SUSTAINABLE FASHION: INTERVIEW WITH SO GOOD TO WEAR

Sustainable fashion that has mindful design at its core remains one of the main pillars at The Collaborative Store. We are so proud to have found and partnered with one of the best premium cashmere brands out there, So Good To Wear, who make ethical and sustainable practices their main goal; placing people, animals and traditions at the core of their business while producing quality, lasting and beautiful designs! So Good To Wear is a cooperation of entrepreneurs, farmers, spinners and weavers based in Nepal; as well as activist entrepreneurs, sustainable luxury lovers and passionate designers, knitting nerds in the Netherlands. All profits of the company are reinvested or spent on improving the living conditions in Nepal, one of the poorest countries of Asia. Here we delve into the conversation with one of its co-founders, Jacqui Burger, to discuss all the facets of sustainably made fashion and why the brand decided to base their production and goat farm in Nepal.

- What has motivated you to start So Good To Wear? and what is the philosophy behind the brand?

During a visit to Nepal, we were so impressed by the beauty of the mountain-region. We discovered that behind the beauty there was a tragedy, there was no economic perspective and the people were seduced to work in Dubai or India, under very poor conditions. We wanted to see if we could help to create a safe and rewarding economic perspective, without harming the amazing ecosystem. We found out that there used to be a thriving cashmere market, but it was now all dominated by China and India. We decided to investigate if we could bring this old tradition back to life, combined with the latest insights on animal welfare and eco-restoration. This was 2014. In 2015, the region was hit by a tremendous earthquake, which made it more urgent. And this is how we begun. Currently we have a devoted team in the Netherlands and in Nepal. 

- So Good To Wear is a very quality-focused brand. Can you tell us about the characteristics of your cashmere and how it is sourced?

We started out by sourcing animal-friendly and fairly produced wool from China. Since we could not investigate the source with our own team, we soon decided to work towards gaining control over the whole chain, from the goat to consumer. We embarked on a new adventure, we started to breed our own breed of cashmere goats, by crossing top cashmere bucks from Austalia with a local breed, in order to get a climate resilient breed, with top quality cashmere. It will take us 6 years to be able to produce all items from our own wool. We have started spinning workshops in the mountain region. 

- What we love about So Good To Wear is that you place a big emphasis on sustainability. Could you tell us more about your ethical values?

We strongly believe in adding value, in a holistic sense. In our minds products are beautiful when they are made with love, with respect for every aspect of the chain, from animal to consumer. We also believe in slow fashion, creating wardrobe investments that you can treasure for a long time. That is why we place high standards not only in Nepal, but also in the Western countries where our items are sold. We are not there yet, but we keep improving. We recently concluded a succesful pilot with the packaging, and we hope to present beautiful waxpaper packaging, that is useful to keep our items safe, but can also serve our custormers as wastebins or laundrybags. 




- The knitting process leaves no waste making So Good To Wear an environment-friendly company. What future do you see for sustainable fashion?

We think sustainable is rapidly becoming the new normal. We think the days of care-free, thoughtless consuming without a conscience, fast fashion and waste are numbered. 

- Can you let us in your creative process? What is the process of designing a new capsule range? 

We have decided to move away from introducing many new styles every season, but to steer into a direction of even smaller range of timeless quality pieces that anyone would like to have in their wardrobe. We are currently working on perfecting several of our never out of stock items. We will introduce only a few new items in a very limited edition every season. 

- Cashmere is considered to be a winter wardrobe essential. Do you believe cashmere is seasonal? 

Cashmere is so wonderful because of the isolating capacity. We wear it year round, in winter it keeps you warm and in summer it breathes and can keep you cool. We are investigating the possibility to make summer blends, with natural materials such as linen or hemp. 

- What would be a dream project or a collaboration?

We recenty had a collaboration with Orange Babies, a foundation that provides pregnant women with HIV in Africa with medication, so the babies are born aids-free. We believe clothes can change the world, and we will surely do more collaboraions like this to combine great items with an important message. From a personal perspective: I would love to work with the best parka-designer to create a gorgeous all-weather coat that makes you look stunning, under the rain and snow proof on the outside with a cashmere lining on the inside ;-)
Discover beautiful, luxurious and easily some of the softest cashmere on the market So Good To Wear designs here...100% Ethical, 100% Animal friendly, 100% Fair trade.