NEW BRAND LIVARI CONVERTS INDUSTRY EXCESS INTO EMPOWERED FASHION at KIA STYLE360
FROM REMNANTS TO READY-TO-WEAR:
Zero Waste Label to Launch at Kia STYLE360 New York Fashion Week
NEW YORK, Aug 24, 2017 – New, zero waste fashion label LIVARI today announced the debut of its inaugural collection at New York Fashion Week on September 13, 2017.
A collaboration between Alysia Reiner (award winning actress from Orange is the New Black, and Better Things, and an environmental and feminist activist and producer), Claudine DeSola (celebrity stylist and founder of Caravan Stylist Studio) and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs (designer of Tabii Just and Women’s March organizer), LIVARI is a luxury fashion line that was created with the sole purpose of empowering women. It is zero waste, women-led, women-designed and made ethically in New York.
As passionate about great style as they are about living ethically, Reiner, DeSola and St. Bernard-Jacobs would often discuss their favorite wardrobe pieces and how empowering it felt to wear a beloved item that they looked great in, while lamenting the amount of waste and environmental stress some of their fashion favorites caused. Inspired by these conversations, the trio suspected that other women shared their point of view and that there was a potential market opportunity for beautifully designed garments created ethically. They assembled a diverse group of women from a range of industries - from teachers to business professionals, doctors to designers, and retirees to young moms - and simply listened to them. The community discussion and feedback became the touchstone inspiration for the collection’s design. Armed with the understanding that above all else, women want comfortable and beautiful clothing that they can feel good wearing and buying, the LIVARI team set out to create a collection that is thoughtful and intentional from sourcing to sales. “Manufacturing a typical garment produces an egregious amount of waste –up to 15% of the fabric used to make a garment is tossed out and can end up in landfills”, said Livari founders Reiner, DeSola and St. Bernard-Jacobs. “By using the remnants from mills and sourcing other unique and ethical materials, we’re able to create something beautiful and desirable out of what would normally be discarded as waste.”
To realize their vision, the team recruited top textile suppliers to provide luxurious fabrics with purpose. Nova Kaeru provided fish leather, an ethical alternative to traditional leather, Herbal Fab supplied biodegradable Bemberg material, and Oregonian artist Rio Wrenn hand-dyed silk and sueded cotton using rust for color. In support of the brand’s zero waste goals, Preview Textiles, Rainbow Leather, Lanificio Subalpino SRL and Two Sisters EcoTextiles supplied remnant fabric while Weaving Hand gathered all the scraps from the debut collection pieces and wove them together to create a new, repurposed fabric, in line with zero waste ideals.
Further reinforcing their commitment to creating a premium fashion brand with low environmental impact, LIVARI engaged carbon reduction organization Cool Effect. “Fashion is inherently a big polluter, however that shouldn’t prohibit the industry from being creatively sustainable,” said Marisa de Belloy, CEO of Cool Effect. “When we learned about LIVARI and its new eco-friendly fashion line, we knew there was an easy way for Cool Effect to get involved to help the line achieve net zero emissions. While LIVARI is busy ensuring the clothing is made from only responsible fabrics and materials, the partnership allows Cool Effect’s carbon reduction projects to enhance the hard work they are already doing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to cover LIVARI’s minimal carbon footprint for the garment production.”
LIVARI tapped Brother to illustrate their commitment to slowing fashion down. The average American throws away 68 pounds of clothing a year. Said LIVARI, “A key component of the slow fashion movement is to encourage women to invest in deeper, more personal relationships with their clothing. Brother facilitates this by making the process of mending and tailoring clothing easy and effortless for the home sewer.” “We are so excited to be working with Livari,” said Jim Price, Senior Director of Sales in the Home Appliance Division at Brother International Corporation. “Our partnership demonstrates the ongoing commitment Brother has to inspiring the next generation of sewers and emerging designers, and we are proud to stand behind them and their dreams.”
The LIVARI collection will come to life at a show hosted by IVY at Kia STYLE360 on Wednesday, September 13th at 7pm. IVY-The Social University, created to be a national community of entrepreneurs, artists, and innovative leaders, resonated with the LIVARI team because of their commitment to social impact programming. “IVY is excited to partner with LIVARI to offer its fashion enthusiast supporters an insider's experience at New York Fashion Week. We are proud advocates of LIVARI as the brand both aligns with IVY's Emerging Designer Program as well as its social impact division with its amazing mission to create eco-friendly, ethically sourced womenswear”, said Beri Meric, co-founder, IVY.
Adding to the excitement of the show, a squad of influential, ethical-minded models have been selected to walk the LIVARI runway. Special guest models include author and entrepreneur Summer Rayne Oakes, founder of Pretty Connected Lara Eurdolian, actress Nichole Galicia, activist Blair Imani, model and founder of ShortVersion.com Cleo Abram, and actress Christiane Seidel.
As a token of appreciation, LIVARI partnered with couture chocolatier, Patchi Chocolates to create a special gift item to commemorate the launch. Patchi’s Director of US Marketing and Communications, Katherine Von Haden, noted, “At Patchi, the chocolate gifting philosophy has been transmitted through generations. It guides us as we continuously strive to create a perfect harmony between the past and the present, between preserving our traditions and staying ahead of trends today. We feel that this same passion and artistry lives within LIVARI’s designs and we are thrilled to watch them inspire others.”
About Livari:
Livari is a zero waste womenswear label made ethically in New York. Livari disrupts industry norms with a community approach to design coupled with innovative shopping experiences that speak to the need for multi-functional clothing. The Livari woman is a consummate lover of thoughtful design.
About IVY: The Social University:
IVY: The Social University is a national community of entrepreneurs, artists, and innovative leaders. IVY sparks world-changing collaborations through 1,000 annual experiences featuring leading minds in entrepreneurship, art, policy and social impact. IVY community members enjoy access to a lifetime of new experiences, friendships, and opportunities. Over the past four years, the IVY audience has grown to 250,000 inspiring followers in seven cities across the nation including New York, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Miami. We unite rising leaders and introduce them to the most transformative people, ideas, and experiences in the world. Our mission is to spark world-changing collaborations, and start a 21st-century renaissance promoting human unity, progress, and fulfillment. To learn more, please visit us on IVY.com.
About Brother International Corporation www.brothersews.com:
Brother International Corporation has earned its reputation as a leading supplier of innovative products for the home sewing enthusiast. Through a growing network of sewing machine dealers and retail outlets nationwide, Brother offers a full line of home sewing machines, from basic to top-of-the-line sewing and embroidery machines. The company is recognized for its high-quality, state-of-the-art machines and accessories, offering ease of use and flexibility at affordable prices. Brother is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brother Industries Ltd. With worldwide sales approaching $5 billion, this global manufacturer was started almost 100 years ago by sewing fanatics. Brother offers a diversified product line that includes fax machines, Multi-Function Center® machines, P-touch® Labeling Systems and both color and mono laser printers for home, office and industry. Bridgewater, New Jersey is the corporate headquarters for Brother in the Americas, from Canada to South America. It has fully integrated sales, marketing services, manufacturing, research and development capabilities located in the U.S. In addition to its headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Brother has facilities in California, Illinois, and Tennessee, as well as subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina Peru and Mexico. For more information you can visit the website at www.brother.com. The Best Buy Seal and other licensed materials are registered certification marks and trademarks of Consumers Digest Communications, LLC, used under license. For award information, visit ConsumersDigest.com.
About Patchi:
Patchi knows that certain gifts simply stand out because of their exclusivity and quality- and this is embodied in their approach to gifting. They have the recipe for success and use their savoir-faire to offer chocolate pieces and impressive chocolate gifts that will leave a lasting impression. Superior design, handmade decorations, true craftsmanship, and attention to detail come together at their Ateliers, so you can express your gratitude and heighten your business relationships in elegance. Patchi’s #HeartMade vision of chocolate gifting is well established around the world. Over 185 unique boutiques can be found in more than 22 countries. The Middle East is Patchi’s home, and inevitably takes center stage, but the Patchi label of quality has also reached Europe, North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and now North America. For a complete introduction to the full Patchi collection, visit Patchi USA;s NEW website ePatchi.com/US.
ABOUT COOL EFFECT™
Cool Effect is a San Francisco Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit that allows individuals to create a tangible impact on climate change through a digital platform, providing consistent funding to the highest-quality carbon reducing projects around the world. Cool Effect was founded on the passionate belief that individual support of projects will create a cumulative effect that will reduce and prevent carbon pollution. Like the Butterfly Effect, The Ripple Effect, and others, a single action can have global impact. The organization's mission is to ignite planet sized change. To learn more, please visit cooleffect.org or follow Cool Effect on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About KIA STYLE360:
Kia STYLE360 is a leading fashion stage and tent pole of New York Fashion Week owned and produced by A-List Communications and Title Sponsored by Kia Motors USA. Each year, Kia STYLE360 hosts a curated selection of by invitation only fashion shows, which has included leading fashion brand designers like Rodarte, Rebecca Minkoff, Patricia Fields, and Alice & Olivia as well as serves as a launching pad for celebrity designers such as Avril Lavigne, Daisy Fuentes, the Kardashians, Serena Williams, Adam Levine, and Kristin Cavallari to name a few. Information key be found at www.stye360nyfw.com and social media handles @NYFWStyle360.