DESIGNER FEATURE: JULIET SOUTER (CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MARLE)

Juliet Souter founder of luxury womenswear label Marle.

What it means to truly take responsibility as a fashion brand in 2020 - and why being perfect is impossible in this industry.

An Interview with Veronika Makovey-Carafa

I’d first of all just like to thank you for spending the time to answer these questions and unpack your philosophy and business model with us. The ideology of having a perfect sustainable label, really fascinated me when I began MOSS, igniting the podcast as a means to show that every sustainable label creates sustainably and/or ethically made clothing differently, and there isn’t one way to go about it, nor is the idea of being perfect from day one necessarily achievable either. So, it was heartening to see you, Juliet, equally intrigued by this topic as well. I’m so looking forward to hearing your thoughts and first-hand experiences in this realm.

Let’s begin with where your passion for sustainability originated from. Was there a sustainable fact that you learned that changed your psyche and was the catalyst for change in your daily habits or a push to take action? Or was sustainable living always a part of your life? I can imagine growing up in New Zealand, being surrounded by nature, would have brought it to the forefront of your mind daily.

 I started Marle as a knitwear brand five years ago and at that stage, it wasn’t a clear business decision to be sustainable. Knitwear is inherently a more sustainable category, if using natural yarn, by the fact that there is no waste, but the concept of Marle was simply because I noticed in our market there was room for a modern, simple take on knitwear.

However, I have personally always been drawn to and attracted to natural fibres and always made this choice subconsciously when purchasing myself. I learnt about the effects that synthetic fabric, whether virgin or recycled, has on the environment - from the effects to the landscape to our foodchain – and this became a huge driving force for the business evolving to be as sustainable as we can manage. About a year into the business, we made this decision officially and everything clicked. I do think being a Kiwi and growing up in what was always communicated as a clean/green land, and still seeing the effects producing any product has had here really made me want to ensure that my clothing wasn’t going to end up in landfill. I want to make my children proud and do right by them and future generations.  

Where did the inspiration behind starting the label originate? What is your fashion background and the most poignant experiences leading up to starting your own sustainable fashion label?

I studied fashion design at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in Auckland and then went on to gain experience in lots of different facets of the fashion industry, though I always knew that having my own brand was what I wanted to do.  I was working as a buyer for a large corporate company in New Zealand when I found out I was pregnant with our first baby. When I had Vita, I wanted to ensure I never had to be tied to a desk. I wanted the flexibility to be there for her whenever she wanted or needed. I majored in knitwear in my final year of my degree and had always loved it and how it made me feel.  That’s how Marle was born – we started with 10 jumpers.  My husband and I own and run the business together - he is definitely more of the business/strategy head behind the brand and has a longstanding reputation in fashion wholesale in New Zealand.  His strong relationships with retailers around the country is how we were able to be picked up by these stores from our very first season.  We wouldn’t be where we are today without him and his drive and consistent ability to predict what’s next. I love working alongside him.

Just out of curiosity, because it’s something I think about a lot, how has having children changed the way you work, or what key habits have you implemented that have assisted in finding that work/life balance for you?  

When I started Marle, I already had Vita, so to be honest, I don’t know any different.  As the brand has grown our family has too. We welcomed our son in 2016 which was definitely a juggle but we managed ok as the brand was much smaller.  We had a wonderful sales manager at that time so we weren’t having to travel the country selling the collection. I worked from home for the first 12months with Nero. My husband Justin was always able to be home when I needed him and we juggled like that for a while, before hiring a nanny for a few hours each week. As we grew, we became more structured with childcare and family support has been immense with the kids - our parents have helped us so much with looking after them when we both need to be somewhere together.

We have non-negotiable rituals in place now – one of us always picks Vita up from school at 3pm and Nero from daycare, but who that is is something we juggle each day depending on work load.  I work four days a week and have Fridays with Nero. We have built such an incredible team who know the juggle we’re working with on a daily basis so we feel very supported.

I guess the biggest learning was that we were responsible for the flexibility and how we created it. It’s a constant learning curve as the business and kids’ needs grow and expand but it’s one that we figure out as we go.

How is having Marle headquarters located in the small town of Mount Maunganui, New Zealand an influence on the brand, its aesthetic and daily operations? Does the slower pace away from the city show the necessity to slow down the supply chain? 

Living here has definitely influenced the way I design and create our collections.  The lifestyle here is inherently more relaxed and home-based so I feel the collections reflect that. We want Marle to work for women of any age, any stage in her life and from anywhere. Whether it’s home, work, running around after children – the premise is that it’s everyday luxury so fabrics and fits are essential to bringing this philosophy to life.

I love that your clothing is, well firstly so luxurious, beautiful, ageless and timeless, but also can amalgamate as your body changes so that it can be worn throughout the seasons but also over many years. You really have a deep understanding of the female physique and what women wear and how they want their clothing and want themselves to feel whilst wearing it. Why was this such an important consideration when designing for you?

Thank you, that is so kind and makes me feel very proud as that’s the whole premise of what I am trying to achieve.  I don’t think it’s been an overly conscious decision, it’s just the way that I design. I am conscious about how our Marle women feel when they wear one of our pieces, this is a large part of the design consideration.

What are the merits of creating such a versatile range?

We have a very broad mix of women who wear Marle, we cover all ages which for me, was definitely a conscious decision. I didn’t want to design for a specific age group but grow and develop with our women.

What is the thought process you embark upon when designing an item? Does the design or the material available come first? How do you go about finding materials and what do you do with material waste minimisation?  

The process always starts with yarn and fabric and from there, the form follows.  Knitwear - which is still the largest component of our business - doesn’t have any waste due to how it is made. We have also made scrunchies out of excess fabric and will continue to look at ways in which we can utilise all fabric where we can.

What was the process that you embarked upon to set up the production process for Marle, along with its ethos and supply chain? I know that setting up a conscious brand that is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact was a massive touchstone put in place from the get go for you.  

We have always been realistic about our impact on the environment. While we do our very best to be as sustainable as possible, it’s a journey and one that is constantly evolving. There are some aspects we’d love to do – such as having our knitwear all handknitted, but the reality of that situation is that the price to do so would put us in a market out of reach for a lot of our women. I have always wanted to build an achievable and aspirational brand where our women could experience beautiful natural fibres that were still at a price point.We work with a team of suppliers who are both incredibly advanced technologically but understand our commitment to sustainable and ethical practices. Our knitwear factory is Gold WRAP certified and we are extremely proud of it and the relationship we have developed them. 

The sustainable elements of the brand range far and wide; from using exclusively natural and undyed fabrications, to incorporating recycled fabrications such as recycled cotton and recycled wool. You also have met ethical standards through your Code of Compliance for all suppliers. You also have Gold WRAP certified knitwear factory and OEKO-TEX certified knitwear and silk.

These sustainable requirements didn’t all just happen at once, how did you go about incorporating these sustainable components into the label, were there things you wanted to obtain immediately and then it would lead to tacking on another consideration or were there sustainable measures that you were adamant on ticking off before the brand even took off? 

You’ve hit the nail on the head here, this part of the industry can’t happen overnight, it’s a slow process and one that we are constantly working on behind the scenes. It started with wanting to use exclusively natural materials and once we made that decision, additional business decisions happened quite quickly. It does create challenges for us but has also become part of the design brief which is actually quite nice - to have these parameters as a designer.  

It’s more expensive to use OEKO-TEX certified knitwear and silk but it’s all about demand. As more businesses begin heading down this track, it will bring the price down, but for us, it was important to do so.  

A big focus for me personally was our packaging, a lot of garments made for the majority of brands are shipped in poly bags to protect the garment while being on a ship, we have always used recyclable bags but wanted to eradicate any single use or multiple use plastic from the business, so we worked hard on creating our compostable bag, they’re TUV certified and we can proudly say breaks down within a few weeks – tried and tested by our team here.  

Taking that plastic use out of the business didn’t come easy, at the time it was very hard to source. We also changed our care labels to cotton and we use only one swingtag so there is no unnecessary paper usage. Packaging we use from third party suppliers are all compostable. It’s always evolving – new technologies, more selections – we’re on a journey with our approach to sustainability and don’t believe it’s possible to be perfect.

Let’s also talk about the culture you have created within the brand. Quite frankly, it sounds like a dream to work for your brand and I’d simply love to get on board, between the flexible working conditions for staff to assist with balancing family life, initiatives like free Pilates to encourage healthy living and minimised use of chemicals to ensure workers are kept safe, you’ve really thought through the elements for a workplace that people would be passionate to be a part of. Take us through some other rituals you have in the office or the design meetings?

Thank you, culture is hugely important to us.  We work with the most incredible women and we’re very proud both of the team in our office and our extended team.  We hope what we’re creating is a nice environment - we spend so much of our time together we want it to be enjoyable and also give back where we can. There’s also a lot of trust between us and a genuine feeling that we’re all in it together. It’s a collaborative effort bringing the brand to our women and stockists.

One thing I have noticed about labels that identify as being sustainable, although not all, is that they are holistic with this approach across all sectors of the business, and you are no exception to this. I love that you have considered sustainability throughout every facet of the business including reducing plastic use by using cornstarch, biodegradable bags for production delivery and recycling cardboard for customer deliveries. It shows that sustainability isn’t just a selling point for you, but rather embedded in the core of your operations. Why is this so crucial in the success of a brand now in 2020 and beyond?  

While being sustainable is certainly something to be proud of, it’s not something we shout from the rooftops as it’s simply part of who we are. There is too much greenwashing going on in the industry, we almost feel like talking about our efforts makes it less impactful. We hope that our women trust that we’re doing the right thing and are always looking for ways to improve, as we are.

My hope is that sustainability will truly become something so mainstream, it is the norm and expected. Every brand, whether or not they’re founded on the concept, can do things to improve and add it to their business plan.  The more businesses get behind it, the more all of these processes and products will get to our customers, as it really is like everything in that if it is about demand, the supply will follow. We all need to do our bit and take a stance for what is important to our brands - for us, that is the use of natural fibres and reducing any waste where we can.  

Although you are becoming a sizable brand with growing notoriety internationally, you are still quite small. And yet, you have charity partnerships with organisations like the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. Why was this so important for you to do?

We try to give back to our community where we can and this particular partnership was for a capsule collection we created in support of their 25th year. We’re always looking at partnerships and opportunities to give back.

What do you believe taking responsibility means for a label in 2020? And for emerging new labels what foundations should they lay down first to ensure their brand is sustainable?

I think that awareness is the key element to taking responsibility – and also having a conscience comes hand in hand with having that awareness.  However, it’s important to be realistic too. At the end of the day, we’re all building brands to sustain a living so it’s important to look at what is absolutely possible, essential and sustainable in the sense of brand longevity. Being committed to evolving is part of this responsibility.

To new designers and labels, know that the foundations don’t need to be set in stone, you need to be adaptable. There is no such thing as a fully sustainable fashion brand, in order to achieve that, you wouldn’t have a business, as you are still producing and producing anything will have its affects. So my advice is to stand by something that you believe in, not only from a business sense but from a strong personal stand point.

Many brands are so keen to start their own sustainable brand, especially as consumer mentalities towards fast fashion and huge brands change, however find that many of the elements which make a sustainable label (ethical local production, sustainable fabrications, etc.) can be quite costly, which then inhibits their success. What can you recommend to brands trying to launch whilst being responsible? 

It is very expensive to be sustainable - there’s no way around that, but I feel that if you want to start a sustainable brand, start with a very clear focus and work within that parameter. As things evolve, you can add, change and move towards new goals. I think it’s important that we’re also grounded in reality – some people cannot afford to live and shop in a sustainable way and it’s important not to discriminate. As I’ve mentioned, as the demand grows, the prices will become more affordable meaning sustainability will become more mainstream. 

What recommendations would you provide to already established businesses trying to become more sustainable in their supply chain? Would there be a particular starting point? 

The starting point I would recommend and would love to see become a rule/law is eliminating single use plastic packaging. These options are now so readily available, it’s literally a no brainer to make this move.

So what do you believe will bring the huge systemic change needed in the fashion industry? Is it the mentality of consumers? Is it huge organisations restricting their product supply chains? Is it education being more targeted at moral ethics and developing an empathetic culture with a deep understanding of our natural environment? Is it governments incorporating policies that restrict fashion brands from employing unethical or unsustainable production processes and coming to terms with the reality of the radical changes in the industrial economy that need to occur on our planet? 

I think it’s all of the above, but I also believe that change can’t and won’t happen overnight.  Given the current global environment and situation we’re all faced with – no matter what, everyone is affected – but it’s the perfect opportunity to plan and implement.  Not just for businesses but as individuals. Education is also extremely important and the fundamental part of this process of change. The customer decides what they want to buy at the end of the day and their choices dictate what designers create – it works hand in hand. So if more consumers become educated, their shopping trends and choices will dictate how the market moves. It’s a learning curve for us all, and we all have a role to play.

To finish off, where do you foresee Marle heading in the near and distant future? And what new elements would you like to incorporate in the business? Are there any design innovations that you’d love to experiment with?

I would love to work with some of the more obscure natural fibres, such as banana fibre, coconut fibre and pineapple silk but the reality is that they have to be developed a bit further to be very robust and with more demand to help bring the price to a more achievable level.

We’ll continue doing what we love and believe in – consciously creating, grounded on the philosophy of everyday luxury.

Is there anything you’d like to add here that we haven’t touched on? 

Thank you for having me, its an exciting yet daunting time in our industry, the more honest and open conversation we have the more we can learn and develop from.

thANK YOU JULIET, IT WAS ABSOLUTE MAGIC GETTING A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO YOU AND HEARING YOUR INSIGHTS. X

Pre-sale for Marle's Winter collection is available to shop now at https://www.marle.co.nz/