Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Stearns.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Emily. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The story behind how I started doing what I’m doing today will probably sound somewhat illogical. I graduated from Colorado College in 2015 with a degree in mathematics. I wrote my senior thesis on mathematically modeling ocean waves with the intention of attending grad school in Australia for Ocean Engineering. During my cross country road-trip home from college I immediately began to stress about how I was going to start paying my daunting student loans AND save up for grad school. It was this predicament that led me to take a risk and order a small supply of spandex as I drove back east. This was my first step forward in starting my own business. Drift began as a handmade bikini company because to me that was the most accessible business to start- even though I had literally no idea how to sew, little money, and zero business experience.
After a few sewing lessons in my Nana’s kitchen on her ancient sewing machine and a self-taught crash course on how to build an online store I was off and running. My accidental entry into the fashion industry (the 2nd most polluting industry on the planet) exposed a devastating system of exploitation and greed. I spent a lot of time researching and educating myself about the corrupt nature of today’s world of fashion and ultimately this is what led us into making recreated apparel.
At this point, what started as a means to an end, a one way ticket to grad school in Australia, had become a full-time passion. Without looking back I spent all of my savings and opened The Drift Collective in downtown Portsmouth last November. That’s when the adventure really began. In February, my best friend Libby Lockhart quit her job to help me run the store, which was game changing. Having someone else to share your passion with keeps you sane and makes everything worth it- I wouldn’t have been able to survive this summer without her!
Has it been a smooth road?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. Unsurprisingly, there are incredible challenges in starting a business with little-to-no experience and a very tight budget. But I definitely believe that there is great strength in what you lack and that the ability to take your disadvantages and turn them into advantages is essential. This really has defined who we are. I think a lack of resources leads to greater creativity. Adversity inspires ingenuity.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Drift Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
At Drift, we make one of a kind apparel and handmade swimwear. We create everything at our downtown storefront, allowing us to work closely with our customers, who can customize both apparel and swimwear. Our apparel is primarily sourced from disregarded clothing that we repair and recreate. In today’s world, nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year being made. In a society obsessed with the next trend on a planet that has already exceeded its capacity, Drift is defined by taking what already exists and transforming it into something new. We’ve come up with a number of processes to preserve and renew second-hand clothing- everything from hand-bleaching to create one of a kind dip-dyed and acid wash effects, fabric blocking with salvaged vintage fabrics as well as our original prints, and custom screen printing. We also collaborate with young contemporary artists and designers, featuring their artwork as patches and prints on our apparel. We do all our own screen printing- which is pretty unique and allows us an extra level of creative freedom. For this, and the dyeing processes, we quickly exceeded our space capacity at the shop and so my boyfriend Ian and I converted his surf barn in Rye into our off-location screen printing headquarters.
Since our shop’s opening, I think we’ve been known for shaking up our community’s retail game, as a brand which is granting people access to the contemporary fashion they covet. I believe especially today, youth craves originality. While the community we are from is full of innovative entrepreneurs, our clothing shops have primarily been geared towards an older more conservative audience. This leaves the teens/twenty-somethings buying online, and usually from fast-fashion retailers. From the beginning we’ve made it a major priority to keep our prices affordable, as we know people shop huge corporations because of the low price point. We’re spelling out that affordable does not have to mean cheap, mass-produced and unethical. Through creating apparel that is as aesthetically cool as it is ethical, we hope to transform our community’s ideas on sustainable fashion.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think that today’s consumer is already becoming more conscientious about the hazardous labor conditions and environmental consequences of fast fashion. With a rise in conscientious consumption, I think the fashion industry will have to evolve to reflect the values of this emerging consumer. Hopefully this will ultimately lead to greater sustainability within the industry over the next decade.
Pricing:
- Acid Wash Tee $29
- One of a kind Vintage Jacket $89
- Handmade custom swimwear $49-$59 a piece
Contact Info:
- Address: The Drift Collective
12B Fleet Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801 - Website: www.thedriftcollective.com
- Email: driftbikinis@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedriftcollective/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDriftCollective
Image Credit:
Girl in Marble bikini – from shoot by Emily Kate Gay and @killerdogma
Skating Boston – Bobby Kotrba
Drift Dip Dyed Flannel – Drift
The Barn: Our screen printing/surf barn in Rye, NH – Drift
Beach Bum tee and overalls- Noelle Edwards
Fish Bones bikini – from shoot by Emily Kate Gay and @killerdogma
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
