French brand Jarod-Pi produces limited edition ethical clothing for men and women using nickel-free dyes, certified organic and recycled fabrics. We spoke to founder and designer Roxane Kadoche about the inspiration behind the brand.
What inspired you to launch Jarod-Pi?
There are so many reasons, both animal and environmental; you start with vegetarianism, and over the years, everything becomes natural and conscious. After 17 years working in retail, I realised a radical life change was needed. My sister was already vegetarian, then vegan, and she was my inspiration because she had great difficulties finding clothes without animal matter, that were also ethical and cruelty-free.
In 2017, the “Jarod-Pi” project was born.
Jarod-Pi stands for: Justice Animal Rights Or Disappearance. It is a sustainable brand that respects the planet and all living things that breathe without having to give up style. We create high quality products, produced in limited numbers. We did not want to “over-produce” to ensure the exclusivity of our collections, and be the opposite of fast-fashion. We wanted to highlight the uniqueness of each product without ever losing sight of three fundamentals: ethics, quality and trend.
What are your sustainable priorities for the business?
It has always been our goal to bring goodness! Compassion to animals is also linked to compassion to humans. To me, there is no choice to make between saving one and not the other. Everything must be combined to improve the world by saving all beings on earth and preserving our resources. This is our priority, to find better sourcing in Europe and always under good working conditions. Our materials are certified organic and / or vegetal. We also use recycled and technical materials. For example, one of our partners works with an association that recycles ocean waste. Our biker jacket, Mia is the result of this collaboration – it is made of organic cotton and is completely covered with this technical material made from recycled ocean waste. Our next model will be made with Piñatex®.
How challenging has it been to maintain your eco principles?
Without our principles, Jarod-Pi couldn’t exist. Our story is due to our principles. We took a year to find the family factory we work with and our suppliers, checking and visiting the places and meeting the staff. This is very challenging when you are a new brand and your company is not even created yet, as it can feel as though nobody believes in you.
What have been your biggest milestones and triumphs until now?
Creating our brand without changing our initial ideas. We have never given up. We received certificates and were able to make our first models for our website, our models are produced in imited numbers with the number sewn on the label. A highlight was having our products introduced at the first Vegan Fashion Week in L.A this year.
What have been the main prohibitors to your progress in building a sustainable business?
We struggled to produce because some suppliers were reluctant to support us, mainly due to our requirements for small quantities and cruelty-free friendly.
What advice would you give to anyone hoping to launch a sustainable business?
Believe in yourself;
Believe in your idea and success in your project;
Always try to be a best version of yourself;
Love what you do;
Share your passion!
Which other sustainable businesses have inspired you?
Several sustainable business for fashion, manufacturing, design, concept stores have inspired us. The non-exhaustive list would start with Stella McCartney, Everlane, Mara Hoffman, Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, and many more…
For more brands we love, see our recommended brands database.
Want to start dressing ethically, but are unsure of where to start? See our guide.