STORY MFG. WANTS YOU TO BUY FEWER CLOTHES
“We build products to last because the most sustainable way to live is to buy less”, STORY mfg. writes in its manifesto. It’s rare that a brand actively asks its customers to buy fewer clothes, but this is not your average brand. Husband and wife team Saeed and Katy Al-Rubeyi are dedicated to lowering the climate impact of their label.

The buttons on each piece are made from nuts, the clothing is packaged in biodegradable cornstarch, and the brand’s production facilities are powered by renewable energy. They only use biodegradable natural materials — cotton and linen — and any offcuts will either be repurposed to become new items, used as tags on clothing, or get turned into nutrient-rich fertilizer. 
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
A lot of brands who focus on sustainability seem to forget one vital aspect: the people who make their clothes. Not STORY mfg. Everything comes out of its atelier in Auroville, India, which employs over a hundred local dyers, weavers, embroidered, and tailors who do everything by hand. This explains why STORY mfg. isn't cheap — dropping close to $100 on a T-shirt stings, but unlike other brands, it's clear where your money is going.

“Our work is heavily craft-based and involves both teaching and learning new techniques with our craftspeople,” the couple explains. “We are invested in giving continuous, well-paid work and do not switch for cheaper alternatives.”
STORY mfg.'s use of natural dyes means its clothes are colored using things like earth minerals, leaves, bark, roots, heartwood, fruits, flowers, bacteria, and sunlight. The result is a non-toxic dye that both reduces their environmental impact and creates a distinctive color palette on every piece, which is unique in its own way. 

“Change is natural. If you end up with an interesting streak or different color it’s all part of natural progression” the brand explains.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

As the Al-Rubeyis explain, their goal is one of "not only 'zero impact' but 'positive impact.'" This concept is a difficult one to comprehend in fashion.

Brands like STORY mfg. are making the effort to disrupt the normalized way of making clothes, in favor of something slower, more thoughtful, and more environmentally conscious. While clothes aren't the solution to the climate crisis, trying to make things better can only be a good thing.

Profile by HS Style Editor Lia McGarrigle
READ MORE
BROWSE MORE STORY MFG.
● MORE FROM THE BRAND'S SS21 COLLECTION
BROWSE ALL STORY MFG.
Facebook
Instagram
Snapchat
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website: Gorgeous. You can unsubscribe from this list or update your subscription preferences.

© 2021 Highsnobiety,
Highsnobiety
Genthiner Str. 32-34
Berlin 10785
Germany

Add us to your address book