about shaina mote

ABOUT THE BRAND

shaina mote's mission is to create pieces that become future heirlooms — garments produced with care and responsibility toward people and planet. since the inception of the brand in 2010, she has centered her ethos and practices around supporting the local economy and nurturing the trades and skills found within domestic garment manufacturing. all shaina mote pieces are designed, developed, and made in los angeles, with the exception of their knitwear collection, which is made responsibly by trusted partners in peru.

ten years later, these founding principles of longevity, versatility, and timelessness remain core tenets of the brand and serve as the foundational ethos for where they're going next. as they look ahead, they consider every level of their process through a lens of circularity. they hold fast to business practices that have generated positive out-comes while utilizing new innovations within the field of textiles and manufacturing. through these means, shaina mote aims to create garments that are regenerative by design and that add value to the lives of those involved with each garment’s story — from the various skilled trades people that create each piece to the end wearer. 

PREFERRED FABRICS

shaina mote is as intentional with her materials as she is with her direction. all fabrics are chosen deliberately, selected with regard to comfort, longevity, and environmental impact. they seek sustainable fabrics that contribute to a circular system, meaning they are either sourced from natural materials or are composed of repurposed materials that would otherwise be discarded as waste. in other words, shaina mote tries to eliminate waste as a byproduct of their design process and fabric selection.

• BEMBURG CUPRO— a luxurious, silk-like fabric made from cotton waste. similar to lyocell, it is produced in a closed-loop process, and the solvents used to make the fabric can be recycled. this helps keep chemicals out of water sources and reduces the fashion industry's water pollution footprint. cupro retains dye well, reducing the amount of water and chemical dye needed for the dyeing process. cupro is machine washable and can avoid dry cleaning, making it less chemical and energy intensive. at the end of its life, cupro is biodegradable.

• LINEN— natural fiber grown from the flax plant, a resilient and fast-growing crop that requires half the water and pesticides used to produce cotton or polyester. processing flax into yarn is largely mechanical, requiring no chemicals. as a fabric, linen is naturally moth resistant and absorbs moisture without holding bacteria, qualities that extend the life cycle of linen garments and keep the products in use.

• LYOCELL— lyocell is a soft, strong fiber made from primarily eucalyptus wood pulp and created through a closed-loop process. eucalyptus trees grow rapidly without artificial irrigation, gene manipulation or synthetic pesticides, making lyocell a better raw material for water consumption and pollution. the solvents used to produce lyocell are non-toxic and 99.8%can be recovered, filtered, and reused. this helps keep chemicals out of water sources and reduces the fashion industry’s water pollution foot-print. lyocell’s smooth fiber surface and round cross-section also allow it to retain dye well with minimal water or chemical dyes. highly absorbent and moisture wicking, fewer washings may be needed, resulting in water and energy savings from reduced laundering. lyocell is a viable, sustainable alternative to cotton and viscose; at the end of its life, it is biodegradable, contributing to a regenerative circular system that returns nutrients to the soil.

• ORGANIC COTTON—
• DENIM—
• KNITS—