Aravore

Brand Name ARAVORE  – Country of origin UK – Paraguay

Date of creation of the company we began working on the supply chain side – finding growers that we could work with and setting up a workshop/ training centre as far back as 2003. The brand was not launched until October 2005.

Name of the founders Sisters Yanina & Norah

No of employees Around 25 full time people in Paraguay, some 15 more on a part time basis, 5 in London & 3 regular freelancers including one as far as Australia! We have a predominately female workforce, not by design, but it has just been the way it worked out… A large proportion of us are also mums, so the Aravore family extends to around 35 children by now!

No of sales points Department stores: 4 (spread between London, Tokyo & NY) Independent retailers: around 85 including UK based and international ones. Aravore is now available in 18 countries outside the UK. A few examples :Fenwick Bond Street – One of our oldest stockists and such a lovely one! Aravore has been one of their strongest ranges, particularly in the winter for quite a few seasons now.Eplatredin Iceland – This is our of our most loyal stockists with a beautiful shop in Reykjavik that is essentially an Aravore franchise! Aravore has been their best selling range since they opened back in 2007. Future Perfectin Seoul, South Korea – Our distributors and stockists in South Korea that also distribute Chloe for kids and other designer ranges. Claire, the MD has a wealth of experience within the international designer apparel market and she is a joy to work with. Aravore was their best selling range last season. We also have our own e-store (recently rewamped) www.aravore.com

Tag line and company statement : “Handcrafted organic luxury” : Aravore set up in 2005 (in the midst of bright, slogan-ridden fashion) to propose a more understated form of luxury: a refined pared down aesthetic that put forward a vintage/ retro style, emphasising the first class materials used but also the human hand and skills behind each garment.

We wanted to create and offer something different from the mass-produced ranges available at the time, so our emphasis was on handcrafted details, limited editions of items that would be as beautiful and stylish as they were long-lasting. We wanted products that told stories, about the origins of the materials used, the skills of the people that made them and eventually and eventually also stories about the children that wore them.

What makes the brand unique ? Five years after launching, Aravore’s original mission of offering a designer range that is also environmentally and socially sustainable still makes Aravore unique among designer ranges. Competing side by side with top international designer brands in department stores and boutiques from Tokyo, NY, Paris and London, Aravore has been able to carve a niche for itself and a very loyal following, proving that “eco fashion” can also be stylish, original and trend-setting. This “uniqueness” among designer ranges is probably responsible for the fiercely loyal following that we have managed to generate, a following that includes many famous names -although we have made a point of never naming any of them.

A quote from a client or journalist? “Aravore pays as much attention to choosing fair trade production methods and organic fabrics as it does to the quality of its designs. The English label has developed its own chic retro look… This winter will be vintage, charming and full of fun.”Milk Magazine – Kids Collections, June 2010 – “wonderfully stylish and wearable.”Junior Magazine, August 2010

How many pieces in a collection Around 130 in our AW11 collection (comprising around 55 different styles) Around 100 in our SS11 collection (comprising around 45 different styles)

Main materials used SS: Organic cotton yarns for all the knitwear. Organic cotton voile, poplin and batiste fabrics. SS12 will also see the introduction of organic cotton piquet for a mini-sports collection. We also use vintage prints mainly in cotton and silk. AW: Organic merino wool yarns. Organic cotton twills, voiles & vintage fabrics such as printed Viyella.

What was the brand’s best moment? I think we are going through our best moment now. We have just been awarded the one of the coveted Junior Design Awards (http://www.aravore.com/blog/?p=55) and are seeing a flurry of interest in our collections. So much so, that we have sold out of some pieces in our SS11 collection before we had time to put them online!

Where do you see the company in 5 years? We would like to continue expanding both in the UK and abroad. We are launching the brand in South America later this year and also plan to expand our coverage in the US. We are also continuously developing new product ranges – a bedding and sleepwear range are currently being developed as well as more lifestyle accessories.

What makes you really proud about your company? Everything that we have achieved makes me proud. Having started from scratch, from a concept that was pretty unique at the time, to having overcome all the difficulties that came with trying to implement it. From having our products in some of the best shops around the world to employing every person that makes them – and I am immensely proud of all of them, proud of everyone that has worked hard to make Aravore what it is today.

Answers supplied by: Yanina Aubrey, co-founder and designer of the range. Yanina is a social entrepreneur and designer with a passion for Japanese art, mid-century design & sustainability. She is a professional globetrotter, having lived in 4 different continents. She is now (finally!) settled in London, where she’s been based since 2001. Yanina is 35 and is mummy to Thea (6) and Ethan (nearly 4).

Aravore means “a piece of the sky” in Guarani, a native language originally spoken in areas currently occupied by Paraguay/North-Eastern Argentina/South Eastern Brazil).