Transitioning from summer to fall clothes may be easy but try switching an entire clothing line from conventional fabrics to organic and recycled materials. That is exactly what Toronto-based label Trove Clothing has done with its fall 2008 collection.
Founded in 2007 by couple and business partners Carly Mandelbaum, 28, and Jesse Burnett, 27, Trove (not to be confused with the Annex boutique of the same name) offers a sophisticated assortment of relaxed sweats, tees, hoodies and jackets in organic cotton.
"We aren't super eco freaks," admits Burnett, who handles the business aspect of Trove, "But we always think the best ingredients makes the best food. We do 90 per cent of our shopping at The Big Carrot on the Danforth ...In our mind, we wanted use the best organic ingredients to make the best clothing. We just think it's the way it should be done."
After dating for 2 1/2 years, Burnett encouraged Mandelbaum, who studied graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, to try designing her own T-shirts. The next day, Mandelbaum showed her boyfriend 30 design ideas she whipped up after his suggestion and Trove was born. The two quickly started gravitating towards organic cotton.
"A lot of people say the line really translates into us," says Mandelbaum who describes Trove as positive and laidback with a little edge. And although both Mandelbaum and Burnett are Canadian, their bronzed skin and relaxed, loose style adds to the effortless and easygoing California feel of their designs. A signature look: peace signs, heart graphics or images of nature printed on lightweight, nearly translucent tees and streamlined hoodies.
Additionally, the duo is beginning to incorporate manmade material into the line. "We're going to be using an organic cotton and recycled polyester blend," says Burnett, "The polyester comes from recycled plastic bottles."
The couple could have saved some fuel – and some time – by meeting a lot sooner than they did. But as fate would have it, their paths never crossed when living in Toronto as kids or at school in New York.
"We never met here and we also never met in New York when we were both living there, even though her roommate was a close family friend," says Burnett, who studied at Trinity Pawling High School in New York. Finally, after years of unknowingly living close to one another in different cities, the two were finally introduced when both were back in Toronto. From there, it has been a sweatshop-free labour of love kind of story.
Trove Clothing runs from $75 to $150 and is available at Over The Rainbow, TNT and Holt Renfrew.
