We recently connected with Stella Carakasi and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stella, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Our story began in early 1993 as pioneers in sustainable fashion. My business partners and I were early eco-fashion disruptors when we launched the first hemp clothing collection in the
United States under the brand name Two Star Dog. We also designed the first pair of jeans out
of the then very controversial fabric. Over the years our collections continued to raise the bar in
eco-fashion, helping to mainstream the emerging green revolution by utilizing under- promoted
and under-utilized fabrics at the time like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and Tencel®.
Every style since the beginning has been made to the highest ethical and environmental
standards from start to finish. By 2012 we decided to launch the Stella Carakasi wholesale
brand, primarily focusing on better women’s wear and in late 2018 we re-launched the brand as
a direct-to consumer company, leaving traditional wholesale and international distribution
behind. Nowadays contemporary, versatile designs, exclusive prints and proprietary fabrics
create stylish, innovative, high-quality body shape and size inclusive fashion, while respecting
people and the planet. Our core mission has stayed the same over the past three decades, but
our business model has evolved to better align with our values. As a direct-to-consumer brand
we no longer follow the extremely unsustainable fashion delivery schedule, where one must
constantly produce and deliver products ahead of season instead of focusing on what
customers truly want and need within the actual season. We produce quality over quantity,
garments that can be enjoyed for several years. Our small batch productions and our ability to
recut on a as needed basis reduce waste and allows us to sell through our style offerings. After
three decades in business, we have pretty much experienced all the highs and lows any
business owner can possibly live through. We sacrificed a lot to build our brands over the years
and we continue to do so because we love our customers. Our work makes a difference in their
lives, which is what matters. We have a great team that has the same vision and some of our
employees have been with us since the start, which is pretty telling.

Stella, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sustainability in fashion has been my life’s work over the past 30 years. Early eco-fashion disrupters like myself, have sacrificed so much in order to bring awareness to this very
important topic, often getting overlooked despite our enormous contribution, paving the way
for others to join.  It is however very encouraging to witness how far the importance of
sustainability in fashion has come, with major fashion brands embracing this topic, willing to
become part of a much-needed change but a lot more needs to be accomplished.
I feel enormous pride in knowing that my business partners and I played a major role in the
early fashion sustainability awareness movement, and we continue to this day. We have
overcome many obstacles, inspired major changes across supply chains and managed to build
two successful international wholesale businesses while driving the environmental agenda
forward. After spending over 25 years in wholesale, it became apparent to me that fashion was
out of touch with reality. “Fashion as usual” no longer worked and it became clear that it is our
responsibility as designers and manufacturers to be the catalyst for change.
Our work goes beyond designing and marketing clothing the old way. We must lead with our
values, teach awareness, remain authentic, incorporate innovation and inspire others to
embrace change, while collectively looking for solutions to reinvent and forge ahead. We must
be thought leaders and environmental activists. Unfortunately, our industry has been turning a
blind eye to its crumbling, outdated foundation for too long, further supported by the fashion
media, feeding consumers the same stale messages that most consumers have lost interest in
seeing or relating to.
We now have an enormous opportunity to start laying a new foundation and begin heading in
the right direction. Clothing needs to be purpose-driven and have value again. We need to
understand our customers’ needs and deliver quality styles that fit their lifestyles and their
bodies. We need to get real with the way people dress and shop. We need to stop flooding the
market with endless products nobody wants or needs just because the outdated fashion
delivery schedule dictates manufacturers to do so.  Brands can reclaim their power, polish their
values and deliver authentic designs that have longevity. I advocate for quality over quantity.
Consumers love connecting with purpose-driven, authentic brands that allow them to have a
voice, feel seen and appreciated. Communicating with customers directly helps not only the
design process by creating styles customers want but also eliminates excess inventory and
therefore reduces the carbon footprint. Creating clothing customers love and emotionally
connect to is paramount. Sustainability should be a bonus and not the main driver. Customers
are tired of being guilt-tripped about sustainability. Our work as designers is to lead with
fabulous, quality styles customers want– that also happen to be sustainable. This is how we will
achieve the change we all desire and not the other way around.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In late 2018 we left our wholesale business behind and re-launched as a direct-to-consumer brand which is more aligned with our values. We focus on high-quality “wear-now” capsules
versus following the unsustainable wholesale fashion calendar that requires ongoing deliveries
resulting in excess production. We manufacture in small batches and re-order as needed

instead of over producing. We are an e-commerce brand which allows us to connect directly
with our customers and fully embraced the concept of sustainability in design and
manufacturing processes. “Less is more when less is better” became my guiding star. Creating
sustainable, timeless designs that are body shape, size and age inclusive has never been more
important. Sustainability goes beyond working with eco-friendly materials and certified
partners. It means producing and consuming less while expecting more from each style. As a
designer I take on the responsibility to offer styles in a tight capsule that can multi-task to
create a wide variety of looks. Considering most of us only wear 10% of what we own in our
closets it is very important that we own the right styles that are comfortable and make us look
great– styles we love to wear season after season. A pivotal moment that changed everything
for me was when I went shopping with a good friend of mine years ago. Most styles were
available in sizes 0-10. My friend was relegated to the back of the store where there were only
a few, rather unflattering styles in her size. Visibly frustrated and defeated, our days of
shopping in stores together ended that day. This experience rocked me to the core, and I
decided at that moment that my next mission would be to create a body shape, size and age
inclusive brand where women wearing a size 22 can shop the same brands and looking equally
beautiful as women wearing a size 2 can. It was an epiphany!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My key styles are ultra-mixable and designed to work seamlessly with previous capsules and with my customers closet favorites. I try to create a positive fashion experience for the many
women that feel left out of the fashion conversation by offering clothing that focuses on
personal expression and body shape diversity. By no longer chasing the unsustainable fashion
industry calendar, deadlines, and unrealistic “ideal” body image, I drew a line in the sand and
put my customers first. Delivering time-honored craftsmanship and directly engaging with my
customers, resulting in better designs, all while eliminating inventory excess for a lighter
environmental footprint. Each of my designs are manufactured in small quantities, which
means the company can increase sustainability and ensure extremely high production
standards resulting in one of the lowest return rates in the industry.
I want my designs to empower women. Clothing is a tool to feel beautiful in one’s skin. Clothing
should allow us to express our individuality and it should be comfortable.

Contact Info:

• Website: stellacarakasi.com
• Instagram: @stellacarakasi
• Facebook: @carakasi
• Twitter: @stellacarakasi
• Youtube: @stellacarakasi
• Other: Pinterest: @stellacarakasi Tik Tok; @stellacarakasi