In bringing Hera’s first collection to life, I put enormous effort into building a truly sustainable and ethical supply chain, starting with the fibers. Every step, from the raw materials used to the way the finished product is sold, used and recycled, was thoughtfully considered. Below is the breakdown of how our clothing is made, how it's different, and why it matters. 

Fibers

Our approach:

Everything in our first collection is made from sustainably-grown cotton from Texas and California. Most of our fabrics, both woven and knit, are made from organic cotton grown in West Texas by members of the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative. We also use a small amount of Supima cotton, which is grown and harvested in California. Supima is a premium, extra-long staple cotton known for its longevity and softness. Supima is blended with the Texas organic cotton in one of our woven fabrics, giving it a lightness that would not be achievable using the organic cotton alone. 

Why it matters:

Cotton is a wonderful, soft, easy-to-care for fiber that is natural and biodegradable. Today the majority of textiles are petroleum-based. Producing plastic-based fibers for textiles uses an estimated 342 million barrels of oil every year (source). Half a million tons of plastic microfibers are shed into the oceans annually during the washing of plastic-based textiles (source). Cotton does not shed microfibers, uses little oil in its production, and biodegrades in landfill in under 5 months. 

But cotton is not without its problems. It accounts for 5.7% of world pesticide use. Some of these pesticides cause serious health issues like cancer and neurological diseases (source). This is why sourcing organic cotton is so important. Although the small amount of Supima cotton we use is not organic, it is managed in a way that is far more environmentally responsible than many overseas varieties (source).

Another major issue with cotton is that it is very labor-intensive to harvest. Cotton drove the rise of slavery in the United States in the 1800s. What many people don’t realize is that forced labor for cotton harvesting is still alive and well in other parts of the globe. Even GOTS certified organic cotton can be harvested overseas by child and slave labor. That’s why I felt it was so important to source cotton that was grown here in the United States from farmers I could see and speak to. That kind of transparency is very difficult to achieve with global supply chains, and as a result, it’s easy to inadvertently support unethical practices.

Spinning, weaving, knitting

Our approach:

All of our fibers are spun and woven by small businesses right here in the U.S. Our Texas Organic Cotton is spun into yarn by a family-owned business in North Carolina. All of our woven fabrics are made in Pennsylvania. Our knits come from another family-owned mill in North Carolina. 

Why it matters:

We believe in supporting small, local, family-owned businesses whenever possible. Not only is this more a sustainable way of producing (only local shipping means fewer carbon emissions and smaller batch production means less waste) but it is also more transparent. Because we have close relationships with the mills we work with, we know they provide great conditions for their workers and produce high quality results. 

Cutting and sewing

Our approach:

Our cutting and sewing is done by an ethical, woman-led production team in Los Angeles.

Why it matters:

It is estimated that fewer than 2% of large fashion brands pay their garment workers a living wage (source). Even factories right here in the United States engage in exploitative practices. In 2016 a US Department of Labor investigation found pay violations in 85% of Los Angeles garment shops (source). We carefully vet the contractors we work with to ensure their workers are paid a living wage and the factory conditions are healthy. 

Dyeing

Our approach:

At Hera, all of our clothing is cut and sewn from raw “greige” fabric, meaning it is raw from the loom, without any additional toxic or energy-and-water-intensive treatments. Once the clothes are cut and sewn, they are garment-dyed using natural, botanical dyes derived from plants and minerals. A few of our pieces are synthetically dyed in a closed-loop system, but our hope is to phase this out in favor of using on natural dyes in the future. 

Our larger collection will be plant-dyed by Green Matters Natural Dye Studio in Pennsylvania. The following excerpt is from their website:

“We take our impact on the planet seriously. We gather rainwater in a 60,000 gallon cistern underneath our studio to be used in production. After the dye is exhausted, it still contains the dye mordants and organic plant matter, both of which are compostable. Working in an agricultural hub like Lancaster County has allowed us to develop our business around the sustainable farming community. We are collaborating with farmers in Lancaster to use our waste in responsible ways, and researching the benefits of using our exhausted baths as organic fertilizer.”

Why it matters:

Along with finishing, traditional garment dyeing is the most polluting and energy-intensive process involved in making clothing (source). The discharge from fabric dyeing is often a cocktail of carcinogenic chemicals that not only hurt the environment, but pollute essential drinking water sources for local populations (source).

Resale

Our approach:

Our clothing is designed for longevity. That said, we recognize that women’s bodies change (sometimes quite a lot) during their childbearing years and what works one year may not work the next. We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to resell clothing, thereby giving it a second life, and also recover some of the original value in order to buy new clothing that suits your new needs. This is why we have chosen to operate our own integrated resale platform from day 1. 

Why it matters:

Americans generate 16 million tons of textile waste a year. Only 4% of this is exported and less than 15% is recycled. The rest is incinerated or goes to landfill (source).