors.  The perfect example of this was the Mod dress.  It was a simple A-line shift dress that came in pretty colors like bright green and purple.  A simple piece that was contemporary and something that could have been worn on by Twiggy in a Vogue photo shoot in the 60's.  Our following collections have the same philosophy behind them, but we have decided to add more detail and emphasize unique and interesting silhouettes.

The line has a more contemporary look now along with great classic pieces.  As for the name SUST,  Tristan came up with it about fifteen years ago.  SUST is short for sustainable but is also a play on the British slang term "sussed", which means in the know or cool.  Tristan and I spent several summers in London on school summer vacations, fully participating in the Mod subculture happening in the 80's.  The term "well sussed" was used for someone who looked particularly hip or well dressed.  SUST and SUSSED it just worked.  I love our name.

GGN:  Where do founders Tristan and Marion find the inspiration for the pieces?

MCKEE:  As the Creative Director, I am responsible for the actual pieces we put in our line.  I have always paid attention to fashion, trends, street style, subcultures, art, architecture, and really all things visual.   I tend to design things that I would wear, but at the same time I keep in mind everywoman. Personally I love trendy and eccentric fashion but  for SUST I have a casual type of elegance in mind.  The idea of a top that you could wear under a suit to work or to the beach really appeals to me.  I think a person can have great style and not look like they are trying too hard.  Great fabrics are a really important part to this piece.  The organic Supima cotton and Hemp that we have used in the line so far really help to make our pieces both stylish and casual at the same time.  I have always turned to my nostalgia for the past as an inspiration for design and colors.  

Our best selling piece, the Disco Top, is an updated version of something I remember from my days loving Saturday Night Fever.  I don't want to replicate the past, but take inspiration from my youth and the looks that I now consider classic and flattering.

GGN:  SUST is described as an 'ecologically and socially savvy line' - how are the materials and pieces ecologically 'savvy' or eco-friendly?

MCKEE:  From the beginning it has been important for SUST to try and use the best possible practices in order to ensure our product is truly helping to create change in the apparel business.  We have used US grown organic Supima cotton and Hemp so far. We currently have factories locally here in California produce the line. Educating ourselves on the entire process of creating a line is key.  We have had to learn so much about different fabrics and what is sustainable about them.  

When we started, Bamboo was considered a great option as a sustainable fabric. We quickly were educated that Bamboo is a sustainable plant, but to turn this plant into a textile, harsh chemicals are used and it is a toxic and difficult process. We have had to learn about the dye process and decide whether it is better to use less water but more chemicals, or is it more sustainable to ship the goods somewhere else and back, in order to use an alternative dye technique that may use less water.  Weighing all the choices in order to make a truly sustainable line means we really need to understand all aspects of the process.  We produced a special edition line of sweaters for Holiday and we used an artisan cooperative in Peru to make this happen.  We partnered with an expert in this area, to ensure that the sweaters we sold were produced with fair trade and organic in mind. Our partner helped mentor us with the myriad of decisions regarding best practices for these styles. It is really important SUST to be sincere in this endeavor.  It would not feel right to us to create a line if there was nothing progressive about it.  We make an effort to stay informed about new fabrics and techniques that could add to our vision of a sustainable clothing company.

GGN:   Where are the materials for the SUST line sourced from?

MCKEE:  We go to fabric trade shows and look at all of the Eco textiles out there.  So far we have decided to use US grown and knitted organic cotton in our line.  We have used Hemp and look at all of our fabrics options each season.  We have found several companies that specialize in Eco or Sustainable fabrics, ranging from recycled polyester to Hemp silk, to tissue weight organic cotton jersey.  The fabric converters still have limited options at this point. It is really supply and demand that will create newness in this arena. We've found a number of other companies that are more than willing to share information about their fabrics and other things relevant to what we're all doing.  This is a collaboration, so we are all trying to create change together.

GGN:  How does SUST ensure that the materials they use are eco-friendly, sustainably produced and the best for the environment and people?

MCKEE:  We do our homework to the best of our ability.  Of course, we rely on certifications from industry groups. Realistically, we have to work with people that we trust. We ask questions and we honestly try to use the best products, especially since they typically cost more than conventional fibers & fabrics.

GGN:  What do you do to live a ‘greener' life?

MCKEE:  Personally, I find living simply, using as what I need and not more is a great place to start being "green".  I also really like to reuse and repurpose things in my everyday life.  I prefer to shop in thrift stores and vintage stores.  Finding art, furniture, clothes etc... and giving them new life is not only fun but really the most sustainable way to go.  Of course I love buying food at local farmers markets.  I am particularly lucky because I live in Marin County and there are so many of these markets selling locally grown produce, cheese, seafood, tea, chocolate, bread etc...  So much great food comes from where I live.  A simple practice that my daughter's school introduced last year was the "garbage free lunch".  This has been great, because I've eliminated zip lock baggies completely from our life.  All the kids bring a lunch in little containers that we clean and reuse every day.  I don't need to buy the individual size yogurts or bags of chips or anything with extra packaging anymore.  It feels right.  Another thing about growing up in the Bay Area is that I was exposed to all kinds of conservation ideas from my schools and parents.  Water conservation, recycling, bike riding instead of driving were all things that have been part of my everyday life since childhood.  My father was really progressive in that regard, he was always into alternative ways of living long before it was fashionable.  He still rides his bike to work picking up soda cans on the way to take to the recycling center.  Currently, my husband and I are interested in putting some solar panels on our roof.  It is a goal that just has not been achieved yet.  Finally, I hope that SUST is playing a part in contributing to change as well. .  I do my best to be good and informed about how I can be more "green" I believe in being conscious of what we use and what we waste, it is really important to me.  I make an effort to be aware of social issues and of course the Green movement is a huge part of that.  

GGN:  Where can we buy SUST?

MCKEE:  We are fortunate to be carried in so many specialty boutiques around the country - Eco Citizen (SF), SUSTAIN (Charlottesville, VA), Vert & Vogue (Durham, NC), Arboretum (Healdsburg, CA), Fred Segal (Santa Monica, CA), Kaight (NYC), Shift (Hyannis, MA) and many, many more. We can't list everyone, we wish we could. Of course, you can find us online at:

shop.getsust.com

www.nimli.com

shop.moxsie.com

www.edressme.com

www.themarinstore.com

www.btcelements.com as well.

Jennifer Maclellan is the Senior Writer for the Green Guide Network. You can contact her at jennifer@greenguidenetwork.com.