Designer Angeline Hayling shares how building a community and sustainability have become the heart of each Island Tribe dress.
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What does it mean when a brand says that their clothing is empowering? For Island Tribe and other brands, stepping away from the conventional fast fashion and cheap labor ethos, it’s about ensuring the well-being of the people who make the clothes. Each dress, swimsuit, top, or home goods item is stitched by women-led artisanal collectives who are paid fair wages. The organic cotton, bamboo, and linen fabrics that drape and never restrict, are organic and often left undyed to embrace their natural color. These conscious decisions- to respect and empower the people behind the label- are the heart of the brand. “Community is our DNA,” says designer and founder Angeline Hayling. “Island Tribe has become more sustainable over time, and it’s our community who has encouraged us.” It’s that two-way street of listening and responding that has allowed Island Tribe to blossom into the lifestyle brand that it is today. From focusing strictly on wedding dresses to offering a line of everyday dresses to festivals that nurture their community. “When you live mindfully, you’re more conscious of the decisions that you make along the way,” Angeline says of the brand’s evolution.
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Island Tribe began after a trip to Bali. It was a season of Angeline’s life when she traveled the globe aligning with organizations like Red Cross. “It was life-changing,” she said about the first time she stepped on the island. “The thing about Bali is that when you’re there, it’s not about color, gender, or status. It’s about your soul. It’s a high-vibration land and a soulful place.” It was that initial connection that inspired Angeline to design and manufacture her dresses in the local Balinese communities. To ensure that wages and working conditions are fair and that the women making her clothes are empowered, not exploited she partners with Fair Trade organizations.
Waste, or ensuring the lack thereof, is also woven into the brand’s ethos. Each Island Tribe bridal gown is made-to-order. Each dress in the ready-to-wear line is made in small batches to reduce waste. And all dresses are crafted from minimally-processed organic materials to be as close to biodegradable as possible. Although, a lot of the dresses sell out quickly thanks to ‘it’ girls during festival season. “Our biggest time of year is Coachella. That’s our fashion week and we do events around that time as well,” Angeline says. Yet, her dresses aren’t simply meant to be designed and worn while enjoying the tunes of artists in the open air of California. “With each purchase, we donate to Offset Earth.” The organization plants trees and educates companies and individuals on how to set goals to limit their carbon footprint. They also spearhead projects like a wind farm in Indonesia where public electricity grids are created from clean energy to power local communities.
Indonesia is one-half of Island Tribe’s community. The other is Palm Springs, where her ethical dresses are designed in the place that Angeline calls home. “The desert is a sacred area. When I’m there I have to be present and mindful.” When traveling, Angeline admits, “I miss the community that Island Tribe has created over the years.” From yogis to sound artists, Island Tribe has gathered a community of like minds to host retreats in Bali and Palm Springs. Connecting with this community is a priority with the next retreat happening in Palm Springs in October.
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Art, humanitarian work, and traveling the world were Angeline’s life’s focus for several years before she eventually dipped her toes into fashion to begin Island Tribe. Since her founding days, her collection of ethically-made dresses has blossomed into a lifestyle brand offering swimwear, home goods, and festivals to bring people together craving a taste of the California-boho vibe.