In conversation with Toit Volant founder Alnea Farahbella | Coggles

Creating clean and contemporary fashion with sustainability at its core, we are excited to join the designer behind the brand Toit Volant. Based in Los Angeles, Alnea Farahbella spent her adult life travelling Asia and teaching in different countries.

Talking inspirations from those experiences she has perfected versatile, effortless pieces that really need little to no styling and you can mix and match with anything in your wardrobe. Ahead of the curve when it comes to responsible, sustainable and ethical practises, their capsule collection is a favourite for guilt-free forever fashion. Here's everything you need to know...

What inspired you to launch Toit Volant when coming back to the US?

I was looking to get out of academia, which is where I had been working before starting Toit Volant. I was drawn back to studio work and felt very passionately about starting my own brand.

How would you describe the Toit Volant women?

The Toit Volant woman is an explorer. She is curious, unapologetic, and adventure-seeking.

Please talk us through your sustainable and ethical pillars.

We design consciously, being aware of wastage. Taking everything into account while pattern making and sampling to ensure we are reducing waste as much as possible. We are also always re-evaluating our supply chain to maximize efficiency and reduce carbon footprint, working with local partners who are committed to our same values and ethical principles.

What’s the meaning behind the name ‘Toit Volant’?

Toit Volant translates to flying roof in French. To me, this means constantly redefining the idea of home.

You opened your own factory Nana Atelier to enable you to be as ethical and sustainable as possible. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you now create your collections?

We wanted to be able to control all parts of our production in order to stand by our ethical beliefs. We experienced a devastating fire last year that claimed Nana Atelier, so we are now producing our collections with long-standing partners in our community that share our same operating standards and values. Our aim is to maintain the most amount of control as much as possible.

Toit Volant Bella Stretch-Cotton Seersucker Dress

What’s been the hardest thing about running a sustainable brand and what advice would you offer to someone starting out?

The most difficult part is building a sustainable supply chain since there are so many factors out of our control. As a sustainable designer and brand owner, you have to play an active part in maintaining a strong and ethical supply chain. My advice would be to be as hands-on and involved with the process as you can. Do as much as possible in-house.