New York based designer, Adrina Fanore. Photo by Laquan Sumpter
The Fanore Brand is a neo-luxury apparel and lifestyle media brand rooted in conscious, sustainable and mindful living. Behind the forward-thinking label is designer Adrina Fanore who spoke to TNE about her brand values and vision for the future.
At TNE, we love that one of your primary brand values is sustainability. Why is this such an essential value to you?
Having worked in NYC in the fashion industry for 8 years, I saw how wasteful the sector was, which went against my own values. I am an environmentalist and knew my own brand would reflect that. From recycling to climate education and volunteering, I would participate in activities around saving the planet. After all, there's no Planet B (that we know of lol). When I decided to start the brand, I thought about my own values.
What's my lifestyle? Well, I grew my food or ate organic. I use natural products. I do my best to use any eco-friendly product. It was only right to include that into my brand and designing apparel. Sustainability goes beyond what fabrics we use but also how we operate. Is production ethical? How can I produce something without holding inventory that may go to waste? How can we reduce the use of paper, etc.? It was imperative to have the brand reflect my personal values as well.
How would you describe your brand?
Authentic. Versatile. And Minimalist.
Those are the three ideas I have in mind when producing anything associated with the brand. Less is more, and it's better to produce a higher quality than a larger quantity. Going back to sustainability, I design versatile clothing and can go through at least two seasons with proper styling, or maybe from day to night. You should always get the most out of your clothing.
And the authenticity in storytelling behind the garments and media.
What about fashion and designing energises you?
The ability to create something from concept to a tangible product is cheap therapy for me. It's a form of freedom that allows you to change the process or concept and present something to the world. It's an experience that strengthens confidence and creativity. Personally, the greatest gift is creating with a purpose and cause. This gives me the drive and energy needed to continue with the next project or collection.
What are common traps for young designers and creatives?
Money and staying innovative. It takes a lot of money to produce a traditional line. It took years of trial and error to find a balance between being sustainable without going completely broke. Unfortunately, this can result in seasons of no profit. When you're starting out, it's hard to get a foot in the door with boutiques. I was fortunate to be in a few. However, I always wanted to have my apparel solely with my brand.
This brings me to being innovative. The upside to working with stores is the marketing is done for you, and the downside is the story is told for you. I needed to tell my story while attracting customers to the brand itself. My plan to be innovative was to create my own everything....like prints and tell the story behind it. Why do I support this cause? What's my connection to, for example, cotton? While I'm not against working with stores, I am picky about who I work with. Being innovative is tough because everyone is digital. A new creative has to continually stay on top of what's new and who's doing it. It's tough but not impossible.
How do you aim to have a positive social impact through your work?
I'm still making my footprint in the sustainable world. I feel this is an excellent time to do so because everyone is putting eco-fashion and sustainability on their radar. This year, I plan to work with local organisations that promote sustainability to provide education around fashion and the climate. How can they reuse, upcycle or recycle their old clothing that may be too worn for the local thrift store? I read that since the pandemic, the air has less pollution due to lockdowns. This is a great time to implement small things everyone can do to keep it this way.
What do you hope the future of your brand looks like?
I hope it becomes one of the faces of sustainability and minimalist, conscious lifestyle. I would love for it to be a global name where I'm working to make a difference. I always wanted to be more than a designer, but someone who made a difference.
How can we all be more aligned with The Fanore Brand?
The official brand site is https://www.adrina-fanore.com. There, you'll find the podcast and social media platforms as well.
