INTERVIEW: FITE FASHION ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY + ETHICAL PRACTICES FOR DESIGN
Fite Fashion is based out of Philadelphia, PA and was founded in 2018 by Michelle and Thomas Fite, but their journey to create a sustainable fashion business started long before then. For well over a decade, Michelle has been honing her design, patterning and sewing skills to fulfill her dream of launching a clothing line that does not compromise sustainable and ethical practices for design.
”The fashion industry is guilty of extreme wastefulness, pollution and exploitation of labor. Fabric scraps from the factory floor more often than not end up in a landfill. Harsh chemical dyes can make their way into streams and groundwater, poisoning ecosystems. Sweatshop labor practices abound in the world of fast fashion, a race to the bottom to make clothing cheap and disposable as possible. Every garment we sell is made to order in Philadelphia by people who are paid fairly. We source the most sustainable fabrics available, and focus on fabrics that are produced with clean dyeing techniques and non-exploitative labor.”
Michelle understands that “the eye buys” and in order for sustainable choices to compete, they must first be visually stunning. Too often the term “sustainable fashion” brings up images of drab fabrics, frumpy designs, and muted colors. We want you to fall in love with a design because it makes you look beautiful and feel amazing, with the added bonus of knowing that you’re helping fight fast fashion.
How does your label position itself on the international market?
Shipping is available worldwide on my online store, but I am currently focused on the US market because that’s where I’m based. I intend to show in Paris next fall and I would love to collaborate more with international publications.
How the label was born and where we can find it exactly?
The brand was born out of a desire to combine my concern for ethical and environmental issues and my love of all things fine art and fashion. I currently have a website, www.fitefashion.com, where customers can contact me and purchase made to order items. I’m working to create sections such as one of a kind and one of a few ready to wear based on the designer deadstock materials that I have available, small batches of my more basic core garments and bridal. I recently started selling at the Flying Solo boutique in Soho and I am emphasizing my ready to wear and limited edition dead stock items on their rack. I also have pieces in their Copper Room section which is their PR showroom so if you’re a stylist, photographer or other industry insider you can request several of my most formal, editorial style pieces for events and publications. I’m planning to book pop up events in the future and I will eventually sell locally in Philadelphia.
What do you think was the biggest challenge for you during the pandemic situation?
I create semi formal and formal wear, so garments that are meant for special occasions and events. For me, having events cancelled like galas, big company parties, cocktail parties in public places and even homes when I was starting to build and do PR shut me down essentially. I basically had to start over with trying to build brand awareness and product development.
How do you want to achieve the long-lasting concept for your label?
I want to be known for timeless and elegant couture pieces that make my customer feel her absolute best and I want her to trust that every garment is produced ethically and as sustainably as possible.
How do you determine what is durable design?
At this point I have enough experience with materials to know what fabrics, closures, notions etc. are quality and those are the only things that I purchase. I also do not cut corners when it comes to quality construction. I choose whatever sewing techniques are the best for each part of the construction, if something simply needs to be reinforced or hand stitched that’s what I do. Sure, my fingers hurt from hand sewing sometimes and it takes longer to underline a garment in organza or batiste but if it’s necessary for quality and beauty then it’s worth it and justifies my price point.
What happens to those pieces that didn’t get sold?
At the moment everything on my website is made to order so this isn’t an issue for me. I started small batch production recently but I will never mass produce and I will implement a circularity program as soon as I can. Customers will be able to send used or damaged pieces back to me for repair or recycling to keep them out of the landfill.
How far do you go in terms of sustainability?
I recognize that sustainability is a multi faceted issue and I act accordingly knowing that there is always room for improvement. Every garment starts with design and sourcing so this is where I start to consider my environmental impact. I only source high quality fabrics that are suitable for each type of garment. Sometimes these fabrics are conventionally made and dyed which isn’t ideal but I only order what I need and I make sure that each piece is well made, meant to be reworn and is either made to order or as a small batch. I only use higher impact items like leather, sequins or any other synthetic if it is designer deadstock or remnants that I am diverting from the waste stream. These deadstock pieces are sourced from places like Fabscrap or Etsy. I do not purchase any “virgin” synthetics. My lining is special because it is Cupro, a cotton seed by-product created via a partnership between Bemberg and Asahi Kasei. It is low impact, breathable, biodegradable and not the typical petroleum based rayons and poly blends that the majority of brands use for woven linings.
I design in order to minimize waste by creating pieces that let me maximize my yardage layout so that there is less leftover in the first place. Whatever is not part of a garment is sorted into containers based on size. These will become clutches, bustiers and embellishments. Whatever is truly too small to sew is sorted into bags that I take to Fabscrap where it will be sent to a shredder who makes shoddy for things like insulation.
I also maximize sustainability within design by making sure that I emphasize separates within the collection. Increasing versatility increases wearability and makes an item more valuable to the customer therefore less likely to be tossed after being worn once or twice.
I also pay attention to garment fit so that it is less likely to be returned. Return culture is inherently unsustainable. It requires driving or shipping an item repeatedly which uses fossil fuels and most brands don’t actually have the capacity to deal with more than a few returns so tons of new garments end up in the landfill! My strategy is to make beautiful high quality things that fit well and are very versatile because loved clothes last!
I also use plastic free packaging with high post consumer recycled content and lower impact dyes so that my customers can easily recycle or reuse it. Finally, I will implement a buyback program to increase circularity. Once an item is worn out a customer will be able to print out a shipping label and send it back to me. I will then inspect it, determine what I can salvage and issue store credit.
Where could you serve as a role model for others?
I want to be a role model to others for my commitment to sustainable practices. I want to be a leader when it comes to ethical production and I take my responsibility to people and the planet very seriously. I want to call out large brands who only pay lip-service to sustainable practices. Greenwashing is a very serious problem and large brands that are guilty of it make it even harder for the sustainability efforts of smaller brands like mine to be taken seriously. I am grateful that organizations like Good On You independently research and verify the sustainability claims of large brands.
Can you tell us a little bit about your references for the last collection?
The shapes are a combination of natural forms, Zaha Hadid’s architecture, origami and marble sculptures and my colors are based on orchids though the collection is very heavy on white right now because it maximizes the effect of light and shadow on the shapes which makes the garments photograph more effectively.
Which was the best-selling garment from your collections?
I’d say that my emerald bow gown is my most popular piece. This gown is made from silk wool remnants from my other designs used to create a cascading bow train. The bows are designed using various scales to maximize the amount of waste that can be reused for this garment. Just from looking at the gown you wouldn’t know that it is constructed from fabric that would have otherwise gone to waste,
What your label needs right now as a fine art brand in order to achieve the next goals?
Honestly, marketing. It’s been nearly impossible to effectively reach my target customer and it doesn’t matter how amazing someone’s work is if no one knows who they are. Business requires sales and it is hard to achieve sales without effective marketing.
Which market are you interested in right now for your brand?
High fashion and couture. I’m very interested in bringing sustainable and ethical principles to the major runways and fashion magazines to break out of the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding sustainable brands. Many brands are doing a great job of creating responsible basics for the beach, gym and everyday uses but there is a difference between clothing and fashion and customers need to have a whole spectrum of responsible choices including high fashion, bridal and couture.
ABOUT FITE FASHION
Sustainability
We recognize that sustainability is a multi faceted issue and we act accordingly knowing that there is always room for improvement.
Sourcing and Design
Every garment starts with design and sourcing so this is where we start to consider our environmental impact. We only source high quality fabrics that are suitable for each type of garment and we choose fair trade, certified organic and low impact dyes whenever possible. Sometimes these fabrics are conventionally made and dyed which isn’t ideal but we only order what we need and we make sure that each piece is well made, meant to be reworn and is either made to order or as a small batch. Mass production of anything, even the most organic, naturally dyed, low impact items, is inherently unsustainable and high quality items that can be worn repeatedly without falling apart are always the best choice. We only use higher impact items like leather, sequins or any other synthetic if it is designer deadstock or remnants that we are diverting from the waste stream. These deadstock pieces are sourced from places like FABSCRAP or Etsy. We do not purchase any “virgin” synthetics.
Our lining is special because it is Cupro, a cotton seed by-product created via a partnership between Bemberg and Asahi Kasei. It is low impact, breathable, biodegradable and not the typical petroleum based rayons and poly blends that the majority of brands use for woven linings.
Waste Management
We design in order to minimize waste by creating pieces that let us maximize our yardage layout so that there is less leftover in the first place. Whatever is not part of a garment is sorted into containers based on size. These will become clutches, bustiers and embellishments. Whatever is truly too small to sew is sorted into bags that we take to FABSCRAPwhere it will be sent to a shredder who makes shoddy for things like insulation.
We maximize sustainability within design by emphasizing separates within the collection. Increasing versatility increases wearability and makes an item more valuable to the customer therefore less likely to be tossed after being worn once or twice. Our strategy is to make beautiful high quality things that fit well and are very versatile because loved clothes last!
We pay attention to garment fit so that it is less likely to be returned. Return culture is inherently unsustainable. It requires driving or shipping an item repeatedly which uses packaging and fossil fuels and most brands don’t actually have the capacity to deal with more than a few returns so tons of new garments end up in the landfill!
Most people don’t know that when they clean out their closets and donate used clothing to local drop off points that they may not end up for resale in this country or anywhere else. Cargo ships full of baled, donated clothing are often sent from the global north to the global south where they may be piled up waiting for local bidders or sorted through and then trashed. This doesn’t minimize textile waste and has the added impact of the diesel fuels used to power a giant ship for thousands of miles.
Packaging
We only use plastic free packaging with high post consumer recycled content and lower impact dyes so that our customers can easily recycle or reuse it. We order from companies like EcoEnclose for boxes and stickers and noissue for our recycled tissue paper.
Circularity
We understand that most people don’t have experience with basic maintenance or mending of high end garments in specialty fabrics. We don’t want that to either be a barrier to purchase or to cause an item to sit in a closet or be tossed when it just needs a little love from someone with relevant experience so we want to help customers extend the life of their loved item.
To accomplish this, we will implement a buyback program to increase circularity. Once an item is worn out a customer will be able to print out a shipping label and send it back to us. We will then inspect it, determine what we can salvage and issue store credit. We will also encourage customers to send items back for repair if they don’t have any local options.
We do not use new or reused fur in any of our designs. If we ever use faux fur it will be deadstock or some of the new plant based fabrications. We only use leather that is deadstock, thrifted or remnants from other designers, never new. We plan to add new vegan leathers in the future that are plant based and derived from things like pineapple waste fibers and apple peels. Sign up for our email list if you’d like to receive updates on FITE FASHION new items.
