When I started out, I was dedicated to producing in the Southeast, as close to my beloved Richmond, VA as possible. I might not be able to source all of my fabric from this continent, but I want to try my damndest to benefit my region with my efforts.
Thanks to my participation in the accelerator program Factory45, I was able to find a small scale producer in Washington, D.C. After speaking with the owner, Rosalie, I knew I had found my match; she was thorough and realistic, which is something I desperately needed. This is my first time designing clothing, and her expertise in bringing my vision to the material realm has been critical.
This first round of samples has been a long time coming. COVID has slowed the supply chain to a crawl. Add to that the holidays and the uptick in infections thereafter...after 6 months of sourcing it took 7 weeks to have my sample fabric get through customs at the US/Canadian border and to DC.
Cycling Skirt and Biker Shorts
Both are made of bamboo, which makes them soft, breathable, and more eco friendly. My original fabric for the Biker Shorts was a tencel ponte de roma milled in LA, but the high minimum order + the necessity to dye became cost prohibitive. This being said, I very much look forward to using this fabric in the future for my biker shorts.
The Biker Shorts
- Bamboo French Terry
- 2 deep side pockets for your phone with elastic to secure while you’re pedaling
- Short enough to be hidden below your skirt, long enough to be worn separately
- Reinforced gusset in the seat
- Wide waistband for support
The Cycling Skirt
- Bamboo French Terry
- Built in biker shorts
- Slit on the right side (for access to the shorts, I want to add a pocket here for your phone)
- Pulls and snaps in a draped bustle to keep your skirt out of your wheels
- Wide waistband for support
I will be wearing these pieces all over the place to check for durability and how they stretch or shrink and evolve over many miles of commute and washes. I still want to play with the skirt shape and make sure the bustle-ability is doing its job.