By Lea Stewart / Source: Ecouterre

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Ystr abides by a simple mathematical formula: (clothes you love + honest pricing) – fashion waste. Led by Garrett Gerson and April Liang, the self-described “antagonist” to conventional retailers uses cut-to-order technology to create only garments that have been spoken for. Everything is designed and manufactured in-house at Ystr’s atelier in downtown Los Angeles, where it can monitor every step of the process. The result? Diligently tailored, vintage-inspired womenswear, imbued with feminine silhouettes and that California je nais se quoi, that minimizes both production-floor waste and surplus stock. “This system ensures that we only create what is needed based on our customers’ orders so that we don’t hold excess inventory or use any materials that we can’t guarantee will be sold or used,” Liang told Ecouterre. “The difference in the amount of waste we produce compared to the average fashion company that depends on traditional bulk manufacturing is vast.”

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DOWN WITH EXCESS

The fact that Ystr is online-only also means no retail markups, which typically factor in storefront overheads, wholesale loss, and inventory costs.

Another defining aspect of Ystr’s “anti-fashion” stance is its use of limited-run fabrics, which makes each of its collections few-of-a-kind.

Ystr grasps that it’s pioneering an entirely new mode of garment production. “We’re all just really proud to be a part of this shift towards sustainable fashion, and be able to tie our anti-waste method of manufacturing with really great, high-quality clothes that are sold at approachable price points,” Liang, who serves as head of production, said. “It’s up to innovative companies and individuals to disrupt the industry’s current norms, and we want to do what we can to support that.”

Liang knows what’s she talking about. After all, she and Gerson disrupted (and disbanded) their own careers at various independent labels, including the now-defunct Sjobeck, to reevaluate the way fashion is created and delivered in the modern era.

To its customers, Ystr counsels patience. It takes about two days—or more, depending on the clothing style and the number of backorders—to cut, sew, detail, and inspect each garment.

Read more @ Ecouterre