NEW DESIGNER ALERT! ALAY&CO

ALAY&CO just joined the Goshopia family with their beautiful sustainable clothes and we want to welcome them by introducing you to their masterminds. Meet Andrea and Isidora. These two Chilean ladies are the creative powerhouses that fuel the designs and ethos behind ALAY&CO, a Spanish fashion brand, based in Madrid fueled by Latin hearts.

Now you can get all their gorgeous pieces in the Middle East at Goshopia.com with the Free shipping worldwide. What are you waiting for? For sure, you will like them all!

MEET THE DESIGNERS BEHIND ALAY&CO

What got you to start a sustainable clothing brand?

What led us to create ALAY&CO was the desire to positively contribute to the planet by minimizing the environmental impact and establishing a circular economy based in our passion and knowledge: Design and aesthetics.

Through fashion, we seek that people choose consciously, opting for timeless and versatile sustainable garments that transcend in time by guaranteeing their quality.

We want to connect with people who share our same values ​​and philosophy of creating a conscious habit consumption and having a responsible lifestyle. We do this by offering a reliable and sustainable alternative when it comes to dressing so everyone can feel authentic and confident at any occasion.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

What challenges did you find?

Along our path  we have faced many challenges. Sustainable fashion requires meeting high standards. For us, one of the most important factors is to respect each production chain link, from who makes our garments to who buys them to wear and enjoy them.

We understand that sustainability is a challenging area and that involves a long journey. At ALAY & CO we not only produce garments with sustainable materials, but we also seek to create a sustainable business model, avoiding  encouraging compulsive shopping.

Along with the sustainability criteria, there is also the need to generate a change on people’s habit when choosing their garments. We want them to prefer those that are sustainable, understanding the benefits it has for them and for the environment. It is about choosing a conscious lifestyle by buying less and of a better quality.

With all that said, we also face another big challenge which is having to work remotely. We are two Chilean partners, one based in Spain and the other in Chile, and it has not been easy to learn how to coordinate everything considering the different time zone, but every difficulty has its positive side and we have gain the understanding of seeing these challenges as opportunities to carry out our project.

ETHERNAL STATE OF MIND

What is the meaning of the name ALAY&CO?

ALAYA – Universal Soul. Thinking of all the souls and living beings that live in this world + Co – Company. We know that working as a team and sharing ideas is very important for the project to succeed. ALAY&CO comes from the word “Alaya” considering the need to protect the planet, people and animals.

We think of all those who live in this world in order to improve their quality of life. We do it with the support of those who share our same ideals, understanding that collaboration is key to generate the impact we want to accomplish. It is about encouraging the responsibility needed to become aware of who we are, where we live and that all our decisions have an impact on the world we inhabit. This belief goes along with our Eternal State of Mind philosophy, which is spread through our actions. We want our Alay community to consciously buy and prefer those garments that last over time and that create stories that will go on from generation to generation.

Acting consciously today means taking care of those who will arrive tomorrow, and that through our actions, such as being informed at the time of buying and choosing sustainable garments, we can make a big difference. We are convinced that we will contribute, in one way or another, to souls from this eternal universe.

THE MUSE BEHIND THE BRAND

Who is the Alay Woman?

The Alay woman has style and attitude. She chooses to feel and look good in a responsible way and tend to lean towards what is fair and ethical. She also looks for simplicity in her day a day dress style without having to trade off glam or elegance. A conscious, authentic and empowered woman who understands that dressing responsible promotes social and environmental change.

She is consistent with her way of being, thinking, and living, and aware that her daily actions and habits can generate a positive impact on her environment. She chooses her clothes in an informed and conscious way because she knows that what to add to her wardrobe is today an important and meaningful decision. What determines the Alay woman is not a specific age but her acting through her habits and her responsible behavior.

INGREDIENTS OF A MASTERPIECE

What are your favorite materials for Alay&Co?

Our three favorite sustainable materials today are Linen, Bemberg and Organic Cotton.

We love Linen because in addition to being the historical fiber by excellence, it’s comfortable, and has great resistance to degradation by heat. Bemberg is another of our must-haves because it’s a soft fiber with great durability, and similar to silk in texture. This pure cellulose fiber wraps the cotton seeds. Due to its durability and breathability, it has been used as the luxurious overall fabric for ages. Organic Cotton, has this extreme softness that we love. The process of harvesting by hand, preserves the purity of each fiber. These attributes take into account the human, animal and environmental welfare that also aligns with the fashion industry best internationally recognized practices.

How would you describe your style?

The Alay woman stands out for being transversal and versatile, just like the clothes she likes to wear. Among the values ​​behind her style are her self-confidence and coherence within her actions. She prefers to feel comfortable using a smart-casual attire and prioritizes esthetics and quality with a minimalist concept. She thinks, lives, and feels under a more conscious way.

SHARING THE GOODNESS

What is your message for the people that don’t know how pollutant fast fashion is?

Fashion is the second most pollutant industry in the world after oil. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize this impact. This is why we feel the need to create a fashion-style that positively contributes to the ecosystem in all its forms. We invite you to be part of our conscious journey to achieve this goal.

Today our planet is threatened by various companies that allow high contamination in their production processes. According to the latest data from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), making jeans requires about 7,500 liters of water per unit, the equivalent amount that an average person drinks in seven years. Crazy, right? This is just one example of many others that should worry us considering the effect on our health and carbon footprint.

On the other way, Slow Fashion is purposeful and considers the whole product lifecycle and the impacts on workers, communities and the ecosystems. It is a different approach that encourage the use of fabrics that have little to no adverse effects on the environment. Slow fashion is ethical and works under the principle of buying garments for quality and longevity.

THE FUTURE IS GREEN

 Where would you want to see your brand in the next 5 years?

Our vision is to be a world leading company in the field of sustainable fashion. We dream that people, through the way they dress and by being aware and informed when choosing their clothes, will make a difference in the world.

If people prioritize buying better-quality garments that will last for longer we will all be reducing the number of garments we have in our closets today. We aspire to be as friendly as possible with our environment, to become a B corporation and to have an entire production chain working dynamically under a circular economy model to minimize our carbon footprint.

At Alay&Co collaborative work, ethics, transparency and the human effort behind each decision is key. This is why we want our actions to be reflected in metrics and results, so we can prove that our work is a real contribution to generate a triple positive impact: social, economic and environmental.

We are convinced that what today looks like a trend in terms of sustainable fashion, is actually a sign of what our planet desperately needs, and we have to be conscious and make decisions around it.

LIKED THIS ARTICLE ABOUT ALAY&CO?

Meet our other designers or shop their eco conscious collections here.

MEET OUR JEWELRY DESIGNER: SHEEN

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