California-based designer, Christy Dawn, wants you to become a part of regenerative farm-to-closet fashion and become a part of a sustainable future.
Christy Dawn envisions herself and her team as land stewards, which means the company seeks to work in harmony with mother earth. According to the company’s website, they create timeless and versatile clothes using upcycled fabrics and organically grown cotton. A portion of the designer’s dresses is sewn in India as part of the farm-to-closet fashion initiative.
What Is A Farm-To-Closet Fashion?
In simple words, farm-to-closet fashion means that you invest in regenerative agriculture to grow cotton that later becomes the dress you wear. Christy Dawn wants you to become part of the sustainability-driven initiative to heal the earth by investing in sustainable farming practices.
The fashion industry is one of the key industries contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions [source]. In fact, the fashion industry is one of the few industries involved in land, water, and air pollution. Most of the damage done to the earth in fashion comes from garment manufacturing and supply chains. Sustainability practices reduce that damaging impact and eradicate air, water, and land pollution. Regenerative agriculture seeks to do exactly that.
With her ‘Land Stewardship Program’, you can become a part of regenerative agriculture by investing $200USD. Here’s how it works:
- You invest $200 in the brand to cover the costs of growing cotton in a sustainable, regenerative way on 3485 sq ft of a cotton farm in Erode, India.
Image / Christy Dawn
- Using your funds, the farmers will tend to the land, using practices that only heal the land and promote biodiversity.
- After the cotton is ready for harvest in two months, Christy Dawn uses that cotton to design the next collection. And you will get store credit for your investment. The cotton’s market price is around $3.57/pound, and if the farming conditions has been good that year, you earn even more!
- Apart from earning a profit, you get early access to the Farm-to-closet fashion collection. You get to wear the cotton you helped grow.
The company has set aside 500 plots for the initiative in total. This would help bring in $82,000 that will be invested in regenerative farming practices. The initiative was launched last Thursday and over 100 plots have already been booked!
Is This Going To Be A Profitable Investment?
While it is an investment indeed, it’s not like investing in a bond or a company’s stock. You may not always see a return on this investment as the farms may go through inevitable natural disasters like drought or flood. Through this investment, you would be sharing the burden with the farmers who lose a lot during floods and droughts. According to a report, many farmers commit suicide after losing a farm. Christy Dawn is asking you to do more than just invest; she wants you to share the risk with these farmers while changing how we plant and tend crops sustainability.
Many brands, including Kering and Pangaia have launched their own sustainability initiatives to help the planet. However, the Land Stewardship Program is the first to bring customers into the mix. The initiative has already received a positive response. If more and more customers become a part of the fashion process, farm-to-closet will become a mainstream practice.
What do you think of this program? Is this something you would like to invest in? Tell us in the comment section below.
