Shopping sustainably couldn’t be easier (or more chic) and platforms like Rêve En Vert are one of the main reasons why. Founded in 2013 by friends Natasha Tucker and Cora Hilts, the site offers a beautiful curation of clothing that is not only ethically made but stylish, flattering and essentially, timeless. Showcasing independent labels that meet REV’s high-standard of sustainable practises means there’s no risk of falling into the “I use organic cotton or some natural ingredients therefore I am sustainable” trap.
We caught up with one half of the talented duo, Cora, to find out more…
HI CORA, WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?!
I am wearing my Yoli and Otis linen wrap skirt with one of our Worn Store organic tees tucked into it, D’arce sandals and just my wedding rings as an accessory. Very simple as I’m at our pop up in Paris and didn’t have loads of time this morning!
TELL US ABOUT RÊVE EN VERT AND HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT?
I came up with the idea for Rêve En Vert oddly whilst I sat in a class on renewable energy. My professor mentioned that after the oil and gas industry, fashion was the second most polluting industry on earth. I was completely shocked. I feel like now a lot of us are aware of this fact but six years ago, I just couldn’t believe that an industry that was meant to be so innovative and creative could be so far behind on environmental and humanitarian concerns. It was like: how could something so beautiful be so truly ugly? That’s when I had the idea for Rêve En Vert – a retail site that would curate only sustainable items that were made as aesthetically as they were ethically, which would allow for people to make significant change in the way they shop easily.
The Assymmetrical in Mocha, £158 – Talia Collins
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE BRANDS NAME?
Rêve En Vert quite simply means “dream in green” which I think sounds much better in French. I was actually just coming out of having lived in Paris for 6 years and was still thinking (and more importantly dreaming!) a lot in between languages and so this made a lot of sense for me as it sounded lovely, represented the belief I had in that Rêve En Vert could be a beautiful solution, and was symbolic of a big part of my personal history that had introduced me to the world of fashion as I had no idea about the power of dressing ahead of living in France being from a small town in Maine.
Long Handled Organic Turtle Bag, £10 – Turtle Bags
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I get woken up around 7:15 by my cat Sidney, pick him up, give my husband a kiss, and head for the kitchen to make an oat milk cappuccino. I try and fit in a yoga class early in the morning to be in the best mindset I can possibly be for the day as well.
I’m at my desk for 9am and the REV girls get in for around 10am (we have flexible working hours in order to avoid the stress of rush hour) and I try to remain in the office in the mornings to work with the team creatively and get through emails and admin. I make my own lunch at the office – right now it’s avocado and hummus on baguette pretty much every day with a drizzle of lemon which I can’t recommend highly enough for delicious and simple eating in the hot weather. Then I do meetings and calls in the afternoon as I’m feeling more social by then! A lot of times I like to do outside at Chiltern Firehouse or the Albion if I am in East London.
In the evenings I love making some new sort of vegetarian dinner and having a glass of wine. I then often use one of the organic face masks we sell at Rêve to combat the pollution of living in London and then I get into bed with a book as I am trying to get away from my phone and laptop post 9pm. Right now I am reading Wilding about an organic farm and our way of returning and reconnecting with the natural world, which I would highly recommend. Lights out around 11pm!
Naturally Dyed Marvin Dress, £215 – Yoli And Otis
HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?
As it’s summer time I am all about an iced oat milk latte.
WHAT DOES A BRAND NEED TO TICK ALL THE RIGHT BOXES FOR RÊVE EN VERT?
It means having looked at things in a holistic way. It does not mean “I use organic cotton or some natural ingredients therefore I am sustainable”. To us, sustainability means having looked at the entire process of production (including water use, dyes, materials, labour, factory conditions, etc.) and then seeing it through to packaging (plastic free, biodegradable, etc.) and then: how is it getting to us? Are they using carbon neutral shipping and innovative ways of insulation? We look at all of this and then make an executive decision on whether they are sustainable enough for Rêve En Vert. Not everyone is a 10 out of 10, but most everyone has already thought of where they are not quite up to par and are thinking about how to fix those aspects.
White Silk Camisole, £95 – NATALIJA
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE CHOICES WHEN IN NEED OF A NEW FROCK?
Honestly ask yourself if when you run into an ex, would you want to be wearing this piece? It sounds silly, but it really works in terms of knowing if an item is going to make you feel your most beautiful and confident, and stand the test of time!
FAVOURITE REV ITEM AT THE MOMENT?
The Jaela open sided dress from Yoli and Otis – it is so much fun to style and this line is sustainably made in Bali with organic and natural fibres.
White Jaela Dress, £250 – Yoli And Otis
TELL US WHAT’S NEXT – BUSINESS OR PERSONAL – FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR?
We are working on expansion into the home and baby categories as we really want to make sure that Rêve En Vert is a destination for an entire way of life, not just fashion and beauty. As I have gotten a bit older and my life has personally evolved, I have realised that I will be more interested in a reclaimed wooden side table than a dress and I know there are customers who are in the same place, so I want to speak to them as well! Also I have a million friends with babies who are struggling to raise them ethically with just so much on the market that you are told you need now so we wanted to make a section for them that makes shopping for your child sustainably very easy.
We are also doing a lot more offline activation as I know the education part of Rêve En Vert is so huge; we need to let people know why they need to be shopping this way before we can expect them to change everything! So talks, pop ups and open studio nights will be happening in the near future in London to be followed by the same thing hopefully more throughout Europe and the States. I can’t wait!
Personally, trying to buy a house in Maine so we have a little respite in the country and my husband can have a garden – we are really wanting to grow our own food and look at the ocean from time to time!
GO TO: reve-en-vert.com
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Inspiration/Image Credits: reve-en-vert.com
