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KEVIA: BRAND ECOLOGY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION

THE NEW LINEGET A SNEAK PEAK AT OUR 2014 LINE FEATURING SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED WATER BUFFALO HORN, RECYCLED BRASS, AND RECYCLED LEATHER REMNANTS

PORTLAND LIVINGHOW LIVING IN PORTLAND HAS INFLUENCED OUR THINKING AT HOME AND IN THE OFFICE

Q&AKEVIA JEFFREY-WEST TALKS DESIGN, SUSTAINABLITY, AND THE FASHION INDUSTRY

NOW AND THENHOW KEVIA GOT WHERESHE IS TODAY

OFFICE SUSTAINABLITYSIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORK ENVIRONMENT

MEGAN MCKEAN/DESIGN DIRECTOR STEPHANEY DANCE/ASSISTANT EDITOR

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LIVING THE PORTLAND LIFE

erched atop the West Hills, the Pit-tock Mansion overlooks the city-scape of Portland, OR; the summit of Mt. Hood appears just beyond. On this sunny summer afternoon,

four women enter the grounds with a pic-nic basket, croquet set, string instruments, and a vintage camera. They spend the day eating locally made food, and locally grown produce including organic blueberries and blackberries. They photograph the covet-ed mansion grounds, generously lined with rose bushes and native plants, and savor the city and Forest Park views. They dress up in 1960’s clothing from the Decades Vintage Company, and talk about their favorite ep-isodes of Mad Men while playing croquet. They jam on vintage instruments on a pea-cock patterned picnic blanket made in the 1960’s. And while they smile, laugh, and talk animatedly like old friends, these mod-els met only hours ago for Kevia’s 2013 photo-shoot. Like her photo-shoot, Kevia’s line embod-ies both Portland’s environmental beauty and sustainable lifestyle values. The com-

pany’s manufacturing, administrative, and day to day operational culture draw on the city’s innovations in the areas of public transit, urban planning, sustainable farming, curbside recycling and compost programs, and environmental protection programs. Its social media, store display materials, and product packaging materials are also de-signed to embody lesser known aspects of local culture including bike transit, nature inspired design, cooperative art and fash-ion collectives, and art and design move-ments that feature reclaimed materials. The abundance of forests, rivers, and mountains that surround the City of Roses offer Port-landers a reminder that daily lifestyle and business choices directly affect community health and environmental quality. A visual representation of Kevia’s Portland lifestyle can be viewed at www.pinterest.com/kevia-jewelry.

PSeasonal Eating, Local Shopping, Sustainable Living

HOW LIVING IN PORTLAND HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE LIVE, WORK & THINK

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Jewelry, KEVIA, www.keviastyle.com | Vintage Clothing, DECADES VINTAGE, www.decadesvintage.com | Pickled Carrots, DUKER’S, www.ourfavoritefoods.net| Hazelnuts, FOSTER & DOBBS, www.fosteranddobbs.com | Baguette, LOVEJOY BAKERY, www.lovejoybakers.com| Salami, CHOP, www.salumicuredmeats.com | Chocolate, COCANU, www.coca.nu | Hibiscus Iced Tea , STEVEN SMITH, www.smithtea.com| Kombucha, TOWNSHEND’S TEA COMPANY, www.townshendstea.com | Organic Blackberries & Blueberries, picked in WA | All other goods made in Portland, OR

A PICNIC AT THE PITTOCK MANSIONPortland, Oregon

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Having just completed my degree in Design Management and Sustainability from The Art Institute of Portland, I was thrilled to land a spot in Kevia’s summer internship program. As we prepared our application for the 2013 CDFA/Lexus Eco-Challenge, I sat down with the designer to talk about how she incorporates sustainability in her company.—Stephany Dance

SD: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTALIST?

KJW: There were two things that motivated me to become an environmen-talist: The first was a week spent backpack-ing in Yosemite National Park as a senior in high school. The sheer enormity and beauty of the park inspired me to return home and become more active in envi-ronmental efforts in my community. The second was a canoe trip on the Columbia Slough in Portland, where I learned about efforts to educate people on the health hazards of eating fish from polluted wa-ters. It wasn’t until I learned more about urban environmental issues that I really saw the link between social action and en-vironmental policy change. Once I made the leap from making sustainable lifestyle choices to seeing myself as someone that could affect change, I began to identify as

an environmentalist.

SD: WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR JEWELRY LINE, DID YOU ALWAYS DESIGN WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND?

KJW: Yes, I was armed with an ed-ucation and work experience in environ-mental policy, but I had to learn how to apply those principles to a fashion busi-ness. Initially I made each piece domes-

tically but then realized that most of the raw materials on the market—wire, met-al sheets, stones—were being imported from China and India and then resold in the US. With my firsthand experience [gained while she lived in Zimbabwe] with the positive impact fair trade can have in developing countries, I began to look for opportunities that would allow me to better control the entire manufac-turing process, including the sourcing of raw materials. Our current policy focus-es on supply chain efficiency, we source materials within the country where they are mined and then have local artisans there make the finished goods. Bypass-ing importers and working directly with factories decreases the amount of energy used to transport the finished product and also enables me to better compensate our suppliers. There are also cases where a particular region specializes in a tech-nique or raw material. We work with a female-owned factory in Vietnam for our water buffalo pieces because the country has a long history of horn carving and the factory has a commitment to sustainable practices.

SD: FOR YOUR BRAND, DOES SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS MORE ON PEOPLE, PROFIT OR PLANET?

Ecologica Kissing Rhino Necklace

Kevia Jeffrey-West

an environmentalist.

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KJW: They are all interrelated but if I had to pick one over the others, I would say definitely people. Our sustainability prac-tices with our factories are built on formal agreements, but ultimately, relationships built on trust and shared values keep us on track with our environmental goals. I think there are some falsely manufactured choic-es out there, like the idea of the environment protection versus jobs or sustainability ver-sus profit. Sometimes it is more expensive to source sustainably, but in some cases we actually save money with eco-conscious choices. A recent example of this is that we switched our catalog from paper printing to reclaimed wood usb drives, and the cost of the drives is half the cost of printed paper catalogs. I also think we need to view profit more broadly than monetary gain. Every-one benefits from a healthier plant and we can draw great satisfaction from offering living wages and supporting green technol-ogies. Likewise, the cost of unsustainable manufacturing may cost a company less in the short run, but the total cost of the result-ing environmental degradation and declin-ing quality of life are immeasurable.

SD: WITH EACH COLLECTION, HOW DO YOU CONTINUOUSLY FIND NEW INSPIRATION? HOW DO YOU CONTINU-OUSLY FIND WAYS TO TIE IN SUSTAINABILITY?

KJW: Sometimes inspiration comes from specific goals related to using sustain-able materials and other times I try to raise awareness about specific issues. It has taken many years to get to where we are today in terms of access to sustainable materials. Of-ten, we’ve had to create new ways to source the materials. For example, increasing our recycled content from 50% to100% took over two years. In order to locally source enough recycled metals to meet the manu-facturing requirements of our primary metal factory in India, the factory literally had to go from door to door, visiting other shops to let suppliers know we would buy used met-al jewelry, ornaments, etc. For the leathers I am using for the Eco-Challenge collection, the idea of using leather remnants came to me when I visited a handbag factory that had a warehouse with leather remnants that they had no use for. The remnants were piled two stories high!

In other cases, direction comes from a specific environmental concern I want to address or raise awareness about. Species preservation work is important to me, so for my Ecologica collection I started with the idea of designing pieces inspired by endangered species from different parts of the world. The pieces embody the natural world’s beauty and serve as a reminder of what we stand to lose without environmen-tal conservation. I am donating 15% of the net proceeds to national and internation-al conservation efforts that work to pre-serve habitat for the species featured in the collection.

SD: IN WHAT WAYS DO YOUR DAILY PROCESSES OR COLLECTIONS GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY?

KJW: We have given cash and in-kind donations to over 50 community organiza-tions across the country. We also launched an effort to support tree planting efforts in U.S. Urban areas to increase forestation, but also to promote environmental educa-tion and awareness. A new tree is planted in a U.S. urban or wilderness area with the purchase of any of our Nouveau Horn col-lection. We have donated 2,000 tree plant-ings to date.

SD: WHAT IS AN AREA WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD CHANGE?

KJW: I’d like to see the fashion indus-try become more active in policy changes related to sustainability. Many of the sus-tainable material and labor options we have are limited and could be better supported by changes in national environmental policies and trade policies.

Ecologi

ca Beet

le Horn

Neck

lace

Ecologica Fossil Ring

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1976 Born in 1975, Kevia helps her grandparents with recycling and home gardening from an early age.

1997-1999 Kevia’s first trip to Zimababwe includes living with a community of artists and studying the principles of fair trade.

1993 Kevia begins to identify as an environ-mentalist in high school. She joined the recycling club and worked on local conservation fieldtrips.

1996-1998 As an EPA intern Kevia designs environ-mental education programs for youth and helped develop policies to support Environmental Justice in the Pacific Northwest.

1997-1999

“Like many working class people from rural communities, Kevia’s grandparents’ way of life was fueled by cost consciousness and an ethic that nothing should go to waste.”

Art is the only source of income for most women in Weya.

Kevia and Veronica, her Weya, Zimbabwe host mother.

Veronica painting at home.

1997-1999

Kevia back packing in Yosemite.

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“Like many working class people from rural communities, Kevia’s grandparents’ way of life was fueled by cost consciousness and an ethic that nothing should go to waste.”

1997-1999 Kevia's first jewelry designs are made by Zimabawean jewelers, after she begins collecting locally mined and cut gem stones during her undergraduate study abroad program.

2005 Line is launched with focus on fair-trade, supply chain efficiency, and recycled wood. Vendor contracts include a focus on sustainability.

2007-2008 Kevia designs her show fixtures & has them built using local craftsmen and sustainable materials.

2009 Kevia sources raw materials from their country of origin and hires local artisans to finish the pieces. Metal work is now made with 50% recycled metals.

2012 The designer switches from recycled content paper packing to natural fiber pouches. Additional branding related item bamboo display plaques, recycled paper brand tags and store display cards.

2011 Having strengthened her network of metal provid-ers, the line transitions to 100% recyled metals in 2011.

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100% RECYCLED METALS

OUR MATERIALS

SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED WATER BUFFALO HORN100%

RECYCLED METALS

LOCALLY MINED STONESARE CUT IN HOUSE

A NEW TREE IS PLANTED IN A U.S. URBAN OR WILDERNESS AREA WITH EACH NOUVEAU HORN PURCHASE. WE HAVE PLANTED OVER 2,000 TREES SO FAR.

15% OF THE NET PROCEEDS

FROM THE ECOLOGICA COLLECTION ARE DONATED TO ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Nouveau Horn Earrings

Ecologica Beetle Necklace

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ECO CHALLENGEMATERIALS

INTRODUCING RECYCLED LEATHER REMNANT COLLECTION

SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED WATER BUFALLO HORN

A REPORT BY THE UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ESTIMATES THAT LEATHER MANUFACTURING GENERATES 805,656 TONS OF WASTE PER YEAR.

JEWELRY COLLECTION REPURPOSES LEATHER REMNANTS AND USES RECYCLED METALS AND SUSTAINABLY HARVEST BUFFALO HORN.

KEVIA'S ECO-CHALLENGE

RECYCLED LEATHER REMNANTS

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IFMA FOUNDATIONKevia would like to demonstrate her continued commitment to sustainability by completing sustainability audits in at least one of her manufacturing partners’ factories in India and Vietnam: In doing so, we plan to improve efficiency by at least 30%. The audits would use evaluation and implementation frameworks de-veloped by the IFMA Foundation and Green Build Council. The audits would follow the five areas of review as outlined by the IFMA Foundation.

1 Energy efficiency: The process would measure the current en-ergy usage at the factory and implement energy saving policies that increase operational efficiency and conserve resources.

2 Water: Water use and waste management would also be eval-uated. Reviewing our current water usage and processing would be a critical topic to cover so that we can successfully implement additional water saving strategies.

3 Indoor Environment: Since artisans spend most of their time working inside the factories, maintaining healthy indoor quality is essential. There are many contributors to indoor environmen-tal quality including the building’s ventilation system, workplace smoking policy, techniques and materials that limit chemi¬cal us-age, and the use of green cleaning supplies and tech¬niques – all of which can be evaluated by the audits.

LEATHER RINGMADE WITH LEATHER REMNANTS & RECYCLED BRASS PLATED WITH 22K GOLD

COLLAR NECKLACEMADE WITH HORN, LEATHER REMNANTS, & RECYCLED BRASS PLATED WITH 22K GOLD

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4 Site Location: This portion of the process evaluates site specific energy use and transportation considerations. It also evaluates work-place policies that impact sustainability. For example, we have em-ployees that work from home in India which decreases transportation related pollution, while many of them already ride their bicycles . There are other strategies along these lines that can be implemented with the help of the audit.

5 Triple Bottom Line: The audit would measure and create options for improving my company’s and our factories’ commitment to the concept of triple bottom line. Rather than focusing solely on eco-nomic profit, the concept of triple bottom line factors social and en-vironmental considerations into thinking about profit.

HORN CUFFMADE WITH HORN, LEATHER REMNANTS, & RECYCLED BRASS PLATED WITH 22K GOLD

POST EARRINGSMADE WITH LEATHER REMNANTS, & RECYCLED BRASS PLATED WITH 22K GOLD

LEATHER & WIRE CUFFMADE WITH LEATHER REMNANTS & RECYCLED BRASS PLATED WITH 22K GOLD

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SIMPLE STEPS TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORK ENVIRONMENT

FIVE SIMPLE TIPS FOR BUILDING A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY

1 BUILD A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABIL-ITY WITHIN YOUR COMPANY THROUGH LEADING BY EXAMPLE. Do you carpool? Use public transit? Reduce, re-use, & re-cycle? Eat seasonal food? Modeling sus-tainable lifestyle choices is the best way to set the tone in the office. On a larger scale, building a culture of sustainability means that values and goals related to sustainabil-ity are reflected in all company policies, procedures, strategic goals, and day- to-day operations. On the administrative side of the business we incorporate sustainability principles in our use and purchase of pack-aging and display materials, office supplies, tradeshow displays and energy use.

2 VIEW SUSTAINABILITY AS A PROCESS, NOT AN END GOAL. Instead of simply thinking about how to green your business, develop goals and strategies for how to approach critical business decisions. Expecting hiccups in the process and being willing to change course when new tech-nologies arise, are critical to achieving both meaningful and long-term results.

3 GET A SUSTAINABILITY AUDIT FOR YOUR OFFICE. Many states have city or state offices of sustainability. In Portland we are certified as a sustainable office by the City of Portland’s Sustainability at Work program. They provide free sustain-ability audits and technical assistance that enable companies to reach sustainability goals. Research local options for energy audits. A free energy audit offered through a statewide initiative helped us enroll in renewable energy programs for our office heating and electricity.

4 RECYCLE AND REUSE. Many offices recycle, but do you reuse or repurpose mate-rials as well? Creative ways to reuse office waste production include making notepads out of the blank side of used paper, posting ads online to give away packaging supplies that can’t be recycled, and using left over production materials for photo props.

5 MAKE IT FUN! Host a competition to see who makes the best craft using remnants and old production materials. At the end of the year, we repurpose the fabric used for our tradeshow booth to make bedding, ta-ble clothes, and furniture covers. If buying green office supplies isn’t thrilling, spice it up by buying art painted on reclaimed wood for the office – it’s decorative and inspiring!

Incorporating sustainable practices was second nature for Kevia since she worked in the field of environmental education and policy for eight years before launching her jewelry line. For many companies, approaching sustainability is a daunting proposition. Below, Kevia shares five tips for making sustainability more approachable and even enjoyable in the workplace.

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SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AT KEVIA

1. We participate in renewable energy programs with our power and natural gas providers. | 2. We upcycle the fabric used in our tradeshow booth to make pillows and bedding | 3. We save all of our unused, one sided prints, and have them made into notepads 4. biomethane from cows helps power our office | 5. We recycle and compost at our office and homes | 6. Walla Sweet Onions, we grow our own organic fruits and vegetables each season

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SIMPLE STEPS WE TAKE TO MAKE OUR OFFICE AND HOME ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE

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