Women Who Support Women Through Ethical Fashion
We discovered the magic of Selva Negra through a friend, and quickly fell in love with not only the clothing Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero have designed and produced, but how their ethos and story are dedicated to supporting women and their individuality, as well delivering a collection with intentionality and strength.
With that beautiful message behind each piece they deliver, we are beyond thrilled for them to be apart of the inaugural (Eco) Friendly Market.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand so we can get to know you better?
We are Kristen and Sam, co-founders of Selva Negra. Our brand was birthed in a tiny room in Kristen's former Brooklyn apartment and we are now based and produce our product here in LA. Selva Negra is a perfect blend of tomboy and feminine - tendencies we both have as women and designers, ultimately wanting to give women the freedom to be both and feel comfortable owning those nuances in their identities.
What’s the inspiration behind Selva Negra, and what aspirations do you have for your company moving forward?
We are very inspired by our heritage. Kristen is Mexican and Filipino, and Sam is Dominican. We are both fueled by the sacrifices our families have made to give us a better life.
Do you practice a sustainable/low impact/zero-waste lifestyle? If so, how do you practice it and what are your motivators?
We always want to clarify that we are an ethical business with sustainable practices (since being a fully sustainable business is almost impossible, and there are designers out there who work tirelessly to get as close to it as possible). We have started doing the work by completely eliminating plastic from our packaging, and are in the process of working with more tech fabrics using biodegradable fibers.
What’s one small change humans can do to show a little love Mother Earth that they may not realize?
There are so many small adjustments one can make to help. Eliminating single-use plastic from your life is pretty easy. Choosing proteins like chicken and fish over beef. Literally just picking up trash and putting it into a proper container. It could be as simple as choosing one thing about your daily life that you want to improve - i.e. going to the coffee shop with your own thermos "BYOT" instead of getting a paper cup every time.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? What’s the greatest piece of encouragement?
The best advice I've (Sam) ever received is if you can conquer these two things and incorporate them into your routine, your self-growth will change.
Read as much as possible because there were billions of people on the planet before you and here now. The chances some of them wrote about experiences you will go through in your own life/subjects you are curious about are very high. We can learn something from those that have been here before us.
Run (if you are able) - because the same voice that tells you to stay in bed or tells you to run tomorrow is the same voice that stops you from taking leaps of faith and instills fear in your decision-making process.
What are you excited about?
We are in the midst of converting our workspace into a showroom that will also be open to the public. This is huge for us since we do not have a brick and mortar store! We are so looking forward to extending our community a physical space to try the product in real-time.