Sasha Bilida is a former fashion model who spent 13 years in the industry. She shot for Vogue Magazine on multiple occasions and even walked for Louis Vuitton and Karl Lagerfeld. After being shocked by how wasteful the fast fashion industry was, she started her sustainable clothing line, “Sashū the Label.”
Sasha grew up in Canada
,Surrounded by nature. Since she was young, she had always felt most at peace while outdoors, enjoying what nature had to offer. As the years progressed, she developed a sense of responsibility to preserve and protect nature in any way she could.
At the same time, her life heavily revolved around the fashion world, where she spent 13 years working as a fashion model all over the world, including London, Shanghai, New York, Milan, and more.
Sasha even got the opportunity to walk for big names such as Louis Vuitton and Karl Lagerfeld and shot for Vogue on two occasions.
During this time, she fell in love with the fashion industry and developed an eye for high-quality and well-designed fashion. However, she was shocked to learn that fast fashion is the 3rd largest polluting industry.
In fact, 85% of all textiles end up in landfills. On top of that, she learned that synthetic fabrics like polyester release the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles into the ocean each year.
Wanting to find a solution to this problem
Started Sashū the Label in 2020. During that time, the fashion industry had taken a big hit, and there was more waste than ever.
So, she focused on creating a more sustainable line of clothing. In doing so, Sashū the Label was born and became a luxury and sustainable clothing line that has a zero polyester and plastic policy.
Like all entrepreneurs, Sasha had her fair share of challenges. For one, her first manufacturer took her money, stole her designs, and ghosted her. It was also difficult to find a manufacturer that put an emphasis on using sustainable manufacturing methods and implementing safe and fair working conditions was difficult.
However, Sasha didn’t give up and eventually partnered up with manufacturers who paid fair wages, provided a safe working environment, and only required workers to work eight hours a day. Additionally, her manufacturers have a daily hard stop policy at 8 pm to prevent and reduce excessive emissions and pollutants.
She made a point only to use sustainable fabrics such as wool, cotton, silk, Tencel, and more. Sasha also realized that one of the best ways to reduce waste is to produce collections of products in small batches.
With everything in place, she started producing her own line of sustainable, luxury fashion products, including loungewear and outwear.
Ultimately, she did not just want to create a line of sustainable products. Sasha knew that there were other, though few, sustainable clothing lines out there, but they lacked style and were frankly quite boring.
So, she made a point to combine sustainability with style to create a truly exciting and luxurious clothing line. The result is a timeless and minimalistic style that can be mixed and matched with other clothing.
Sasha has proven that sustainability does not necessitate compromise. In doing so, Sashū the Label has become a model for other fashion businesses to follow.
On top of that, there are not many true sustainable luxury clothing lines out there that offer products at a low price tag. But Sasha ensures that her clothing line is not only sustainable but accessible as well.
Instead of having bloated prices, Sashū the Label provides luxury products at a more reasonable and accessible price point.
Though she faced many challenges,
Sasha was able to push through to create a truly unique brand that may just change the fashion industry going forward.
For those seeking advice on how they too can fulfill their dream, Sasha gives the following advice: “Just start. There is never a perfect time or a perfect situation. You will never have enough time, money, or knowledge but once you start you will find a way to figure out what you need to do. Starting is the hardest part.”
In the future, she hopes to have a flagship store in Soho New York. Her dream is to: “…educate people about sustainable fashion practices and show them that sustainable fashion can be sexy and luxurious. It doesn’t need to be boring and ugly!”
All in all, Sasha Bilida has created a clothing line that is changing the clothing industry. Not only are her products sustainable, but they are accessible, luxurious, and stylish.
Though the present situation of the fashion industry in relation to pollution looks bleak, Sashū the Label is a beacon that leads the way into a more sustainable future.
