Today we’d like to introduce you to Landon Nash.
Landon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I don’t have the most conventional route to fashion. Prior to starting Tact & Stone, I was a real estate agent in San Francisco. I loved my job and had built a successful career at a young age; I had no intention of getting out. However, I happened across an article about the fashion industry, how wasteful it is, and how much it contributes to climate change (one of the largest contributors in the world!)… I was blown away! I had no idea it took ~750 gallons of water to produce one cotton tee shirt; or that 10 million tons of clothing waste go to landfill every year, just in the US. I’ve always had a personal passion for sustainability and living my life in a way I felt was positive, and realized that I was contributing to the problem through my fashion consumption. From there, I went looking for a brand I could feel good buying from; one that was building sustainability into the foundation of their company and taking a real stab at making a difference. Outside of Patagonia and Outerknown, I couldn’t find anyone. As much as I love those two brands and appreciate what they are doing for our industry, they didn’t offer me the everyday style that I wanted or needed (I am a city boy after all). This was the genesis for me to start Tact & Stone.
I wanted a brand that authentically tackled all of the issues of sustainability within the apparel industry but offered the essentials and classic menswear that I needed. I built Tact & Stone different: 100% sustainable materials, 100% ethical production, 0% sacrifice on quality or style. I know this might sound simple, but no one else is doing it. You get some brands that talk a lot about sustainability or ethical practices within the industry, but if you look deeper they still use conventional cotton or virgin synthetics (polyester, nylon, spandex)… we will simply never do this. Additionally, we built Tact & Stone with the ability to implement circularity… we’re not quite there yet as we’re a newer brand and need time for our customers to wear our garments long enough to be ready to trade them in (we built our clothing to last years and years). We launched Tact & Stone in mid-2019, just before the pandemic… I know great timing! It’s been a tough start as a start-up in the apparel world amidst a global pandemic, but I’m so proud to still be standing and still making a positive impact through our clothing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It most definitely has not been a smooth road. We launched just before the pandemic, and navigating it as a small brand has been difficult. We had to make some pivots post-COVID; like cultivating some retail partnerships (online and IRL) which has helped us stay in front of customers and helped amplify our message and mission. Starting a business is never easy, especially when you’re trying to do things differently in such an established industry. But we are so passionate about our mission that it’s all worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Tact & Stone. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Tact & Stone is an apparel brand centered around ethical production, sustainable materials, circularity, and classic style… We are proving that you don’t have to sacrifice quality or style for authentic sustainable products. We are known for sustainable innovation and quality products. We built all of our products to last for years and years, using the lowest-impact materials in the world. And the bonus; when you’re ready for a new piece, you can send it back to us and we’ll turn it into a new garment.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I believe success has been defined by monetary success and monetary success alone. I believe we haven’t looked at the impacts of our actions and “success”. To me success is looking at the whole of one’s impact. For myself and Tact & Stone, success means business profitability alongside environmental and social progress and not putting one above the other. We always look at the whole of our impact with every business decision we make and want to drive business success through our positive impact of our brand and products.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://tactandstone.com/
- Instagram: @tactandstone
- Twitter: @tactandstone
