Exciting things are in the pipeline for fashion designer Sofia Sanchez. At the age of 25, Sanchez began a journey of utilizing leftover fabrics and founded her own brand with a focus on sustainable lingerie.
Sustainability is of increasing importance to consumers and designers alike. Campaigns such as Oxfam’s #SecondHandSeptember are overt evidence of this. A movement that Sanchez stood in solidarity with by showcasing her upcycled garments to customers alongside educative reminders to shop mindfully.
Olivia Peek of Setting Mind interviews Sanchez to learn more about her emerging brand.
Peek: It is clear that sustainability is a key component of your brand ethos. What drives this aspect of your work?
Sanchez: I interned for a company during my placement year and felt uncomfortable with the lack of effort and conversation around sustainability and transparency… It made me realize how important it is for my practice as well as my business to be as sustainable as possible.
Fashion is in need of a major disruption in the field of sustainability. As someone just starting up my brand I have the opportunity to do things differently.
Where do you source your fabrics and materials from?
During the internship, I discovered that the company threw out their toiles (draft garments). I would ask if I could take them instead of throwing them away and would unpick them and make them into underwear. The fabric they were throwing away was extremely high quality and perfect for lingerie. I couldn’t believe it was going in the bin without ever having been worn – such a waste!
As a fashion student, you collect a lot of fabric and my mission was to use it all up before I started my final year. I achieved this and bought just one fabric – a milk jersey. This fabric is made from milk pasteurization by-products and is from Offset Warehouse. A great supplier that researches into their fabrics extensively before they retail.
What are some other brand ethoses of Sofia Sanchez?
Circularity, inclusivity, anti-racism and feminism are all key values of Sofia Sanchez.
I also want to be radically transparent with my customers in the future when it comes to both pricing garments and disclosing salaries.
What brand inspires you most as a young designer in your industry?
I am really inspired by brands that make sustainability cool and desirable. I love Freitag – an accessories brand that makes bag and wallets from recycled truck tarp.
Do you see Sofia Sanchez expanding beyond lingerie?
Yes! I would love to expand Sofia Sanchez into women’s ready-to-wear one day. I would love to create a line of classics that focus mainly on the cut of the garment. I find all my favourite clothes are the ones that are cut and fall well!
Where do you see the future of Sofia Sanchez?
When I re-launch Sofia Sanchez in 2021 the brand will be focusing on high-quality sustainable underwear. Right now, the sustainable lingerie market place is dominated by mid-market brands focusing on basics. I see a gap in the market for fashionable, sustainable, luxury lingerie.
I will place myself in the luxury sector because I don’t believe in the mass production of clothing but rather in buying less and buying better. Sofia Sanchez will offer a solution to garment waste in the form of compostable or recyclable lingerie, and communicate to consumers the importance of circularity when it comes to how you dispose of your clothing.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
All images in this article are courtesy of Sofia Sanchez.
