Paving the Way for Sustainable Baby Fashion: The Pop My Way Experience
Last updated on January 10th, 2024
In today’s fast-paced world of fashion, where trends often overshadow values, Pop My Way is a fantastic example of conscious creativity. Founded by the inspirational Sashe Christopher, a fashion expert with over two decades in the fashion industry, Pop My Way is not just about clothing; it’s a means for change.
The idea wasn’t born out of a boardroom but from the personal experiences of a new mother navigating early parenthood. A challenging pregnancy led Sashe to reimagine baby clothing, setting the foundation for a brand that prioritises practicality, comfort and sustainability.
At the heart of Pop My Way’s innovation lies the desire to simplify the lives of parents. Sashe shares how the brand’s mix-and-match approach, featuring cleverly designed accessories that effortlessly attach to garments, addresses the common struggles faced by parents during those early days with a newborn.
I find it refreshing that sustainability isn’t a buzzword for Pop My Way; it’s part of their mission. Sashe emphasizes the urgency for change in the fashion industry and how Pop My Way aims to be a catalyst. Using 100% GOTS-certified organic pima cotton, the brand ensures a gentle touch on babies’ skin while leaving a minimal environmental footprint.
Let’s dive into this exclusive interview, where Sashe takes us on a journey behind the scenes, sharing the inspiration, values, and sustainable practices that define the brand.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Pop My Way and how it all began?
After working in fashion for over 20 years, a tricky pregnancy and birth of my daughter prompted me to start thinking about ways to make the early days with new babies easier. Frustrated by nappy changes and feeds complicated by inflexible and impractical clothing, the idea for Pop My Way was born. I was always curious about where and how my daughter’s clothes were produced, so it was important to me to weave my other passion, sustainability, into the concept.
“Frustrated by nappy changes and feeds complicated by inflexible and impractical clothing, the idea for Pop My Way was born.”
Sashe Christopher – Founder of Pop My Way
Your background includes working for iconic fashion brands like Burberry, Baby Dior and several others. How did your previous experience in the fashion industry influence the creation of Pop My Way?
Working in the fashion industry helped me to understand all the processes involved in creating a clothing brand from start to finish, but also highlighted how crazy and detrimental the industry can be.
Pop My Way’s clothing is designed to simplify the early days with babies. Can you share some examples of how your brand makes dressing babies easier for parents?
The Pop My Way range features mix and match clothing items with accessories that are designed to “pop” onto the garment. Parents can change the look of their baby’s outfit by popping on a collar. Lost socks are a thing of the past thanks to the clever poppers on the trousers and socks. Important accessories like dummies and teething toys can be kept safe by attaching a dummy/toy strap to clothing. The certified organic pima cotton fabric we use is super soft, stretchy, allows stains to be removed easily and is extremely durable. Our zippered sleepsuits feature two way zips for easy changes and fold over flaps on the hands and feet.
Sustainability is a core value at Pop My Way. Can you explain the importance of sustainability in your brand’s mission?
From the start, we wanted our brand to reflect our core values to protect the planet and look after the people in it. We wanted to create something that would make an impact and encourage people to change their mindset about clothing and help people to understand how making small changes can help to make a difference. The fashion industry needs to change and it is becoming more urgent now. If Pop My Way allows parents to make these changes from the start of their baby’s life, it can impact the decisions that future generations make about how to tackle the issues that our planet is facing.
“We wanted our brand to reflect our core values to protect the planet and look after the people in it.”
Sashe Christopher – Founder of Pop My Way
Pop My Way uses 100% GOTS-certified organic pima cotton. How does this choice benefit both the environment and a baby’s sensitive skin?
Our 100% GOTS certified pima cotton is hand harvested which means it contains no impurities and is smooth on your baby’s skin. Pima cotton contains longer fibres which makes it super soft as well. GOTS prohibits harmful chemicals and pesticides, so not only can farmers benefit from this by being allowed to grow crops to feed their families alongside the cotton, but parents can rest assured that their baby’s clothing is safe as well. No chemicals are released into the soil or waste water during production as well, so this is much better for the environment.
Can you share more about your GOTS certification and what it means for your entire supply chain process?
Our certification from The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) ensures that all environmental and social aspects of our supply chain are monitored and audited regularly. This means that all our processes from the harvesting of our cotton, water and energy use, prohibition of chemicals and pesticides, factory worker’s rights, all the way through to the packaging we use are approved by GOTS.
Your brand offers mix-and-match baby essentials with interchangeable accessories. How does this approach contribute to sustainability and reduce textile waste?
Offering mix and match items allows parents to purchase less clothing as everything can be combined in different ways and there is no need to change a whole outfit. We encourage people to purchase fewer quality items over quantity as the pima cotton we use lasts and can be passed on. Babies grow so fast that they actually don’t need as many clothing items as we think they do. We use the excess fabric waste from our clothing production to make some of our accessories – this fabric would ordinarily be thrown away, so this also reduces textile waste.
Pop My Way has a ‘Preloved’ initiative. Could you elaborate on how this program works and its impact on sustainability?
Our “preloved” program allows customers to return their clothing for resale on our website at a reduced price as “Pop My Way Preloved” pieces. In doing this, our hope is that more quality used clothing will remain in circulation and more people will be encouraged to buy preloved clothing. This will reduce the amount of garments produced and will in turn reduce textile waste in landfills. As a thank you for being part of the change, we send customers a code for 25% off their next Pop My Way purchase. In the unlikely event that any clothing is unsuitable for resale, the items will be donated or repurposed.
Pop My Way has pledged to be a climate-positive workforce. Can you tell us more about your partnership with Ecologi and your commitment to offsetting the entire carbon footprint of all your employees?
Pop My Way has partnered with Ecologi and we have pledged to be a climate positive workforce. This means that all our employees are climate positive and we offset their entire carbon footprint including emissions from their homes, personal travel, holidays, food, hobbies and more. All of our business travel is also offset and every month we plant groves of trees in our company forest, and finance carbon reduction projects from around the world.
As a brand that cares about the planet and people, what advice would you give to consumers who want to make more sustainable fashion choices for their children?
It is more important now than ever before, that consumers educate themselves about the impact of their choices. So many brands are greenwashing and making claims that are untrue about their efforts to be sustainable. Customers need to know what to look for. Certifications are the best way to be sure that a brand is telling the truth. Ask questions and read labels if you are not sure what the clothing item is made from or where it is made. And always remember, that cheap items mean that someone somewhere is paying the price.
“And always remember, that cheap items mean that someone somewhere is paying the price.”
Sashe Christopher – Founder of Pop My Way
Be aware of the chemicals and dyes that could affect your baby as well and go for brands that do not allow these substances to be used.
Finally, think about what will happen to an item of clothing after you buy it. Do you really need that much clothing for your child and will the quality last in order for it to be passed on instead of being dumped in a landfill? Shop quality or second hand whenever you can.
Can you share your vision for the future of Pop My Way and its continued dedication to sustainability and ethical practices?
Pop My Way is a small business at the moment, but our aim is to grow and make a real difference to the fashion industry. We plan to expand our range to include clothing and accessory items for toddlers, older kids and adults. We want to be the game changing brand that educates consumers and moves things in the right direction when it comes to making clothing choices. Being ethical and sustainable will always be something we are passionate about and helping people to understand what this actually means is key.
Making baby fashion more sustainable, one pop at a time.
Pop My Way may be a small business now, but Sashe shares an ambitious vision for the future. The brand aims to expand and become a business that educates its customers about ethical and sustainable fashion. For Pop My Way, being a force for positive change in the fashion industry is not just a goal but a passionate commitment that drives every stitch and accessory.
In this inspiring interview, Sashe Christopher has opened the door to the inner workings of Pop My Way, inviting us to be not just consumers but conscious participants in a movement toward a more sustainable and compassionate fashion future.
Meet the Author
Meet Sinead O’Carroll: Vegan explorer, sustainability advocate and the founder of The Wondering Wandering Vegan. Embracing veganism since 2018 and vegetarianism since 2005, Sinead is armed with a Vegan Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle qualification, and is on a mission to share her passion for cruelty-free living.
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