Janelle
Gramling, owner of Fasten Collective, a clothing store in Bay View,
and Bethany Armstrong, a designer for Milwaukee’s THIEL design,
teamed up with Ohio’s Beth Doane, co-founder of Andira
International, to create an eco-friendly apparel line, The Andira Rain
Tees Collection.
The collection of T-shirts and dresses debuted at the Green
Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show in Los Angeles in March and
featured enhanced illustrations by children who live in and witness
the destruction of the rainforests across Central and South America.
And for each T or dress sold, a tree is donated to replace one
destroyed there.
Is the collection all organic?
Armstrong: The collection is not 100 percent organic, but each
piece will be going to rebuild the rainforest in Costa Rica.
What are the main materials?
Armstrong: The main materials will be cotton, which is a
sustainable fabric. As we grow, we can go greener.
Is this your first national show?
Gramling: Fasten’s produced dozens of fashion shows, but they
were all smaller, with local designers.
What was the response?
Armstrong: I think we have a lot of interested people. For each
piece sold, you are giving back to the environment.
Gramling: I think that sells the line in a special way.
