For New York-based designer Mia Vesper, sustainability has always been at the forefront of her namesake brand’s ethos. Her first piece, in 2016, was a duster coat made from vintage carpet fabric, sewn by the Russian grandmother of the owner of a small shoe repair shop in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. She continues to emphasize the importance of garment “specialness” in the clothes she makes for the Mia Vesper label: the materials she works with carry stories and memories and most don’t even exist in fabric shops today.
“When people talk about sustainability, I think something that’s often missing from the conversation is the concept of specialness,” Vesper (pictured, top) said. “And whether you’re using a new, vintage or deadstock material, if whatever you’re making has enough of a voice to deserve its place in the world, I believe that that’s sustainable.”
Vesper started her brand when the concept of upcycling was in its early stages, using primarily deadstock and vintage fabrics to construct coats and blazers. Today, Vesper also uses new material in her garments. The decision to incorporate new material forced her to reflect on what sustainability really means to her. And even though she’s no longer just working with recycled materials, Vesper continues to prioritize her small-batch, made-to-order, made in New York process. “It’s not just about feeling okay with what you make, but feeling like you can stand by it 100 percent,” she said.
Vesper launches a spring collection every year, and also has a ready-to-wear line of impossibly intricate dresses — some made from the same fabric Vesper used to design a look for Beyoncé in her “Black is King” video — and ultra-cool skirts, crop tops, and jumpsuits. Every single piece is made with intention.
“I never make stuff just because of expectations,” Vesper said. She doesn’t create pieces just to flush out a collection or have a line ready in time for fashion week. And while that does mean she sometimes misses out on landmark opportunities, Vesper focuses on the long-term and the big picture. “Everything comes second-tier to the brand’s integrity,” she said.
Vesper does see the fashion industry moving in this direction as well. She believes more brands will prioritize intentionality and start increasing their usage of recycled fabrics. But she also encourages designers and consumers to think not only about the materials that go into their clothing, but also the environmental impact of packaging, shipping, and transporting garments.
The designer is still finalizing the official tagline for the Mia Vesper brand, which combines politics and impact, draping and exquisite fabrics to create one-of-a-kind clothing. She likes the sound of “Really good clothes for kind of bad girls,” and also has a few other options. But one thing’s for sure — these kind of bad girls are really passionate about great clothes.
