Cuyana Slows Down, Invests in Care Products and Longevity
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San Francisco-based sustainable brand Cuyana is looking to further ingrain its mind-set of “fewer, better things” despite a rocky consumer climate.
The brand operates nine stores across the U.S., understandably closed due to the coronavirus, and leans into e-commerce to weather the crisis.
Next week, the brand will introduce a two-piece line of handmade leather care goods as part of the growing trend toward consumers seeking longevity in their purchases and perhaps plant-based formulations. The leather spot cleaner, which touts tea tree oil extracts, and beeswax-based leather conditioner are both made in the U.S., with each retailing for $12 onsite.
The question is: why now?
“While COVID-19 has been devastating to world health, unemployment rates and the global economy as a whole, the slower pace of life has shown us that there are some key takeaways in terms of lowering our environmental impact,” said Shilpa Shah, cofounder of Cuyana.
She pointed to the oft-cited problem of the average consumer buying a pile of clothes they hardly ever wear.
“We are shifting our approach to focus on the Quest to 50 wears, where we handle making quality, well designed sustainable products and in turn empower our customers to wear those products at least 50 times,” reiterated Shah. The pledge, as Shah called it, launches today and will prelude the launch of the leather care goods line launching April 15.
Quest to 50 aims to empower consumers with the tools to refresh, rewear and recycle their products. While continuing to maintain high standards in product development, the lifestyle and care content will live on Cuyana’s web site in a “comprehensive care guide that will continue to grow richer with time,” Shah said.
As for what the post-pandemic world will look like for sustainable brands, Shah said, “the past few weeks have taught us that maybe we don’t need as much as we thought we did or were using. From printing to daily commuting, as an industry, we’ve learned that we don’t need as much and don’t need to produce as much.”
For More Sustainability News, See:
Short Takes: Copenhagen Fashion Summit’s New Theme and Other Event Reworks
Time for a Kinder, More Cost-Efficient Era? The Industry Weighs In
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