Nothing takes the cake quite like sustainable brands that are also local! Being a small business, we love supporting local brands as much as we can, and today we're featuring a handful of our faves. Share the love and let the love come back to you!
A "lifestyle brand for badass individuals", Carrie Marill is an artist of many mediums - designing jewelry and apparel all from her studio in Solana Beach. Carrie's pieces are art driven, bringing a unique flare with the use of playful patterns and color. Sourcing materials from her travels, she makes each jewelry piece by hand.
Owner and founder, Carrie Marill sporting some of her handmade bracelets and a top she designed and sewed herself.
As for apparel, all collections are small batch and crafted from dead-stock fabric (unwanted material from previous fashion collections that would otherwise be sent to the landfill), and manufactured in Arizona - Yay for USA made! To top it off, a powerful group of women make up the PUNKWASP team - Power of the Puss, baby!
An array of the fun and funky Punkwasp bracelets we sell at the shop.
You can shop her select one-of-a-kind bracelets at Thread Spun, and her full collections at her beautiful space in Solana Beach - 349 Coast Hwy 101.
When you get dressed in the morning, you ~pair up~ various pieces from your closet to authentically express yourself, and that's where the name comes from! In their eyes, fashion is a mindful art, not disposable waste (which we second), and from this principle, the small team creates thoughtful and colorful basics that will stand the test of time.
Founder, designer, ~and~ seamstress, Emma Brooks.
Based in San Diego, founder Emma and her teammate Sabrina are a hardworking duo. They work side by side to handle a majority of their production process; from designing to dyeing, sewing to even screen printing their own tags in house. They take pride in using up-cycled cotton, dead-stock fabrics, and keep ALL scraps to work into one of a kind designs.
Jo, our shop manager, modeled a while back for Pair Up and is seen here wearing the Sun Hat in Desert Sand.
We love the Sun Hats so much we had to bring a couple colors into our little shop by the sea. Pair-up is so much more than that, though - Check out their site for vests, jackets, and more accessories.
A San Diego, women run brand built on the foundation of celebrating artisanal crafts and processes. "Minga" is a way of life in Ecuador; when friends and family devote time and energy to work toward a common goal communally - and this is exactly what Made by Minga does. Partnering with a team of women in Ecuador, they work together to create hats, bags (and more), from natural fibers and plant dyes, with traditional methods that have been passed down generationally. Everything is 100% made by hand with low impact materials, and fair trade labor. Check out their instagram @madebyminga for some behind the scenes of their processes.
La Ranchera Straw Hat
A brand that we have worked with for a while now, you may have seen some of their bags and hats in the shop (or maybe not, because they go quick!) We do have one last Carmen Knot Crossbody Bag at the shop if you're interested, I bought this bag for myself a while back and has since made itself a bag rotation essential! Be sure to keep a look out for their booths at various fairs around the area. They're also hosting a retreat where you can see the behind the scenes of the production process and so much more! You can learn more about the creative escape here.
The Carmen Knot Crossbody Bag, handmade in Ecuador by artisans who have perfected their craft over centuries.
Originally from Barcelona, husband and wife Noelia Pahissa and Jose Fuentes had moved to San Diego back in 2004. These two grew up wearing the classic sandal, avarcas, so of course the couple packed them in their bags when they moved to the US. What they weren't expecting, but turned into the best accident, were all the compliments on the sandals they received which gave Noelia the idea to bring avarcas over here and boy, are we glad she did.
Taken from Avarcas USA's website, the classic style avarcas in white
Avarcas USA works directly with the original Pons Avarcas brand to bring sustainably and authentically crafted Spanish footwear to America. Pons has been crafting shoes with the utmost attention to detail for three generations now. Made by hand and using raw materials sourced from Spain like all natural leather and recycled tires, these shoes are built with sustainability and longevity in mind.
While we don't currently have adult sizes in stock at the moment, we do have the most adorable kids sized avarcas!
Originally focused on baby apparel, this San Diego brand had built a name for itself by creating clothing for the little ones that were just as fashionable as they were functional and sustainable. Those values still hold true to this brand but! Drum roll please... they've expanded their production into women's clothing as well! After hearing countless people say "Wow, I wish this came in my size!" they have evolved from just baby clothing to matching pieces for the mamas. Noble has also partnered with other sustainable brands whose products compliment theirs and are continuing to work with them as they enter this new chapter.
The Adult Utility Suit in French Blue that we may or may not be getting in the coming weeks ;)
Sourcing organic, natural, or recycled fabrics locally limits their carbon footprint while creating items that last is a big yes. An even bigger yes (in our personal book) is the fact that they work only with suppliers that are committed to paying fair wages and providing safe work environments. We are so excited to start carrying Noble in the shop as their values align with ours perfectly! We're expecting the collection to arrive soon so keep an eye out on our instagram for that announcement!
The Kids Utility Suit in French Blue that we may or may not be getting in the coming weeks ;)
If you have or know of any sustainable San Diego based brands then please reach out to us at hello@threadspun.co! We love to support our fellow small businesses trying to do some good in the world and tackle the fast fashion industry!
