Fall 2020
Forbes Feature
If You Want To Buy Clothing And Help Save The Planet, Consider Careste
by Sharon Edelson for Forbes / November 13, 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Careste
Anna Getty had a full plate with Amalgam Kitchen, her blog with recipes, resources and content for healthy eating and living, when Elizabeth Rickard Shah approached her about designing a blouse for Careste, the direct-to-consumer ready-to-wear brand she cofounded with Celeste Markey.
Getty was intrigued. The first to admit that she's not a designer, Careste resonated with Getty for its commitment to using 100 percent natural fabrics and its sustainable zero inventory business model, which eliminates waste and the need for end-of-season markdowns. Careste also developed 21 micro-sizes for what it calls a precision fit.
The daughter of John Paul Getty and sister of Balthazar, Anna is the executive producer of “Kiss the Ground,” a documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that explains the importance of biodiversity and regeneration, and the reason why soil could hold the key to halting climate change.
Careste’s India blouse, a 100% silk double georgette smoking shirt jacket with small stitch details, patch pockets and an optional waist tie, is named after Getty’s daughter, India Getty-Pruss. It’s also comes in crisp cotton poplin as part of the evergreen Cornerstone capsule. Socorro, Careste’s latest collection was inspired by the natural beauty of Ojai, California and is available at Careste.com and The Conservatory.
A percentage of sales of the India blouse as well as the entire Cornerstone capsule, will be donated to Kiss the Ground, a collaboration between the Kiss the Ground nonprofit organization and the “Kiss the Ground” movie.
Getty said another reason she wanted in on the project is that it gave her an opportunity to collaborate with India, who is a fledgling designer. “She’s a sophomore and planning to apply to universities around the world,” said Getty. “I thought this might be an opportunity for her to have a professional piece for her portfolio.”
Photo: Courtesy of Careste
The blouse has hints of the Boho sensibility Getty embraces, and is a throwback to her Twenties when she wore “these old robes that were like smoking jackets. There was the concept of doing something elegant and comfortable. It’s focused on what are our lives are like now. I was so tired of wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants.”
Getty, who grew up in a family committed to environmental causes and developed a taste for healthy food from her mother, who cooked vegetarian meals for the family, is more comfortable in the kitchen or working with filmmakers than sketching patterns or using a sewing machine.
“No, I don’t want to do more of it,” Getty said of fashion design. “If a sustainable shoe company came to me, I’d love to do a shoe design, but I’d never in a million years do a clothing line. My sister-in-law, Rosetta Getty, has a clothing line. Now, everything’s changing and shifting. I appreciate fashion, and I’m definitely a customer.”
Any partnerships Getty agrees to have to come about organically. “The owner of a juice line reached out and said, ‘We’d love it if you’d incorporate our juice into a recipe,’ but the juices were in plastic bottles. I said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t align with you, but if you ever move into more sustainable packaging, let me know.”
Getty said the coronavirus pandemic has made expensive designer brands less appealing. “I don’t feel right spending the same amount [as I used to] on clothing,” she added. “There’s a luxuriousness to Careste. There’s fewer pieces, but they’re more versatile. If something is cheap, the person who made it isn’t being paid properly.
“When I talked to my daughter about fashion, she wanted to do luxury and couture,” Getty said. “Now, she’s understanding that she going to have to do this responsibly. Now, she’s understanding the conversation more.”