BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Farm-To-Closet: New York's Latest Fashion Startup Goes Old School

Following
This article is more than 9 years old.

From farm-to-table we've moved to farm-to-closet.

One-year-old startup, Zady.com is rethinking the way clothes are produced, spending more time on the farm, less time in the shop.

“We want to make products where they are made most beautifully,” says Maxine Bedat, co-founder of Zady, referring to the latest addition to the online boutique- a hand-knit woolen sweater from Oregon.

It marks the beginning of a private label for the Zady brand, which to date has curated pieces from artisans and small businesses around the US and Europe.  It’s fair to say that Zady isn’t just selling you a piece of clothing, but a story - a growing trend in e-commerce businesses.

This fall, Bedat and Darabi will fly to Oregon to meet the sheep for their new sweater.  The wool is sourced from Imperial Stock Ranch in Shaniko, Oregon, a town of just 37 people.  They picked the ranch not only for its wool but also its conservation techniques.  According to Bedat, commercial wool farmers, such as those in Australia, raise their sheep in arid weather.  To keep grazing pastures fertile and green, farmers need a constant supply of water - a massive strain given the local climate.

At Imperial Stock, rainwater is harvested and repurposed for irrigation (Shaniko only gets about 13 inches of rainfall a year).  Aside from recycled water, the ranch relies on grazing animals, which invigorate root development by constantly munching on the plants.

Though New York City residents today, Bedat, 32, and Darabi, 31, grew up outside the city.  As a child, Darabi recalls driving to Amish country to get clothes.  The two, actually, met in Minnesota in high school.  Darabi's mother was the dean of extension, which worked directly with the state's farms.  (Minnesota is dairy country.)

Thus, launching a private label that uses a natural fiber, and has a strong connection to the farm, was an extension of her values.

In fact, Darabi jokes that she’s not even that fashionable.  She's more of a techie.  Her career began in digital media, helping big brands such as Conde Nast and The New York Times figure out the then-emerging social media landscape.  Bedat, on the other hand, understands the supply side of fashion and having visited artisans in Zambia, Tajikistan, and Nepal, she’s as interested in the social impact of a business as its ROI.

Zady, she says, is not merely another tech venture or just an online storefront.  It’s about a grander vision of ethical fashion and a timely effort to tap into the growing movement of conscious consumerism, having customers rethink what they’re wearing.

“We're starting from a totally different start point -- the production side,” Darabi says. “Normally you're starting with the fashion.”

To fulfill their lofty mission of a sustainably-sourced brand, the two have laid down some basics of the business: notably, the company will not source from countries that have failed to enforce fair labor standards.  “Shadow factories,” Bedat says, pose a threat to even well-meaning businesses.  She’s referring to factories that present themselves as ethical and law-abiding during client visits, but in reality, they fail to uphold fair labor guidelines in their absence.  That’s why the bulk of Zady’s offerings come from the United States or Europe, she says, where it's easier to keep tabs on suppliers.

Zady is not a free-for-all, like Etsy.com, another artisan-centric site where anyone can sell an item.  Rather, Zady is part of the next wave of e-commerce businesses.  It's a curated boutique online.  Or as Bedat says, “We want to be a service.  It’s a destination.  We offer you a few pieces that you really want.”

They follow the “less is more” motto.  Hence, the prices may seem high to the average shopping mall customer.  The Milano leather bags, one of their hottest items, costs nearly $500 - in the same league as a designer luxury brand.   Yet, the two stand by the price tag, pointing to the craftsmanship that went into creating the leather totes.  They call it "price per wear."  Or "bang for your buck," but in long-run.

Darabi met with the mother-daughter (Donatella and Alice) team behind the aptly named leather brand, Alice.d in Italy.  “We actually know the family that makes the bags,” she says.

Zady opted for the leather bags because the company uses a chemical-free, vegetable-based process to tan the leather.  Tuscan leather comes from grass-fed cows, which have fewer stretch marks than force-fed cattle, often found in the US. “It’s worth it,” Darabi notes.

Essentially, Zady has a minimalistic philosophy, popular with Millennials: buy less, buy something everlasting, and wear classic pieces that go beyond trends.

That’s why a knit, Darabi and Bedat say, was the ideal starting point for the signature Zady brand.  “Knit is the basis of a wardrobe,” Bedat says.  And, if done well, can easily survive winter trends on the runway.

The wool from Oregon will travel to Jamestown, South Carolina for treatment, before being shipped to Philadelphia for dyeing at GJ Littlewood & Sons, a 130-year-old establishment.  Finally, it’ll head back west to Southern California where the sweater will be manufactured.  With all the trans-atlantic shipping, it’s an entirely American affair, an exercise that Darabi and Bedat hope will teach them the realities (and challenges) of manufacturing in the United States.

The sweater is scheduled to debut this November on their online shop.

Last Christmas, Zady delivered holiday packages on Vespas, a serendipitous partnership, says Darabi, which came from her trip to Italy to meet Alice and Donatella.   Enamored by Piaggo's old-fashioned approach to manufacturing Vespas (still done largely in Italy), Darabi visited one of their production plants.  Piaggo's approach resonated with Zady's values, she says, and a quirky partnership emerged: Piaggo delivered last-minute Zady orders in New York City on the classic Italian scooter.  Santa on a scooter, she laughs.

"It didn't feed ROI.  We just wanted to delight our customers," she says.  "It's not always for the bottom line."