WHAT'S IN A NAME?

With family always at the forefront, Novados is the combination of founder Ashanté Nicole's parents' origins;

Nova Scotia and Barbados. 

With maternal lineage from Nova Scotia, the love of crocheting and knitting was formed when Ashanté learned both at the age of four. The draw to the ocean and swimwear is derived from her paternal Bajan lineage. 

THE COLLECTION

Novados Swim is a luxury swimwear collection that creates handmade and sustainable pieces with minimal impact on the environment and oceans.

Using materials sourced in the USA and handmade in Miami, Fl, our fun and flirty crochet swimwear collection feature innovative designs in vibrant hues made almost exclusively from cotton. In addition, our made-to-order nylon suits are created from expertly sourced materials and produced in small quantities to reduce our carbon footprint.

THE PROBLEM

In today's fashion climate, fast fashion has severe impacts on global pollution. The global fashion industry emits over 1.2 billion tons of CO2 per year, and was identified in 2021 as the planet's third largest polluter. In total, the fashion industry accounts for 5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

Mass production companies use synthetic materials like polyester that heavily pollute the air, ground and water. Human rights abuses also run rampant in this sector, and accusations including unlivable wages and dangerous sweat-shop conditions have been levied against many of today's popular online fast-fashion retailers utilize.

The bulk of fast fashion apparel is created from inexpensive synthetic fibers, composing 65% of all clothing globally. The majority of polyesters are non-biodegradable, and will not decompose for 20 - 200 years! Additionally, polyesters are partially derived from petroleum, with the oil industry being the  world's largest pollutant. An estimated 342 million barrels of oil are used each year in the production of synthetic fibers.

Due to being inexpensive and the low quality construction, these items become increasingly disposable to consumers. Over 57% of all discarded clothing eventually ends up in landfills or our oceans.

THE SOLUTION

Novados is on a mission to slow the pace of the fashion cycle, and return to high quality, slow fashion production. 

Through the usage of natural and biodegradable fibers like cotton, and working with a made-to-order model for the knit items, Novados’ crochet collection is proud to be zero-waste. Cotton itself is biodegradable and in the right compost, the material should be gone in a week to five months.

Our nylon suits are also made-to-order, and while this material is not biodegradable, we have a heavy emphasis on sourcing recycled nylons to reduce oceanic waste. We work closely with US based fabric manufacturers who have the ability to provide Novados with recycled fabric options, and globally source man-made fabrics made from natural materials including bamboo and hemp.

We are committed to changing the life cycle of swimwear, and creating a better world for future generations. What good are swimsuits if there are no oceans to swim in? Novados will not be a part of the global climate crisis!

CUSTOMER TRACTION

While working as a fashion and beauty publicist in 2012, founder Ashanté Nicole began conceptualizing the brand. That inspiration drove her to relocate to South Florida in 2016.

Her education at the Fashion Institute of Technology and background in public relations, photo shoot production and digital marketing led to her work quickly catching the attention of friends, colleagues and even complete strangers!

In the years since, Novados has worked with a number of fashion stylists, photographers and social media influencers who utilize the pieces in shoots, as well as private clients who work closely with us to create custom pieces, made specifically to their measurements.

WHY CROWDFUNDING?

The funds that are raised will be used to offset the cost of future small-scale production runs. In order to get customers items quickly, and increase our profit margins, ethical factory production is a necessary next step for our growth.

Although we are keeping produced quantities to a very limited amount, in order to provide a full size run from XS-4X, we need help to cover these costs.

Additionally, sourcing swim fabrics that are made from natural and degradable fibers as well as utilizing recycled nylon, is significantly more expensive than the standard nylon fabrics that are readily available.

DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS

We aim to raise a total $7,000 to assist with the startup costs associated with our first year of business, as well as create a small factory production run at a local family owned facility, to create nylon swimwear and coverups to accompany the handmade crochet collection. 

This is how we will utilize the capital we raise:

$4,000 - First small scale nylon suit production run, including fabrics, samples and manufacturing for sizes XS - 4X.

$1,500 - Cost of packaging (including tags, apparel labels, swimsuit storage, and mailing bags & boxes)

$1,500 - Cost of campaign production including social media still and motion content assets for daily posts, and digital advertisements. 

**Note: We are simultaneously covering many of the costs, and will update these totals as we take care of items without the help of crowd sourcing.**

A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

"This is my passion project that I am determined to make Novados successful. I have put everything in my personal life on hold, including moving away from my family and friends in New York until I am able to bring my complete vision to life.

With your help you will be aiding me in achieving my biggest goal, as well as creating an impactful legacy that I can pass down to my family. 

Again, your support would truly mean the world to me, and I'd be forever grateful that you were able to fulfill my decade's long dream!"

To learn more about Novados, check out our instagram novadosswim. To stay updated on all current news, and launch dates, please visit Novados Swim Online.