I founded ELSE Lingerie with the goal of elevating everyday style for women and bringing out their natural beauty: And the only way that can be truly done is with a quality product that is manufactured with care — and a conscience.
That's where sustainability comes in. For us, it's more than just a buzzword; it's a way of doing business. So many of our designs are directly inspired by the beauty of nature, so it only makes sense that in creating them, we consider the effect on the planet.
Below, we're detailing a few ways we do just that. We strive to go farther, and identify ways we can do better, as we look toward the future.
Ela Onur
Founder & Creative Director, ELSE
When it comes to our handmade pieces, the goal is to blend luxury and quality with a low footprint. We use eco-friendly lace trim generated from recycled yarn using solar energy, and upcycle (rather than discard fabrics for use in new collections.
In the next year, we will be expanding our use of eco-friendly fibers across our lines (especially our loungewear collection and launching sustainable swimwear made from recycled polyamide fabrics.
"Slow fashion" is the way we have always worked. Our Istanbul atelier reflects our commitment not just to our planet, but to our people.
Here, we employ talented female artisans and educate them on the latest lingerie-making techniques, giving them skills to earn their own living. And a recycling program at the atelier ensures that manufacturing waste is kept to an absolute minimum, with virtually no leftover fabrics thrown out.
We use compostable mailers for all online orders. Beyond that, we have worked to eliminate excess or superfluous product packaging, and are exploring options for fully compostable packaging
