I have always dreamt of having a business with a purpose.
When I was a kid, I had a huge binder full of sketches of dresses, shoes, and outfits. With the imagination only a small human can muster, I would lay on the living room floor and design fluffy coats for dogs that protected them from the rain and snow, enormous sun hats to keep the wearer from getting too hot, and full maxi dresses in red plaid with extra large pockets to hold all the things you may need. As I got older, I stopped creating such fantastical designs, but continued with my passion for purposeful design.
My dad owned a screen printing business when I was very young. He still has a picture of me sitting on the garage floor, pretending to print by pulling a squeegee across a tiny empty screen. I helped with various aspects of this business until he sold it in 2017. I learned a lot while working for him, and in the jobs I’ve held since (all in the decorated apparel industry).
In 2019 I started kwindie as a way to bridge the gap between my friends and family, and the quality decorated apparel they needed for their groups and events (a void left when my father’s business sold).
The one thing I’ve found while working this long in the apparel industry is that it’s incredibly wasteful.
There aren’t a lot of people or companies looking into making things more efficient, as far as I can tell. There isn’t much profit in that yet.
That is what I hope to change.
First and most importantly, I’ve started offering quotes for recycled apparel along with any quotes I send for conventional apparel options customers have requested. There are a lot of really great options out there, and while some customers don’t want to pay the little bit extra for the more sustainable option, many do!
Next, I’ve started my Leafe concept (see my Etsy shop here).
All Leafe items in my shop are at least 40% recycled, and 15% of profits are donated to environmental organizations. Everything in my shop is made to order, which reduces the potential waste of bulk printing and fulfilment. I believe a slightly longer delivery time is worth the sacrifice, if it means less material enters our landfills. For more details on this, go to: kwindie.com/leafe
The goal of these practices and systems is to drive demand for recycled plastic, and give larger apparel companies a reason to find profit within more sustainable products.
I am also moving my business to a more sustainable model as a whole as well, and reducing my footprint as much as possible as a business owner. It’s surprising how many things contribute to climate change, even within my tiny, online-only presence. I’ll make a separate post on that soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Please take an opportunity to share my website and Etsy shop with your friends, as every sale not only helps my business to grow, but also shows the apparel industry that people want more sustainable options available to all people.