ABOUT SOURCING IN NEPAL
Our new capsule - The Madrid Chapter!
A new collection arrived on Tuesday, and it had a strong launch - even though I didn't get around to sending an email about it yet! The successful release day is a reminder to me that good designs produce good sales.
What's the freshest thing in this new collection? It's crinkled cotton gauze that is selling fast! If you already have a lot of Elegantees in your closet, the Prado top and Madrid shorts are like nothing you've ever had before.
I'm thankful the years it took to source this fabric are paying off. Yet, the cotton gauze might be a temporary fabric for this year only. Having a short run with this coveted fabric is not by my choice, though it somewhat is because I chose Nepal.
Nepal is not an ideal place to produce garments. Aside from beautifully knitted hats and other winter gear, how often do you see the label Made in Nepal on your clothes? The fashion industry as a whole does not choose Nepal.
Nepal is bordered by the powerhouses of China and India, but sourcing in Nepal is very hard. Local Nepalese people even agree with me. From a fashion standpoint, we could have more diverse designs if we weren't in Nepal. If it were up to me, we'd have yarn dyed stripes, block prints, and eyelet and scallop detailing on tops.
SO WHY NEPAL?
The mission. There are 50 million people considered to be in modern day slavery worldwide. Nepal is a huge source country for girls and women to be trafficked out. After one gets rescued, she often gets trafficked again. Our mission is to help survivors and those at risk to completely avoid this.
Elegantees is different because of the heart of the brand, that someplace like Nepal makes sense. Just take these two ladies pictured below, Binita and Michele. Binita leads our team in Nepal, and Michele is a customer who has become a volunteer. The makers and the wearers know each other by name.
STILL LOVE IT
Don't get me wrong. I love the collections we create, even though we get told 'no' to creative requests for design specifics. Our designs are good to me, but what if we could make them more diverse?
I wonder…if we could get better at sourcing, how much of a difference could it help us reach our $1 million goal this year? The numbers from the cotton gauze sure prove that it makes a difference. Would love for more doors to open in the sourcing department!
Thank you for your support and love. In the meantime, check out the new collection!
With joy,
Katie
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