Inspired by the effortless beauty & golden glow of the “golden hour.”
Goldie is created with limited, repurposed and recycled fabrics and made in-house at our Los Angeles design Studio. The garments are made by hand, consciously sourced and designed to reduce our footprint on our planet while providing a classic and unique collection of feminine and edgy styles. Each piece is ethically curated, hand-dyed from sustainably sourced fabrics, made to order and in very limited quantities: https://goldieclothing.com .
To truly curate garments that are intimately authentic & perfectly versatile, we have intentionally exposed seams, left edges unhemmed and created dye patterns to have imperfections. Our garments are designed to be fully versatile & one-of-a-kind, to allow everyone’s individual identity and creativity to be part of the final design. We ensure there is no wrong way to wear our pieces.
”I started my Design career in Los Angeles in 2012 and have worked for a variety of large global companies & small local brands during that time. After a great deal of thought and endless conversations, I decided to apply my knowledge of the industry and my life passions to create my own brand, GOLDIE Clothing, in Los Angeles. I set out to create a brand that was effortless to style and beautifully versatile, all while highlighting elements of the garment that most designers and brands strive to hide. During my very first collection, I found myself standing in a warehouse with no air conditioning watching rows of workers sew their assigned seam, garment after garment. I circled the warehouse where I stepped over piles of zippers and buttons and weaved in and out of giant stacks of cut fabric pieces waiting to be sewn. After taking it all in, my heart dropped as the realization set in just like it has for many in our industry. I was part of the problem. I was contributing to the poor working conditions of these workers and the over consumption & pollution of our planet. I paid the sewer, took my garments and sat in my car with a heavy heart. I had to be part of the change, not the problem. So instead of turning a blind eye, I acted- I joined the change”
– KATT DE MOSS, FOUNDER + CEO OF https://goldieclothing.com
A CONVERSATION WITH KATT DE MOSS, FOUNDER + CEO OF GOLDIE CLOTHING
Describe yourself as a creative and how your label was born?
From as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with fashion. The concept of making the garment I image in my mind come to real life was exciting to me and I wanted to be part of it. So, I chased that concept until it became my reality. I have designed for large Globally known companies to small, local LA brands and everything in between. I learned a lot and became a better designer from each brand I worked on.
I had been working for two years as a designer for a very well-known company when the pandemic happened. Ultimately, I was laid off after a very long furlough. That event led me to this exact moment right now. I had always been in control of my future and worked incredibly hard to achieve the goals I set for myself. Having to sit on the other end of a video call that ended my employment status and financial security, while knowing there was nothing I could do or say to change what was about to happen, was the most helpless and devastating feeling I had ever felt.
Goldie was started because I never wanted to feel that again. I never wanted to allow someone to have the power to turn my life upside-down in just one phone call.
It turned out, the original purpose that drove me to create my label wouldn’t be my driving force anymore. There was a moment, while I was picking up my first batch of garments from the sewing facility, that I saw exactly what was happening around me for the first time. For almost 10 years I had been conditioned to see that certain things in the fashion industry were normal. It was normal that LA manufacturing facilities had incredibly poor working conditions for their employees. It was normal to place a cut of 5,000 units of a garment. It was normal to continuously purchase brand new fabrics, that a lot of times, were produced specifically for me and the project I was working on.
Its not normal. It became clear then that the purpose of my label was to provide a collection that was beautiful and new but was also sustainable for the future and the planet- the only home we have.
How do you manage the creativity process exactly as it’s really challenging nowadays in fashion industry?
I still do my research on trends and listen to what people are asking for but on a much smaller scale. I like to look at where the holes are in a trend or what design element could I create that would be unexpected but in the best possible way.
What is the most challenging issue in for an independent label?
By far it has been social media. I enjoy seeing my friends do amazing things and connect with loved ones on social media, but I have no desire to spend my entire day on this platform which is difficult because social media is a great tool to connect with new customers and generate brand awareness. There’s so much information and access to all types of fashion sources that it forces a new brand to work twice as hard to be seen or heard.
What’s the main impact of social media in both ways, buying and brand marketing?
It has opened a lot of wonderful channels for brands to reach new people and created a massive platform for brands to display their collections but there can be too much of something which is happening now on social media. There’s too much content that so many amazing small companies who are doing incredible things are very easily getting overlooked or lost within the sea of content.
How do you manage to choose your models in order to spread better the diversity issue through your label?
One element of design that is unique to my personal creative style is having an element that is unexpected. This definitely applies when choosing models because its more impactful when you see a model that you wouldn’t typically expect, who has now created an entirely whole new beautiful picture of how you thought the garment should look.
What do you think is the biggest challenge regarding your work?
Starting a new company in any industry is hard and you spend a lot of time learning from your mistakes, so the values and morals I chose to build my company on created another added layer. Its incredibly important that I stay integral to what I have been promoting because change will only happen if our communities are aware there is an issue in the first place.
How do you think your label can play an important role in your daily client’s life?
Because all my garments are made-to-order, it automatically forces the need of instant gratification to be removed. Now, I am able to provide the gratification of having a limited, one-of-a-kind garment that has not been mass produced and was created with intention and care.
What do you think about the opportunity of selling your pieces online nowadays?
I love the option of online because it allows me to have more freedom and opportunities to curate pop-up shops or collaboration events instead of being tied to one brick location.
Imagine that you must write a letter to your FUTURE SELF. What would you write?
You are exactly where you should be. Remember to appreciate the small wins in front of you now. Be kind and understanding. Be motivated and driven. But don’t take shit from anyone!
KATT DE MOSS
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