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Sustainable fashion can be a confusing space to navigate. What does it really mean? Is it organic materials, locally made, fair trade? No one brand can do it all nor has all the answers, and that’s ok as long as we are all keeping true to our values. And constantly learning and improving.
We have had a lot of questions about our sustainable practices and want to let you know about our central focus and areas in which we are expanding our offerings.
For us at Symbology, sustainability is about empowering women, creating jobs for artisans and preserving culture. Putting handmade art forms like block printing and hand embroidery —that are in danger of becoming obsolete by fast fashion—at the front and center of our designs. It’s about empowering women—providing training, livable wages and sustained income for our artisan partners in India. Sustainability for us is using high quality, plant-based fabrics like modal (which feels like silk but is also 100% vegan) and ASO free dyes.
We are constantly experimenting with new sustainable materials to put planet and people first. We would love to use more expensive fabrics like aloe vera and tencel but they are really expensive. Add the additional cost of hand printing and you have a dress that’s around double the cost of what we currently offer. Keeping our prices reasonable for you--while still offering a beautifully handcrafted piece--is important as we want sustainable fashion to be a democratic movement that all women can participate in.
We love getting ideas and feedback from you to help us create the best clothing that suits you and your values. We have learned so much from you, and that’s something we are so grateful for.