Stewart+ Brown

Stewart+Brown is one of the pioneers of the green fashion industry. How has the brand changed since you started it?

Howard: Well, Karen's pregnant for the second time, so nothing has changed: She was about as pregnant as she is now when we first started and were marching around with samples. But no, everything has changed. There are physical changes and then there are product evolutions. We are no longer working two jobs, and we're no longer working out of our house. I'm not packing every order and shipping it out of our garage. We spent the first three years working like that. And the collection has evolved tremendously. When we started, we had graphic and solid tees and bags in our first collection. We incorporated cashmere and French terry into the second collection. Now we have a full ready-to-wear collection. But we haven't wavered from our mission or message of working toward sustainability. Everything we make has a sustainable story. Karen: When we entered the market, the jeanswear boom was a phenomenon. And the market was much more casual and sportier, so our angle was to come in and be a good complement to jeans. Since then, the market has evolved and our line has gotten more diverse in that we have both a casual side and a more dressy side of the line. People in general, even outside of sustainable fashion, are wearing more outfits and are dressing up more than before, even if they are wearing jeans. Even though we don't follow trends, we are aware of them. We're on our own path, but we're following the market at the same time.

How did you first become aware of the options for producing sustainable clothing?

Howard: Through Patagonia, we first became aware that designers could make desirable products out of organic materials and have an understanding of environmental issues in clothing manufacturing. We were outdoors enthusiasts and wore a lot of their clothing. They were using organic cotton by '93 or '94. We're conservationists and through our love of nature and a fondness for Patagonia products and what they stood for, we felt like that element was missing from the fashion industry, where we were working at the time. So we thought, if Patagonia can do it with outdoor clothing, why can't someone do it in fashion? And no one was doing it in fashion—I mean no one. After 9/11, which is both our anniversary and the date our company was incorporated, we said, 'Okay, now the world will be ready for this because everything is different. Now people will get it.' Like so many other people, we were embued with a sense of purpose. It was our dream, and we didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. We felt compelled to try to fix some of the massive problems in the world and this is the only thing we know how to do.

Do you have any eco-sins?

Howard: Diet Pepsi. I drink one a day, though it's becoming a lot tougher since reading Omnivore’s Dilemma. We're far from perfect. We don't live a rigid lifestyle, nor do we preach a rigid lifestyle. Karen: You have to be a realist. We choose organic at the grocery store, but you can't get bogged down by all of it. You have to avoid becoming obsessed by what's around you because it can be stifling.

Where do you find your inspiration? What types of things do you surround yourself with on a daily basis in your workspace?

Karen: The first thing is that the office is considered more of a studio than a traditional office. There aren't desks lined up in a row. Plus, w'’re two blocks from the ocean, so there's beauty all around us. Howard: We've got a team of 13 employees who are amazing and energetic. And out of those 13, nine have fine art degrees, so there's a lot of creativity here. Right now, we're doing a draft for a fashion show that's raising money for breast cancer awareness in partnership with Think. The show is called the thinkVitality Fashion Show and we're making a dress out of nutrition-bar wrappers. So in the middle of our open-space studio are mannequins with nutrition-bar wrappers draped on them. We also have all of the idea boards for the fall collection, so one huge wall is covered with sketches and swatches and magazine tears, so there's inspiration everywhere.

Do you have a product or initiative that you're most proud of?

Howard: I'm stoked about our yak program for fall '08. It's the first time we've used the fiber, which we're getting from a co-op in Tibet. It's been fun to design with the fiber and to come up with a concept that relates back to the animal. It's between cashmere and merino in feeling and price. It comes from a Himalayan cow, which are a whole lot bigger than cashmere goats, which are tiny. Karen: Howard's also obsessed with hemp. It's becoming more versatile than it's been, and they're finding environmentally friendly ways to soften and blend it. And it's better than organic cotton, so we're excited to use it more.

You are known for using only the highest quality Mongolian cashmere, produced by herders in very remote regions. Does interacting with their culture impact your production schedules?

Karen: They are a lot faster. All of our products are fair trade, and they work realistic hours, but they focus and get the job done instead of wavering. We're in a very interesting position there because we're working out of a design lab, rather than a big factory. In factories, you get wait-listed by how high of a priority you are, but we don't get sidebarred by anyone, so it's a much more direct channel. Howard: I'm knocking on wood because I don't want to jinx myself by saying this, but most times we can get things faster from Mongolia than from LA.

If someone wanted to start incorporating green tips into their life, what would you tell them to start with in terms of clothing?

Howard: T-shirts, because everyone wears them and the cost isn't as great. Then after that, cashmere, because it's the best fiber in the world and it holds its value over time. Once you develop a taste for cashmere, it's pretty tough to substitute for it. It's a luxury, but it's definitely the best. Karen: Cashmere really gets better as time goes on. From a fiber perspective, it's really more like human hair and it should be treated the same. Dry cleaning will break down the fibers and make it brittle, but shampoo and conditioner will fluff it out and soften it. I like to use Aveda Shampure on mine because it smells amazing. It's a big investment, but the more you wash and wear it, the softer it gets. Howard: Don't wash in hot water and then put it into a hot dryer! Cashmere only shrinks in hot water. If you take care of your cashmere—the good stuff, not the cheap stuff that's flooding the market—it will last you forever, If you're going to store your sweater, wash it first, and lay it flat to dry before wrapping it in either a breathable plastic or cotton bag with cedar chips or lavender. Moths are attracted to body oil, so if you sweat and fold it up, it could attract moths, which will lay their eggs and eat the fibers.

Since you are married, and are also business partners, do you ever have difficulties separating your work and home life?

Howard: We don't. It's impossible. Sometimes the last words I say to Karen before falling asleep is to ask her what's going on with samples. Karen: Then I tell him not to ask me so close to bedtime. You know, we could pretend it shuts down, but it doesn't. We travel together a lot for work so we're on a 24-hour clock. But we'e building this thing together and the achievements along the way are very inspiring and they are enough to keep us going. Our business is our life and our life is our business. Howard: And we wouldn't have it any other way. Karen: Our 5-year-old daughter Hazel comes here after preschool and starts dressing the mannequins. She probably thinks this is what every 5-year-old does.