Welcome to our New Website series, where twice a month, we'll be featuring an e-retailer that we love and know our readers will too. Whether it's an old but under-the-radar favorite or a newly-launched label, you'll want to report back to your friends with these finds (or maybe keep them to yourself)!
You may remember that earlier this summer, we gave you a brief introduction to Saul, the L.A.–based and eco-friendly shopping site and brand. However, as the site has only been picking up steam, we decided we needed to know more about the line of cool-girl essentials, and thought you'd appreciate some intel too! So, we tapped the brand's founder and owner, Yasmine Farimani to answer some of our most burning questions—from what makes the brand actually eco-friendly, to how being based in L.A. affects their aesthetic, to what their single most popular piece is (it's a good one).
Scroll through to read the full interview, and then continue to shop our top picks from Saul!
WHO WHAT WEAR: Can you give us a brief history of how, when, and why you launched your site?
Yasmine Farimani: I launched Saul in late Spring of 2015. The idea to launch my own line had been something I'd wanted to do for a long time but growing up in London it seemed like an impossible task; there was always something going on and I never made the time to sit down and really focus. After I moved to L.A., the pace of life slowed down and everything seemed more manageable. It still took some time for me to get going but the idea had been there for years at this point.
WWW: What goes into making your brand environmentally sustainable? We know you use deadstock fabric, but can you tell our readers a bit about what that means exactly?
YF: The deadstock fabrics are key to our collections. What this means is that we purchase fabrics from mills and larger designers that essentially no longer have a need for them. This can happen for a multitude of reasons—perhaps they over-ordered or overproduced a certain fabric or maybe it just didn't sell as well as they’d anticipated. Either way, the reason why doesn’t make a difference to us. It actually enables us to take and use wisely what would otherwise be wasted or tossed out. In turn, using fabrics in this capacity reduces Saul’s carbon footprint as we aren’t purchasing anything new or putting mills to work to create fabrics specifically for our needs. Furthermore, our scale of production is super small. Since we use deadstock fabrics, we can only make a specific number of items out of a single fabric. A smaller scope of production (small, limited collections) allows for a less negative environmental impact.
WWW: Are there any challenges that come along with your commitment to sustainability?
YF: The problem with using deadstock fabrics is that only a limited number of garments can be sewn, so for popular items, it’s often very hard to keep up with the demand. I’m swamped with emails every day asking when a certain style in a certain color will be back in stock and unfortunately, more often than not, the answer is never. Basically, once it's gone it's gone! However, we are trying to fix this issue by purchasing readily available, sustainably manufactured fabrics. So, that's something we hope to offer our customers more of in the future. In fact, there will be a sneak preview of this in our upcoming FW collection so stay tuned!
WWW: How does social media play into your business?
YF: It's been a huge part of getting Saul off the ground. I personally handle all of our social media and I rely heavily on Instagram; even though I’m certainly no pro, it's probably the most relatable social media platform to me. I find it difficult to engage with people via Facebook and Twitter on a professional level so that's something I need to work on.
WWW: How has being based in L.A. affected your aesthetic?
YF: Yes, being here has undeniably changed my vision. If I had started this label whilst living in London or New York I imagine it would’ve looked very different. Maybe I’m completely off the mark but I see fashion as being dictated in part by the weather and lifestyle of the surrounding environment. L.A. is hot and the living is laid back; the silhouettes of clothing made here are very reflective of that.
WWW: What has been the single most popular piece from your latest collection?
YF: The Two Way Wrap Top!
WWW: What makes Saul different from other brands?’
YF: Saul is fun and easy, and every collection is so diverse while simultaneously catering to the needs of many different people of all ages.
Continue to shop our picks from Saul!
The top is great; the color is even better.
We love a miniskirt moment.
Can you ever really have enough off-the-shoulder tops?
We're so glad the slip dress trend is still going strong.
Need a new LBD?
Style this with white trousers for a crisp summer look.
Wear this well into fall by layering it over your favorite sweaters.
Pair this with vintage-inspired denim for an off-duty look that's so L.A.
Style this with sneakers for an unexpected and amazing look.
Do you have any favorite sites you'd like to see featured next? Share them with us in the comments!
Opening Image: Adam Katz Sinding of Le 21ème
