Meet Katherine Quigley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Quigley. 

Hi Katherine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
When I was pregnant with my son, I started to become more careful about my choices, realizing that every choice I made now affected the little guy growing inside me. I initially started with food – being diligent to eat more organic, non-processed foods. But after some research, I began to realize that what I put on my body could also have a serious effects on my health. While I found options for chemical-free lotions and safe sunscreens, what I learned about clothing startled me. The vast majority of clothing is laden with harmful and toxic chemicals. They use petroleum-derived fibers, carcinogenic dyes and there are over 8,000 chemicals used in the processing and creation of modern textiles like clothing. Not to mention that these same chemicals end up in our waterways and are responsible for 17%-20% of global water pollution. I couldn’t find any options that were truly safe for myself, my son, and our Earth, so I decided to create my own. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been struggles. It wasn’t an easy feat to make everything truly all-natural. Many manufacturers said they would only use polyester sewing thread because the cotton thread won’t work on industrial machines (which they do). Others tried to convince use we couldn’t sew certain pieces without using industry-standard chemicals adhesive musings or synthetic elastics. Also, a lot of the materials we use are very hard to find, and some were impossible. For example, we ended up making naturally dyed organic cotton sewing thread in-house here in Los Angeles, because we couldn’t fine it anywhere. Breaking from industry norms to create truly clean clothing has definitely been an uphill battle. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The most unique aspect of Sustain is that all of the clothing and accessories are 100% natural. While there are many clothing companies out there that claim to be natural, they typically only refer to the fabric and exclude the petrochemical dyes, chemical post-treatments, and synthetics elastics, lace, and other trim, not to mention the industry standard polyester sewing thread. All of the clothing Sustain makes are 100% natural, using plant and mineral dyes that have been safely used for hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of years, and using organic cotton trim, natural rubber elastic, and organic sewing thread so that every single thing that touches a customer’s skin is safe and chemical-free. It also means that all of our clothing is fully biodegradable. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The demand for natural clothing has seen a large increase over the last several years, and I believe that as more and more people become aware of the terrible consequences to our environment and to our own bodies resulting from the high use of toxic chemicals in our clothing, this will only increase. One important change we are working for is to increase labeling requirements for clothing to include the types of chemicals used (e.g., dyes and chemical finishes used). If we can get this passed, everyone will learn what is really in their clothing and the textile industry will be forced to clean up its act. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sustainbykat.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainbykat/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/sustainbyKat/