BEHIND THE DESIGN: OUR COLLABORATION WITH CHRISTY DAWN

Dreamy dresses made from recycled fabric? Sign us up. We’re so excited to announce our collaboration with Christy Dawn, an LA-based designer who’s all about making keep-forever clothes with a do-no-harm mentality. We visited her studio and chatted about her process, how she approaches sustainability and the pieces she can’t wait to wear from the collab.

First things first, tell us how Christy Dawn (the brand!) got started.
Before I started Christy Dawn, I was working as a model. One day after coming home from a shoot, I told my husband, Aras, that I was ready to start my own line. He thought it was a great idea and together we pushed off into the unknown! We had two guiding rules: only design things that we believed in and make them in a way that added value to everyone’s experience—from the dressmaker, to the customer, to the planet.

Let’s dig into that second rule a bit more.
Our mission is to honor Mother Earth. Everything we do is filtered through this lens. I design dresses that aren’t based on passing trends, so they remain timeless. That way our customers don’t need to constantly refresh their wardrobes. We’ve also chosen to make our pieces with "deadstock" fabric—the excess fabric left behind from other brands. By using deadstock, we avoid introducing thousands of chemicals that would otherwise be required to dye and print fabric. We have our own in-house factory, where our dressmakers are paid living wages and given health benefits and paid vacations. They are the very best artisans in the city and we encourage them to take their time, to ensure the highest quality craftsmanship. By focusing on quality versus speed, our dresses will be able to be passed down generationally, rather than passed into a landfill.

And what about personally—what are some ways you like to keep things sustainable in your day-to-day?
Simple choices make a big impact. I buy my groceries from our local farmers market. When I do need to go to the store, I bring my own totes. Most importantly, every day I take time for myself so that I’m full and not looking for material things to fill me up.

Let’s chat about the collab! What was the design process like?
It was such a delight to work with Madewell! We put our heads together and looked at which of our dresses made the most sense for the collab. We learned a ton about how Madewell handles sizing and grading, which was so eye-opening. The end result was dresses that fit a wider range of body types, which is so important to us! Once we settled on the styles, my design team and I set off to swatch deadstock fabrics that aligned with Madewell’s vision for the collab. It was a surprisingly seamless process, and I’m really excited about what we created!

Are there any pieces you’re particularly excited about?
I’m partial to the Tallulah, but I’m also a big fan of the Dawn Dress and the Piper Dress. The truth of the matter is, each piece is special!

Thanks, Christy. Shop the whole Madewell x Christy Dawn collection right here.