Shilpa Iyengar and Harmony Pilobello of Alterre On Why They Are Embracing Slow Fashion and Renewable Consumption
An Interview With Monica Sanders
Patience — Growing as a slow fashion brand is slow and steady. It’s not the type of business that scales quickly because margins are often smaller than traditional retail. Lead a slow fashion brand knowing that it can’t be fiscally compared to mainstream fashion brands.
As ‘slow fashion’ grows in popularity, more fashion companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Renewable consumption has been gaining popularity for a while, as people recognize its importance, and many fashion companies want to be a part of this change. In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders in the fashion industry to discuss why they are embracing slow fashion and renewable consumption. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Shilpa Iyengar and Harmony Pilobello.
Shilpa Iyengar and Harmony Pilobello are the co-founders of Alterre, a luxury footwear company on a mission to create beautiful modular shoes designed for busy women who value versatility and sustainability. The ethically-made footwear features foam padded insoles and is made with quality leathers and fabrics for the ultimate in comfort and style. All of Alterre’s shoes offer patented interchangeable straps and accessories that can easily change up your look in a (literal) snap.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”? Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
Shilpa: I always thought that I would be a doctor growing up, but by the time I reached the end of high school I was winning awards for my fine art, so I thought, “maybe I can actually be an artist.” It was a scary but ultimately exciting thought, especially as an Indian American expected to go down a more traditional career path. I have always loved fashion and wanted to live in New York, so I took a big leap. I didn’t want to live my life thinking “what if?” In the end, I hope to have a life well-lived, so for me, this was the way to not have anything left undone on the table.
[Harmony] My story is similar to Shilpa’s; I thought I was going to be a doctor. One day in middle school I read an article from my older sister’s magazine about how people who were the happiest with their careers chose paths they were already interested in as children. I had always been interested in art and had stacks of illustrated clothing for dolls at that point. By the time I graduated high school, I thought, “what if?”
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
[Harmony] When we were first starting Alterre, we were going to as many events as possible to network. This was before we had a finished product and I was still working full time at another company. One of the things we used to do was go to The Sweet Show, a weekly comedy event at The Slipper Room (an art theater in New York). Shilpa had been going for years and over time we became friends with the comedy night host, Seth Herzog. Throughout the two years we were developing our shoes, we had countless nights networking with well-known comedians after each show. On one occasion we even both got to meet our childhood crush, Justin Long. That particular night was full of A-list comedians and Shilpa got to go out for drinks with all of them to a celebrity-only dive bar! When we were ready to launch our first collection, Seth generously connected us with the owners of The Slipper Room. They loved our idea and hosted our launch event! We collaborated with burlesque dancers, performers at The Slipper Room, to do a late-night show at the beginning of New York Fashion Week. Our event piqued interest from editors at major magazines like Ebony, Travel + Leisure, etc. It ended up being a raucous night and we couldn’t have done it without Seth or the generosity of the owners.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Adaptability — We can’t even count the number of times things have not gone as expected. Being able to adapt leads to better resilience. One thing we often say to each other in unexpected situations is “ we can’t change the past, but what can we do now?” It reframes our focus from dwelling on a difficult situation to finding a solution. For example, there was a time when our factory shipped our entire production order via DHL without confirming. At that time, we were only using DHL for prototypes and samples, which are a fraction of the cost to send from the factory in Brazil. After going back and forth, we couldn’t change the situation. The cost to ship was four times what we had budgeted for. It was so bad that we were talking about shuttering the business. At that point, we looked at all of our finances and had to find creative solutions while we scraped pennies to stay afloat. We were also very lucky to have family members who could help us temporarily. Needless to say, that scale of shipping mishap doesn’t happen now.
- Resilience — Being an entrepreneur is hard and requires a lot of chutzpah. Over the years, we’ve learned to be resilient and take every failure or success as an opportunity for growth. For example, when the pandemic first hit New York City, it was a terrifying moment as a small business.
- Problem Solving — Can you tell that all these traits are interrelated to one another? As we alluded to earlier, things don’t always go the way it’s planned. This is a common thing we talk about with other business owners and leaders. Our average shoe has around 20+ different components that need to arrive on time for each production run. That’s a lot of room for small delays and surprises. This is not including the additional logistics of importing to the US, tracking inventory, and shipping directly to our customer. Learning to anticipate and navigate potential issues is crucial as a leader.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Our shoes truly are one of a kind and can have up to 40-in-1 combinations on a single shoe base. Add another shoe, and you suddenly have 80 combinations!
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
[Shilpa] “Live every day like it’s your last”. I generally live by this motto and try to do something that brings me joy every day. I have oriented my life so that I can be a master of my own schedule and optimize for traveling and spending time with friends and family. After we closed our office in New York, I even became a digital nomad for 2.5 years and lived all over the world!
[Harmony] “What will be, will be.” I’m a recovering worrywart and that can lead to making plans A, B, and C for everything. When I find myself spiraling, that quote grounds me. I’ve learned to live more presently and enjoy moments when they are good.
Who is your fashion hero or heroine? Why?
[Shilpa] Vivienne Westwood because she was about breaking the boundaries of fashion, from being an integral part of the punk movement to the way her line matured but still kept such artful draping construction. It is a feat to become a global fashion brand and any entrepreneur who can do it while keeping their artistic voice is very impressive and someone to emulate. She was also very active in politics and fought for what she believed in from climate change to anti-consumerism, both of which I believe can be addressed more in the fashion industry.
[Harmony] I have so many! Today it’s going to be Jenna Lyons, the former president of J.Crew. She did something miraculous and became a branded fashion icon in a corporate leadership role. She became an approachable figure that everyone was buzzing about and suddenly a capsule wardrobe wasn’t just for minimalists. J.Crew became a cool brand because everyone wanted a little bit of her vibe. I actually first heard of her from my non-fashion friends who normally didn’t care as much about curating their fashion. Suddenly they wanted to dress like Lyons because they saw something relatable in her. I also associate that period with J.Crew as a more inclusive time for small brands. She advocated for using the company’s buying power to collaborate with small brands and frequently spent time attending events for emerging designers. Lastly, I love how she stood for her own truth when she was outed as being part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and surrounded by controversy over gender identity.
Why did you decide to create and use a sustainable business model for your fashion brand?
[Harmony] When Shilpa initially approached me to start a business together, she knew I studied sustainability while we were pursuing our BA degrees in Fashion Design at Parsons School for Design. It was something we both agreed on before even making a prototype.
As children of immigrants, we were raised to not waste things. Both of our parents moved to the US with very little and had to be as resourceful as possible. It made sense to both of us to start something that’s sustainable for people, planet, and profit. This is especially important when we see ourselves in so many parts of the world impacted by fast fashion, which is primarily the global south.
What are three things we should all know about “slow fashion”?
- Slow fashion is more about the mindset than the item purchased. Consuming less and re-wearing what’s already in your closet is not only affordable but better for the environment.
- If you do need to make a purchase, consider thrifting or supporting a small business focused on sustainability, which includes fair labor practices. My most unique clothing items are all thrifted or from small businesses.
- Slow fashion is more inclusive than fast fashion. This could easily be a book, but essentially the slow fashion mindset provides room for individuality and inclusivity that are promoted through creativity and conscious consumption. When someone shops ethically, it should mean everyone along the supply chain is being paid fairly. When workers are paid fairly, it has a ripple effect in improving environmental standards and production. It cannot go the other way around. There are ways to be more environmentally friendly without improving the lives of workers, and that is essentially greenwashing.
Can you please explain how it can be fashionable to buy less, wait a little longer, or even repair clothing?
[Harmony] I’ve always been a fan of parameters. Buying less means you get to be creative with what you already have. I was becoming bored of my wardrobe last year and spent a week challenging myself with new fashion combos. It was amazing! For example, I tried pairing a tank top over a shirt or blouse. I found myself looking at my clothes differently and loving them again.
Waiting a little longer to purchase something also means there’s more attachment to an item. I only purchase something I absolutely love because I know I’ll wear it so much more. Additionally, I know the purchase I made is of higher quality because I saved up for it and did my research. I still have some items from over 20 years ago and reinvent how I wear them all the time.
That also means that many of my clothes have been repaired. I usually know which items I want to repair to look the same, and which ones I enjoy having visible repairs on. For example, I have a Wrangler denim jacket from middle school that had a washing incident and tore in several places. I’ve since patched it up with scraps of denim and sashiko stitching. Now I have a one-of-a-kind jacket that I can wear as a statement piece.
Lastly, fashion is cyclical. I have pieces that I’ve held onto because I know it’s only a matter of time before they’re on trend again. If something is made well, you love it and maintain it, then it really does last a lifetime.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Slow Fashion Brand”.
- A commitment to learning — The industry is always changing and so is our understanding of sustainability. We are consistently reading about new technologies and emerging businesses. An example of this is our search for a leather alternative that is not dependent on fossil fuels. We’ve been eyeing mushroom leather and are still learning about the process of making it. The definition of slow fashion can seem vast, and it’s important to learn about all the different ways people approach it, how they can be applied to the business, and so on.
- A network for distribution and growth — This may seem like a no-brainer. What we mean by this is that it includes having a community of loyal supporters virtually and in-person. The slow fashion scene is still quite small and it’s often hard to price items for wholesale. So much more of a brand’s growth is dependent on direct-to-consumer opportunities. It helps to know of markets and networks that would give your product more exposure.
- Patience — Growing as a slow fashion brand is slow and steady. It’s not the type of business that scales quickly because margins are often smaller than traditional retail. Lead a slow fashion brand knowing that it can’t be fiscally compared to mainstream fashion brands.
- Passionate stakeholders — The long and steady growth trajectory is not appealing to VCs seeking to extract profits quickly. Make sure all of your stakeholders (including employees) are passionate about the company and believe in the cause. The passion is contagious and a bonus opportunity for free marketing via word-of-mouth. For example, if an employee loves working for you and loves the company mission, they’re more likely to persuade their friends to buy your product simply by gushing about it.
- A well-made and needed product — This is another thing that might seem like a no-brainer but it’s really important. A great idea with no purpose will only exacerbate the environmental issues the fashion industry contributes to. The same can be said for a product that’s not well made. There have been times each of us has purchased something because we wanted to support a new sustainable business and the product was underwhelming. A product can have the best intentions, but if it doesn’t last, then the after-life is still a problem.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
[Shilpa] I would love to help establish either a government or private fund for all Americans to be able to do an international trip after high school, regardless of financial background because the gift of travel broadens horizons and fights against xenophobia. If everyone was able to travel abroad, even once, I think they would see how we are a global community and be more interested in fighting climate change, welcoming immigrants in need, and perhaps find more common ground with fellow Americans.
[Harmony] I’ve always had this dream of starting a textile innovation business or fund to create accessible materials in developing countries. For example, say Country A makes a lot of cotton but exports all of it to Country B. The ideal climate for growing cotton is warm and humid, so workers in Country A must produce cotton in extreme conditions, but because cotton sells at a premium price to Country B, the workers cannot afford it themselves. Instead, they wear affordable polyester shirts that are sold in their local stores and frequently suffer from heat exhaustion. The textile fund would invest in creating custom textiles that meet the criteria for people working in warm, humid conditions from Country A and work with local organizations to set up a self-reliant cottage industry.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can subscribe to our newsletter from our website: www.alterreny.com or engage with us on Instagram: @alterreny
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
Shilpa Iyengar and Harmony Pilobello of Alterre On Why They Are Embracing Slow Fashion and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.