Pine & Fable Photography
Amrêve is an organic women’s clothing line by a sustainably-minded Scarsdale couple that provides an alternative to fast fashion.
As summer wardrobe staples like shorts and tank tops fade out, fall favorites like soft sweaters and comfy loungewear take the spotlight when it’s time to get dressed. However, when keeping in mind the highly processed nature of fast fashion that tends to dominate seasonal trends, that new fall wardrobe may not be the best for your skin and overall well-being.
That is why Nicole Vives, founder of Amrêve, alongside her husband Dany Vives, released a comfy loungewear line that’s sustainably designed to meet the wearer’s needs and prioritize wellness.
“The overall goal is to continue our mission to improve the health and happiness of women whenever we can,” Nicole explains.
Amrêve launched online less than a month ago. Yet it was around 2018 and 2019 that Nicole constructed the idea for the brand when she realized the terrible impacts of the clothes she was wearing.
“Fast fashion is in our faces all the time, and it’s trendy,” she observes. Unfortunately, it can cause microplastics, such as polyester, in the clothes to travel into wastewater that is then dumped in the ocean or even absorbed into our skin. For factory workers at nonorganic clothing brands, this skin absorption can also be coupled with negative impacts from other potentially hazardous chemicals.
Following these realizations, Nicole tried to find brands that sold organic clothing as she converted to a healthier lifestyle. However, she hit a dead end when the brands she found would advertise selling organic clothing lines but were not actually certified. Nicole notes, “It was sort of brainwashing.”
That’s when she asked around her circle to see if people were interested in organic clothing and her mission. And they were!
“Let me just start it myself then,” she recalls thinking to herself. Soon after, she began crafting a brand inspired by her target market of millennials who care about their health and well-being and are interested in trying new things to improve their life. On top of that, they still desire cute yet comfortable clothes that are versatile and long-lasting.
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Nicole began researching business essentials, such as production factories, including some in Turkey, India, Peru, and places in Europe. However, when COVID-19 hit in 2020, it delayed business planning.
Eventually, after the pandemic cooled down, Nicole and Dany settled production in a factory in Peru that gathers its organic pima cotton from small Peruvian farms. The organic pima cotton is an insecticide- and pesticide-free cotton that is USDA- and GOTS-certified.
Nicole has a background in business; after she and Dany met at business school, she worked at a law firm for her 9-5 while always maintaining an interest in fashion. She sketched some of Amrêve’s products but had to collaborate with a technical fashion designer to perfect her designs and truly capture her vision for both the planet and her customers.
“We’re basically one of the originators for wellness wear. It’s clothing that is intrinsically linked to how you feel,” she notes.
Amrêve currently sells four products, including its organic bralette, organic hoodie, organic fitted joggers, and organic bike shorts. With inspiration from herself and her friends and customers, Nicole has plans for a jumpsuit to be made over the course of a few months. Eventually, she’d love to transform the brand to include everyday clothing, such as buttoned shirts and casual jeans.
Currently, the brand’s products are catered toward women. However, as the company grows, Nicole is open to including a menswear line. In accordance with the brand’s mission, she is waiting on customer feedback before producing more ideas and products because, she says, “I don’t want to contribute to all the horrible waste in the world. We are very conscious of sustainability.”
She is even optimistic about having a circular economy in the future where people can send their clothes to the company, and the factory can break them down to be reused.
To learn more about Amrêve and its products, visit the brand’s website.
