Smart. Sustainable. Style. was born late one evening, when the moon was especially bright, the office/studio was especially disorganized, and sustainable fashion designer Melissa Baswell and her faithful staff of saints/sinners hit that wall that forces one to trade in an obnoxiously long work day for (one too many) organic vodka lemonades.
Melissa: I have something to say to you girls. (dramatic pause).
Kari: Oh no. Did we forget to pin tags on that last batch of Audrey Dresses? Because it's 1 AM and my hands are so full of safety pin pricks it looks like I have chicken pox.
Melissa: No no no. (awkwardly rises from chair) I just wanted to say that I am really proud of you guys. And proud of Mountains of the Moon. I mean, this isn't easy, trying to conquer the world through eco-friendly clothing. We've been doing this for a long time, working toward the evolution of fashion, committing ourselves to a creatively marrying style and sustainability, focusing on the future of fashion, being mindful of this industry’s impact on the earth, working to break the (burp) stereotypes of eco-fashion...
Morgan: Well I’m proud too. Cheers to being part of the solution! (clumsy/ungraceful clinking of glasses). Our teams rocks! Maybe someday we’ll become a super-famous household name. Or, you know, even just get to the point where we can pay all our bills.
Melissa: Or end our workdays before 11 PM.
Kari: (while pouring another round) We really are doing a good thing. I mean, it’s not exactly glamorous, but hey, we’re all really immature, and able to share countless inappropriate jokes with each other when we’re knee deep in invoices and organic cotton jersey.
Melissa: Ha! Whoever decided to start circulating the rumor that working in fashion was glamorous is welcome to work here for a week while we all jet off to a secluded beach and eat coconuts.
Morgan: With rum in them.
Kari: I’m in. Mel, maybe we should start a coalition to reveal the inside truth about running an eco-fashion company – the good and the bad, the fun and the, ummm, not-so-fun...
Melissa: Yes! We can have weekly meetings in a tree house with a sign that says "keep out" written in magic marker! And keep secret notebooks abundant with witty banter and contemplations, on topics like the joys of fabric delays and 80-hour work weeks and trying to keep afloat among a pandemic of crappy chain stores that produce “eco-clothes” in sweatshops.
(Morgan laughs and spills drink on Kari’s lap).
Melissa: And, of course, the good parts too, like expressing our creativity through products that could actually create positive change, and getting emails from customers who truly love our clothing.
Morgan: And getting to wear the clothes ourselves.
Kari: Definitely a perk.
Melissa: Honestly, I actually like this idea. But instead of secret notebooks, we could share them, and offer people a glimpse into our world. If anything, we’d give them something to laugh about, because let’s face it, we’re a pretty comical crew over here. And definitely NOT the stereotypical representation of fashion industry sophistication.
Morgan: What, you mean, the week-old apple core sitting on my desk and yesterday’s smudged mascara on your eyes aren’t sophisticated?
Kari: No, but this pair of Taylor Pants that I’ve worn for 3 days in row definitely is. Especially now that they're soaked in half of Morgan's cocktail. Seriously though (hiccup), why not write about this stuff and share it with people? It would actually be pretty entertaining and insightful too.
Melissa: You know, I agree. Maybe we should, I don’t know, start a blog or something.
Morgan: Yes, a blog! Let’s do it! We can call it “My Career in Sustainable Fashion: Why I No Longer Have a Social Life.” Or maybe something slightly more positive...
(Pause for contemplative thought).
Melissa: How about “Smart. Sustainable. Style.?”
Kari and Morgan (in enthusiastic unison, 60’s sitcom style): Love it!
And with that, it all began. (Only moments before we collectively passed out on a pile of hemp/tencel fabric swatches and packing tape).
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