Welcome to WSTLKE
From a young age I've had a restlessness to see the world. Turquoise water of the Caribbean and snow capped mountaintops of Montana played through my imagination from movies and postcards. To me, these places felt worlds away. As I grew up, the world got smaller and faraway places closer within reach, but the feeling still nagged at me. As I began to cross off some of my bucket list destinations, I saw small corners of the world, seemingly untouched, littered with remnants of people far away. My restlessness evolved into an anxiety that the places I dreamed of might look different by the time I got there myself. My perspectives on modern excessive consumption began to shift, and I reconsidered my own contributions to the problem.
How can one person make a difference?
As a twenty-something year old growing up in a post-Covid world, there are a lot of issues that feel wildly out of my control. My growing shopping addiction however, felt like a manageable start to minimize my harmful impact to the planet (and my bank account). I became fascinated with the ways the fashion industry was hurting our home. The shortening trend cycle on 5th Avenue is exacerbating a mounting textile waste problem. The synthetic remnants of cheap, poorly made clothing are slowly infiltrating our drinking water. The complete lack of traceability in where materials are coming from and how they’re grown, leaves the consumer exhausted in trying to find the “ethical” option. While all enormous issues, the foundation for many of them lie in consumer preferences while shopping. The impact I could have on an individual level felt more tangible with a shift in mindset.
I became consumed with shaking my love for quick, revolving trends. The explosion of social media and the growing reach of small businesses made it easier to shop for high-quality pieces that would last me longer. I pushed myself to hunt for that t-shirt in thrift shops, consignment stores, and small businesses dedicated to fewer pieces made sustainably. I’m a firm believer that clothing is a fun and artistic form of self-expression, but over the years I’ve slowly stopped shopping fast fashion. I’ve come to enjoy the “chase” that enriches each thrifted addition to my closet. Still, I felt there could be more options to integrate a meaningful shopping experience for those interested in a deeper connection to their purchases, while maintaining transparency around the issues that plague the fashion industry as a whole.
What does it mean to be sustainable?
WSTLKE (west-lake) is a sustainable, slow fashion brand and journal dedicated to providing unique, long lasting alternatives to trendy impulse buys. But today, sustainable can mean a lot of different things. A pillar of our foundation is transparency, and in that spirit, here’s exactly what you can expect from us:
WSTLKE aims to create clothes exclusively from all natural fibers that will harmlessly biodegrade at the end of their life cycle. These are 100% cottons, linens, or innovative, biodegradable alternatives that won’t sit in landfills for 100 years (i.e. synthetic polyesters). We will strive to source ethically made materials in an increasingly murky industry space that needs to do better. But we promise to learn and grow as we go and will keep you updated along the way. We aim to make quality, long lasting pieces that will outlast trend cycles and washing cycles so it can stay in your closet for longer. Every collection will be inspired by a specific place around the world; 10% of profits from that collection will be donated to organizations working to clean up, protect, or preserve these beautiful places. All our clothes are made in a zero-waste facility in Brooklyn, New York to minimize supply chains and promote greater transparency in our manufacturing. All of our packaging is made from compostable, biodegradable Corn Starch, PLA, and PBAT materials. For every polybag we purchase, a tree is planted thanks to One Tree Planted organization.
Welcome to WSTLKE
The first blog wouldn’t feel complete without a nod to our name. A love for the world and the outdoors grew from adventurous parents who chose to raise their family on West Lake Road in Skaneateles, New York. Their entrepreneurial spirit and animated stories have pushed us to work hard, travel far, and take risks. In doing so, they never let us forget we will always have a place to come home to. Regardless of the far away places behind the designs, WSTLKE will always be a community to come home to.
The WSTLKE journal, newsletters, lookbooks, and socials will welcome a community of shoppers who are interested in learning more about the world, how to travel responsibly, how to wear responsibly, and how they can minimize their own impact in small ways. If you want to follow along - we’d love to have you! Subscribe to our email list for the latest blogs, travel content, collection drops, or behind the scenes look at our production. Welcome to WSTLKE.
