What could be better than shopping and doing good at the same time? Amour Vert, the insanely chic and ethically sound company understands and even better, have it all figured out. While you browse their elegant dresses and almost unrealistically soft tees, they will plant trees and ensure everything they do is sustainable. With retail powerhouse Aaron Hoey at the helm as CEO, it is no surprise this California brand is going from strength to strength.
Tell us about your tree planting initiative.
AARON HOEY: It's the Buy A Tee, Plant A Tree initiative—it’s as simple as that. Through our ongoing partnership with American Forest we have established a program where each sale of an Amour Vert tee shirt is accompanied by the planting of a tree in North America. This initiative is extended where you can plant addition trees by adding $1 donations to your cart, we also give customers the option to plant these trees in the name of or as a gift of a loved one. To date, tee-shirt sales have sponsored over 220,000 trees planted on North American soil, you can watch our live tree count and see where the trees are being planted. Amour Vert is committed to taking a holistic approach to environmental improvements through not only the production of our clothing but also by engaging our customers in initiatives such as Buy a Tee, Plant a Tree.
You’ve thought of sustainability from every angle, even the packaging. Talk a little bit about that.
AH: After building sustainable garments for almost 10 years, we realized we also wanted to make an impact through our packaging, too. Last year we took on the mission to find 100 percent biodegradable, compostable and recyclable packaging and we accomplished just that.
Describe the customer you design for.
AH: Our clothes can be best described as “effortlessly sustainable” with a strong “California Cool meets Parisian chic” aesthetic that dresses our customers from dawn to dusk. Not only are our garments beautiful, but they are also extremely versatile and soft, allowing them to be worn every day to a variety of occasions. With this in mind, our customers are looking for clothes that are environmentally conscious and sustainable, without having to compromise luxury and style.
What are some of your favorite pieces right now?
AH: I am very excited about our expansion into menswear. I think our collection of basics, which includes sweatshirts, t-shirts and sneakers, are great everyday basics that any man can wear and enjoy for the long haul, including myself. We’re looking to continue to expand this into other categories, stay tuned for the holidays!
What inspires you?
AH: The intersection of high-quality fashion and positive environmental impact. This is what inspires me and what drives our brand to successfully merge the two in a way that appeals to consumers—and that is exactly what we have been doing. Being a sustainable fashion company in a world of fast fashion takes many extra steps for the well-worth-it result of helping the environment.
What’s next for the brand?
AH: We’ve structured ourselves as a platform for other sustainable collaborations. We just launched our men’s collection and we plan to expand further on product offerings for him beyond basics. In the next two to three years, we will focus on domestic growth while also expanding internationally both in e-commerce as well as brick and mortar. We currently operate nine stores in California, Atlanta and Seattle.
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