We were lucky to catch up with Nicole V recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

In Arabic, my co-founder’s first language, ‘amar’ translates to ‘moon.’ The word is used as a term of beauty, likening a person’s elegance and radiance to that of the moon. Rêve is the French word for dream. Together, amar and rêve make amrêve.

To us, amrêve is the stuff of dreams: women’s clothing made from heavenly certified organic fabrics and cut in timeless style.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Since my early twenties when I was diagnosed with a heart condition, I’ve been committed to a healthy lifestyle: I eat organic foods, clean my home with all-natural products, and make an effort to shop consciously. A few years ago, when I searched for clothing made from organic fabrics, nothing quite fit my classic style and nothing seemed to last. It felt like I had to choose between fashion or adhering to my values. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice either, so I decided to create what was missing.

amrêve creates women’s basics that does right by people and planet. By choosing USDA and GOTS certified organic cotton, we’re creating a positive ripple from farm to fashion. Our clothing is free from insecticides and pesticides, our sustainable fabrics are safe on skin, healthy for farmers to harvest, and easier on the planet throughout their entire lifetime. amrêve’s organic fabrics ensure that what touches your body is good for your body—and for the earth.

In addition to using fabrics and manufacturing processes that are as non-toxic as possible, we’ve chosen the ethical and sustainable path, even when it’s been more difficult or more expensive. We spent months hunting for a Fair Trade and certified organic production facility that met our standards. Even the packaging we use is made up of recyclable paper and natural inks and dyes.

I’m trying to do my part in contributing to a cleaner fashion industry, an ethical workplace, and a healthy lifestyle for everyone amrêve touches.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

When we started our clothing brand, we aimed to only sell DTC through our website because this produces the best profit margin and allows us to have. the most control over our branding. However, as we start to grow, we are considering other platforms because it is extremely hard to build a trusted brand from nothing. Most of our sales to date have been from word of mouth.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

amrêve is completely funded by bootstrapping. My co-founder and I have full-time jobs that allow us to put money towards the business each month. It’s a lot of work but we do not want to take on debt unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amreveorganic.com
• Instagram: @amreveorganic, @_bellaluella
• Facebook: amrêve organic

Image Credits
headshot: Julieanne Browning, Pine and Fable