Since launching the self-named lingerie collection in 2000, designer Araks Yeramyan has become known for her minimalist yet sensual pieces, from '80s-inspired polka-dot bikinis to colour-blocked silk and chiffon panties. Its sleepwear, swimwear, resort wear and underwear collections are not only designed with the intention of making the wearer feel beautiful from the most intimate layers of her clothing but they are sustainably manufactured and produced entirely in New York City.
This minimalist brand designs its collections around basic evergreen fabrics such as organic cotton and silk. All lingerie pieces are made from 100% pre-consumer waste, meaning no new material is generated to create them. As for swimwear, half of its swimwear offerings are made from ECONYL®, a regenerated nylon fabric made from waste materials such as abandoned fishing nets. All decisions in the fashion business are important to Araks, so they are very careful in choosing the suppliers they partner with. In addition, they donate materials they no longer need to schools and other organizations. They even provide care tips to their consumers on ways to make their lingerie more durable in an effort to help reduce their carbon footprint.
Commitment to Social Sustainability
Araks strives to create a sustainable foundation for every facet of the business. Aware that every decision counts, Araks takes care in making its decisions in terms of sourcing materials, economic design, and influential partnerships. This way, Araks succeeds in connecting its garments to a story.
Aware that sustainability is continuous journey of improvement, Araks focus on the key areas that have the greatest impact on its overall carbon footprint. In order to find the areas it needs to improve on, Araks took part in a third-party brand sustainability assessment through Bluesign®. It was evaluated in areas of Culture of Mindfulness & Economy, Product Design, Partnerships, and Social Sustainability.
As a result, Araks made the conscious decision to promote reducing, reusing and recycling, in that order. Its collections are designed around evergreen fabrics, and so excess materials can be saved for future collections instead of being thrown away. It also donates materials it doesnt need to schools and other charity organizations. Araks has also carefully evaluated the source of its materials and the processes in which they’ve been made. The brand has invested in materials that are made to last and is committed to creating high-quality clothing.
Arak’s suppliers share its vision to take the same care in its production processes, seeking out partners that pursue sustainable practices, such as groups that comply with EPD Environmental Certification, EPD Climate Certification, ISO 14001 Certification, OEKO-TEX® Certification, and comply with the EU Reach Regulations. The cotton used in for its organic cotton is milled in Spain, and is both GOTS and OEKO TEX Standard 100 certified, ensuring that its filtered to remove any toxins.
Consumers Get to Take Part in “Lingerie on Film”
As Arak’s mission is to make women feel naturally beautiful and at ease in their bodies, it decided to begin a project for consumers to take part in. Each year, Araks brings together different creatives from the fields of fashion, art, film and design for the “Lingerie on Film” photo book project. Participants are encouraged to document themselves in lingerie to show how they view their own beauty through a disposable camera. According to Arak Yeramyan, the project was founded to celebrate women’s natural beauty, and to celebrate their differences.