Materials & Sustainability

I aim to make high quality, beautiful, comfortable lingerie while minimizing negative impact on people and the planet in the process. Here's what I mean by that:

Materials Sourcing:

Organic Cotton I use two Organic Cotton fabrics: a thick, stretchy 90% Organic Cotton 10% Lycra knit blend, and a lighter weight 100% Organic Cotton knit. Despite the fact that it incorporates a synthetic stretch fiber, I choose to use the blended organic cotton because it creates a more durable item that retains it’s shape better and provides a level of support that is unmatched. 

Deadstock laces, mesh, and other synthetics  These materials are surplus fabrics from the apparel industry, generally from larger brands and mills at the end of their production cycles.  I work directly with a handful of fabric buyers who purchase excess stock from factories and mills and then resell them to smaller operations like mine.  This gives me the opportunity to source some of the best laces on the market despite my small size, and to make sure that those materials are sewn into something beautiful instead of winding up in a landfill.  Even sourcing deadstock, there are serious environmental impacts to using synthetic fibers, and I hope that the industry will continue to develop more responsible, natural alternatives to these materials.  I’ll be first in line when they do.

Elastics My elastics are one of the few synthetic materials that I buy new, because deadstock sourcing resulted in an unacceptably inconsistent quality, which in turn impacted the durability and quality of my finished product.  My elastic comes from two sources: one company based and manufactured in Italy, and the other a Japanese company that manufactures in Japan and China.

Packaging supplies I use minimal packaging materials for my shipping.  All pieces are wrapped in simple tissue paper and mailed in small paper apparel mailers.  Both the tissue paper and the mailer are made from 100% recycled paper that is recyclable, biodegradable, and manufactured in the United States.

Production:

VAVA items are made to order, reducing waste from over-production by only cutting and sewing pieces after they have a home.  Scrap pieces are either used in one of a kind and limited edition designs, or used to stuff cushions, so that no scrap fabric is sent to a landfill.

There is, however, no “sustainable” way to produce clothing on the scale that we have been.  Above all, my commitment to sustainability is expressed in a commitment to quality and personalized service.

And...

I’m also keenly aware that there is no way to participate in our complex and muddled economy and completely avoid adding to it’s negative impact.  As a small way to try to offset this impact and to contribute to the building of a better world, VAVA reinvests a minimum of 10% of profits in projects and organizations that are aligned with my values.  You can learn more about that here.

If you've read this far, thank you.  Thank you for caring about where your things come from and for taking the time to investigate and learn more.  I really believe that transparency and the open exchange of information is key in creating a less fucked world.  If you have any questions that you didn't find answers to here, please don't hesitate to contact me.