How do you know if a brand is timeless and responsible? Find out from Caroline Gentz, founder of IVY OAK

We sat down with Caroline Gentz, founder of IVY OAK, and talked about how the fashion brand was born, the vision behind it, and the importance of sustainability. She also spoke to us about her inspiration and what’s next for the brand.

IVY OAK was founded in 2016 in response to what Caroline knew was an existing product demand, but with the purpose of meeting this demand in a new way…

“I wanted to meet this demand in a disruptive way, that would challenge the disposable culture of the fashion industry and make beautiful clothes that are crafted to last – and all this at a reasonable price point.” she explained.

“It’s our customers who create our brand message, not the other way round”

“We care about our customers immensely and try to be as authentic as we can with them. We aim for quality and sustainability in equal measure and have developed seasonal ranges at a reasonable price point.” Caroline goes on to add “We think about our customer’s personal journey. This is something that is individual to everyone, and we consider our clothing to be as inspiring to wear as it is comfortable.”

To bring this vision to life, IVY OAK had to think outside the box and take action. “We completely rethought existing structures and practices, always acting on behalf of the planet that we temporarily inhabit.” Caroline told us.

“Longevity is essential for a sustainable wardrobe”

“It’s about making clothes that have both the quality and style that make the customer want to keep and wear them for a long time because the longer an item is loved and worn, the better for the planet.”

Giving the customers the chance to choose something that they love, that’s made to last, and that inspires them to treat clothing with respect is what IVY OAK is all about. The brand’s score in 2022 on durability is 4/5 on Renoon, and the people who reviewed their pieces seem particularly charmed by the quality of the fabric.

Caroline continued to say that “We try to keep this thoughtful and anti-disposable approach on our end, making sure that our employees, suppliers, and investors work together. Then, we aim to give our customers a complete insight into where the products come from, how they are made, and how we price them. It’s mutual respect between me, the brand, the product, and the customer.”

If you could have dinner with a designer (alive or dead) who would it be? 

“I’ve always been inspired by Madeleine Vionnet” Caroline explained. “She had huge success in the 1930s when she and Coco Chanel were among the first fashion designers to liberate women from corsets. Her clothes were as comfortable as they were elegant and showed off a woman’s natural shape rather than distorting it with padding, stiffening, and boning.”

When we asked what question would she ask Madeleine, Caroline replied “I’d ask her how she had the courage and strength to be so bold, and what it was like being a successful businesswoman at a time when this was still relatively rare.”

 IVY OAK will become bolder and louder in the future

We ended the interview by asking Caroline what is next for IVY OAK. She told us that they’ve launched an exciting brand transition and she went on to say “We just piloted an environmental impact assessment. This means that for selected styles, our customers can see how much CO2 has been emitted or the water used to produce a garment.”

“We’re working on introducing circular design strategies to move further away from the linear and disposable way of working. The aim is to lower our impact as much as possible. It’s about showing how proud we are to be bold and going further to promote the sustainability of our garments.” she explained.

 

How does this type of information make you feel? Would you like to see more brands open up about their production processes and future goals? Let us know in the comment section 💬😊

 

 

IVY OAK is one of the brands you can find on Renoon. To discover more about its values, you can find and follow them on Renoon & add it to your feed, discover their products and continue exploring more emerging, responsible designers!

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