PonoVena Founders Paige Russell and Alicia Tingzon Fight for Sustainable Fashion

PonoVena was created for women passionate about spirituality and sustainability. Made with deadstock and recycled fabric mixed with a color palette of earthy tones and fun patterns, PonoVena is appealing to creatives and festival-goers. We had the opportunity to get together with founders Paige Russell and Alicia Tingzon to discuss sustainable fashion, building their brand, and how to empower ourselves to create change through sustainability.

 

What is the story behind PonoVena?

Alicia: PonoVena was started by Paige, who wanted nothing more than to transmute her imagination into reality. During her year-long journey, she opened up her studio in search of new ingredients and inspiration to add to the brand, thus finding her new partner. Through our combined love for adventure and appreciation for creative patterns, two wanderlust minds harmonized and developed an alchemic clothing brand to reflect the endless possibilities that women are capable of and that bond that we can share.

Why did you decide to cofound PonoVena?

Paige: I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer. When I was little I would make little stapled together booklets to sketch my designs in crayon. This passion was passed down from my grandma and step-grandmother who both used to sew. My grandma taught me early on how to quilt, and I always heard stories of how my mom’s wedding dress was made by my step-grandmother.

Growing up my mom and I would make my Halloween costumes each year, which helped open my mind up to pattern construction at an early age. I didn’t stick with this passion, It got buried somewhere during my high school and college years, but when I went to my first festival and saw all of the unique and handmade clothing, the passion was instantly sparked again. The Idea for PonoVena came from my journey into self and spirituality through travel and opening my mind up to new ways of life and perspectives. PonoVena is a combination of all of those things, translated into clothing form. We aim to be as sustainable as possible, so we can give back to the earth instead of taking from it.

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The Festival Season is almost here!? What upcoming Fests will you be attending?! We're trying to find out what to vend, let us know in the comments ⬇️ • • • #ponovena #ponovenatribe #festivalseason #festivalbrands #festivalhats #festivalheadpieces #festivalfashion #madmaxstyle #madmaxinspo #festivalbodysuits #festivalstyle

A post shared by PonoVena Designs (@ponovena) on Mar 12, 2019 at 4:38pm PDT

Alicia: The sense of accomplishment experienced from working with our hands runs on both sides of my family. On my father’s side is my grandma who carried her profession as a seamstress when she migrated to the United States from the Philippines, sewing cheerleader and band uniforms for local high schools as well as constructing bridesmaid and wedding dresses from scratch. On my mother’s side is my grandfather who for years flipped houses and constructed furniture out of leftover bits and scrapped furnishings.

Alas, I remained a quiet artist, harnessing the abilities of my artistic foundation through illustration and crafting, remaining hesitant on how I would take on my skillset professionally. After spending years dedicated to a corporate routine, I realized that offices and heavily trafficked commutes were just not for me, but it did help me acquire the necessary skills to take my craft a step further.

I realized I was meant to follow my passions, take risks, and continue developing my artistic background. I was drawn to PonoVena having stumbled across it on social media, and when Paige asked her followers for seamstress help, I immediately responded. A few excursions and collaborative events later, we blossomed into a full-on partnership.

How do you think sustainability efforts in the fashion industry evolved over the past few years?

Smaller clothing brands are popping up all over the world that focuses their practices on minimizing and even undoing the waste caused by fast fashion brands over the years. It’s really quite thrilling to see so much effort coming from all cultures and backgrounds. However, some damage is irreversible, as the foreign chemicals in dyes that seep into the ground or pollute bodies of water, and makes the conversation difficult.

But the call for sustainability also pulls in the attention of the technology industry, offering new jobs and new paths of research on how to advance our methods and make us more efficient. In combination with consumer-awareness and a need for practicality and minimalism, there is a natural movement that is forcing the fashion industry to reconsider how resources are used, and who is being affected.

 

What inspires you?

Artists and creatives, art and creation. The beauty and power experienced in an art piece are just as inspiring as the artist themselves. Ultimately, what inspires us is people. We love creating wearable art and adorning creatives in a beautiful piece of clothing. Seeing a person, with all of their individuality, bringing life to one of our creations, is a pretty awesome experience. Making clothing is like creating interactive sculptures. A lot of our overall designs are based on 2D art collages, but in 3D form.

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This outfit is what Safari Dreamz are made of??? A @ponovena one of a kind jumper looking so WiLd paired with a tie dye crop top from @tiedye_queen a statement necklace from @sister_of_the_woods and a @kairoclothing safari hat on the beautiful @autumnlocs ?? • • • #ponovena #ponovenatribe #autumnlocs #tiedyequeen #sisterofthewoods #kairoclothing #safarifashion #wildfashion #autumnfashion #deadstock #ootd #streetstyle #festivalfashion #alternativefashion

A post shared by PonoVena Designs (@ponovena) on Mar 5, 2019 at 3:21pm PST

What goes into the design process for each piece?

Every piece created comes from a pattern we personally or collaboratively produce. During the assembly of the garment, we choose deadstock fabric or recycled fabric from vintage clothing. A lot of our deadstock fabric comes from the swap meet and also warehouses in LA that specifically collect deadstock fabric from large fashion houses to sell back to smaller brands.

The fashion industry still has a long way to go in sustainability, but small strides are being made at every turn. Large enough fabric that is left over from cutting is stored in bags or boxes to be used as details in unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. We both have studio spaces with industrial machines lining the walls, in order to construct each garment on the same level and quality as production grade, ensuring that our pieces are durable and long-lasting. And which each stitch comes a dose of honest love for what we do and how we do it.

Can you describe your customers?

They are the women who discover their inner artists when they do what they love, whether it is painting, sculpting, dancing, cooking or climbing; they make their passion into an art form. They range from the early 20s to mid-’40s and are inspired to create art with their hands, bodies, and beautiful minds.

They are mindful, environmentally-conscious, and are willing to speak up on difficult topics as much as they are capable of staying quiet in order to create space for others to voice themselves. These women understand and support other women, in all colors and forms, because they appreciate the spectrum of artistic creation.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty is defined by the depth of intention bonded to the will of being the best you in each moment; Beauty, on its deepest and most genuine level, is the vibration that attracts us to celebrate life. Beauty is passionate, beautiful things happen when you are making decisions based on excitement instead of fear. And lastly, Beauty is brave, but only because we are unafraid to be vulnerable.

What is a piece of advice that you would give to those trying to be more sustainable?

Sustainability does not have to be simplistic. The materials we have to work with can feel limiting, but don’t let it hold you back. Sometimes we would like to create something, only to find that we can’t find the materials in a sustainable option. Don’t let that hold you back, there is always a way around any roadblock.

For example, our new, “The Lazy Artist” collection is made with 40% deadstock fabric. We originally wanted to make it 100% but couldn’t find any of the base fabrics in a deadstock option. To combat this, and still move forward, we decided to create in a small batch so that no garments would be wasted. All of our pieces are high quality, and when they find their perfect home they will last many years, which ultimately decreases waste purely because we are not a fast fashion brand who trades quality for quantity.

Our last piece of advice is to pick a cause that you believe in and fight for it. Don’t get hung up on all the other issues you cannot change in the world. Exist in a mindset where you ask yourself, “What can I do about it?” Some things are not in our power to change, so don’t give them the power to decrease your joy in life.