INTERVIEW #8 MAYLA
“The last few years I’ve been focusing on making the production sustainable and turning Mayla into a 100% vegan brand”
What is Mayla and why did you start?
Mayla is a womenswear brand for stylish and conscious women. When I started Mayla 10 years ago I wanted to make clothes that me and my friends would wear. Easy, stylish and affordable. The last few years I’ve been focusing on making the production sustainable and turning Mayla into a 100% vegan brand. However, we have always been a slow fashion brand with small collections and timeless peices. The costumers like that we have become more sustainable. Some got a bit worried when we stopped using silk but when we showed them the new material they didn’t notice much difference. We put much effort into sourcing traceable and sustainable ECOVERO and ENKA materials that look and feel like silk. Silk, as it turns out, is one of the most damaging materials for the environment.
What is your sustainability profile?
“We are a PETA certified brand committed not to use any animal fibers in our materials.”
We put animals, people and the environment in the forefront of everything we do. From 2020 we are a PETA certified brand committed not to use any animal fibers in our materials. PETA is the world’s largest animal rights organisation, https://www.peta.org and they are committed to spread awareness how the animals are treated not only in the fashion industry.
How are the products produced?
Producing textile materials is the most damaging part of the fashion industry so we decided to only source sustainable materials. We work with HIGG material sustainability index https://apparelcoalition.org/higg-msi/ to measure the environmental impact of each material. As it turns out, the materials containing animal fibers have the highest impact mainly because of farming. At the moment we’re working with organic cotton, Ecovero, ENKA, Refibra, Tencel and recycled polyester. We also use deadstock, which is material that already exists. It could be leftovers from other designers or fabric warehouses.
We’re in a process moving our production from China to Europe, mainly Portugal. We want to bring the production closer with shorter deliveries and better control of the worker’s rights. We have our own Code of Conduct that the factories have to follow and it’s based on the UN human rights.
What has been/and is the major challenges?
Sourcing materials and new factories. It’s hard finding sustainable and traceable materials in the right quantity to the right price. It’s also hard sourcing factories with a high-level of craftmanship accepting small volumes to a reasonable price.
What has been/is the largest gains (in any means, financial, spiritual)?
“In the start I thought we were too small to make a difference, but pushing the factories for certificates and sustainable materials means they can offer it to their other large customers as well.”
The largest gain has been our sustainability work. It has given me and the team a higher purpose. In the start I thought we were too small to make a difference, but pushing the factories for certificates and sustainable materials means they can offer it to their other large customers as well.
I also love that I can work with my hobby.
What do you think needs to change now in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
Fast fashion needs to end. It’s not a sustainable business model. I think it’s important to remember that somebody always pays. If it’s not you, it’s the environment, the animal or the exploited worker. Customers need to understand what things actually cost to produce. If the prices go up, you buy less. If it’s more expensive, you will consider your purchase more. With Corona, the industry has stopped for a while. Even the large brands understand they can’t do business-as-usual anymore. Everything needs to slow down. At Mayla we only do two collections a year, there’s no need for more. I believe something good will come out from this crisis eventually.
“Greenwashing is when you promote a small “sustainable action” and still continue business-as-usual.”
What do you believe is “greenwashing” and what can producers and consumers do to avoid it?
Greenwashing is when you promote a small “sustainable action” and still continue business-as-usual. One sustainable style doesn’t make up for 150 unsustainable styles. Sustainability has to be integrated in every decision you make coming from the top of the company. Jeans have a high climate and environmental impact when produced in the traditional way. There are other ways to produce jeans and why not change it for the better? Our jeans are produced in a factory in Turkey and the jeans are both labelled fair trade and organic and the method which they are produced uses very little water.
What would you advice consumers to do who seeks to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
Do an inventory of your closet and clean out everything you don’t use. Give those items away or sell it.
Identify what you need to complete your closet. Are you lacking jeans, blazers or shirts? It’s about making use of those key-items you already have.
If and when you buy something new, make sure it adds value to your closet. Don’t buy more of what you already have. Add something that is easy to combine and helps to create a new look. Make sure that it is produced in a sustainable way. Jeans is something you can wear for many years when you find the right shape.
Shop vintage! In that way you can find special pieces, something that is unic and that you love.