INTERVIEW #98 CAALO
Based in: New York City
Founded in: 2019
Founded by: Jordan and Chelsea Claridge
Stores: Shipping worldwide from www.caalo.studio
Price range: €498 – €2020 ($490- $1,990 USD)
Instagram: @caalostudio
CAALO. Welcome to A Sustainable Closet! Tell us about your wonderful brand and why you started.
We are a luxury sustainable outerwear brand based in, and producing out of New York City. We combine classic tailoring with technical fabrics and non-traditional concepts to create pieces that are transformable, trans-seasonal and non-gender specific. The brand was created from the idea that technical outerwear could be beautiful and modern, but also sustainable and modular.
Part of our core ethos is doing more with less. We create pieces that are meant to be worn in up to 5 different ways allowing the customer more freedom to adapt their wardrobe to the changing seasons. Our modular pieces are created with a purpose and we hope that by offering multiple looks in one garment that will last a lifetime, we can keep more garments out of landfills.
What does the name CAALO mean, and how did you come up with it?
We came up with the name from a visual perspective. We liked the way the letters looked together and the name was born from there. The coordinates are from the ski mountain my grandparents lived on in Canada and where I’d spend a lot of time as a kid.
Who is the talented designer behind these magical pieces?
We design everything ourselves and I (Chelsea) am the Creative Director.
Which is your best-selling product?
Our bestselling raincoat is our Sustainable Water-resistant Trench Coat and our bestselling down coat is our Sustainable Reversible Down Coat. Both are water-resistant, modular, and sustainably produced in NYC.
We are curious about where the products are being produced, spill the beans!
We’ve made a conscious decision to only partner with sustainable factories that are both socially responsible and committed to paying their workers a living wage. This has been true since day 1 of the brand. All our pieces are sustainably and ethically made in small runs in New York City’s Garment District. We also use the leftover fabrics from our collection to create accessories like our Satin Down Muff Scarf, and Sustainable Down Bucket Hat. A core question we ask ourselves in any decision is “does this help or hinder the planet”.
Where is the material being sourced from?
Quality and longevity are very important to us. We source from Japan, Korea, and Italy as they are the leaders in technical fabrics that are very high quality and innovative. Our collections are made from recycled, dead-stock or stock fabrics and many of them are water-resistant. All of our down is OEKO-TEX Class 1 and RDS certified while being sustainably sourced from Italy as a byproduct of the food industry.
Who is the typical CAALO customer?
They are someone that values design, craftsmanship, quality and function. We make garments for those that don’t want to compromise aesthetics for warmth and function but also want to know that their clothes were made in an ethical and sustainable way.
Where do you find inspiration for these timeless but edgy creations?
Inspiration comes from everywhere! From walking down a busy street to being immersed in nature; the colours, shapes, and textures. I’m constantly writing and sketching down ideas.
What have been and are the major challenges of starting your own business?
Wearing many hats and not having a large budget to execute all your ideas. The majority of my days are spent on logistics, production, and sales and only a tiny amount is spent on the actual design. I would love to spend all of it on design.
What has been and is the largest gain?
Being able to go after my dreams and have my creations be out in the world. It’s so amazing to see a friend or stranger walking down the street in CAALO. To receive messages about how our coat is their absolute favourite and that they wear it all the time, that means the world to me.
What's up next?
Lots of exciting things in the works. Some we can’t mention yet. We’ll post updates, so follow along on our journey on Instagram @caalostudio
