Creating a sustainable fashion brand in 2023 My name is Ema Volta. Creating a brand like this has been my biggest goal since I was a little girl. I started this journey right after leaving everything I knew behind in Montenegro and moving to the US alone at the age of 21. The story begins in 2018. I was freshly graduated with a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design and full of ideas. Immediately, I fell in love with the lifestyle and inspiration a diverse city like Miami offers. After working in fashion and design for a year, I noticed a significant gap in healthy and sustainable clothing practices - I was taken aback by how much waste fashion creates, and heartbroken by the consequences, it leaves on our planet. Driven by creativity and the need to find a solution, my focus was to find an eco-friendly material that would benefit both humans and Earth. Right around the same time, I moved to northern California and co-founded a medical cannabis company - call it destiny or fate. Through the process of operating such a company, I realized a lot of unused material was going to waste. Funnily enough, it turns out that fabric made from hemp stems is exactly what I was looking for. A plant that is not only easy to grow but is also one of nature’s most powerful air purifiers. So powerful, that it absorbs more CO2 per hectare than any forest or commercial crop - it is the ideal carbon sink. The benefits of hemp and its fabric don’t end there. It is a durable, long-lasting fabric with anti-radiation and anti-bacterial properties. It blocks UV rays and is hypoallergenic. It is a very strong textile, but it is breathable and suitable to keep you cool in hot weather and warm in colder weather. The benefits don’t end there - but all in all - this fabric is the key I was looking for. After having found my dream fabric, it was time to begin designing the clothes that I couldn’t find anywhere else. It was important for me to rethink and put Gaea's spin on traditional basics while using the most sustainable material out there. Thus Gaea Collective was born, resulting in great quality, breathable, modern pieces that can be mixed and matched and worn on any occasion - from morning yoga and brunch to going to work or dinner with friends. We are proud to be the first company in the United States to develop 100% organic hemp clothing to be carbon neutral. I named our first collection “Hemp 101” because we are on a mission to educate and raise awareness on the benefits of hemp. And be sure the products will speak for themselves the moment you experience how comfortable, timeless, and effortless you feel in them. Not to mention the overwhelming feeling of mindfulness, knowing that you are making a conscious choice to support our planet. At Gaea Collective, we believe that fashion should not come at the expense of our planet. That's why we are committed to using only the most eco-friendly materials in our designs, packaging, and shipping. I hope our collection will inspire others to make more conscious choices when it comes to fashion. We believe that small changes can make a big impact and we are proud to be leading the way in a sustainable fashion. Click here to view our new collection Thank you for choosing Gaea Collective and supporting our mission to make fashion more sustainable. Together, we can make a difference. Sincerely, Ema Volta Founder and Creative Director
