This summer, Alyned Together launched its first collection, an inclusive, eco-friendly swimwear line with a consumer-friendly price point. The contemporary lifestyle brand promotes environmental activism and body positivity and is one of the first swimwear brands that seeks to incorporate inclusivity and sustainability. A small, female-led team with more than 100 years of collective experience in swimwear and fit launched the first Alyned Together swimwear collection in July 2018. The brand is built on the concept of “small changes can make a big difference.” Alyned Together’s first swimwear collection focuses on universal styling and price points for customers of all sizes, from XS to 3X. The company’s goal is to bring quality and luxury to all for less, while giving back to the environment. Alyned Together maintains that it is one of the first swimwear brands to combine contemporary fashion, sustainability, inclusive design and competitive pricing. Melissa Limoncelli, VP of Design and Fit, said that few brands offer all of these elements, and that each was very important to the design team that conceived the brand. The designers saw an opportunity in the luxury and contemporary swimwear market, where customers have been faced with limited sizing and underwhelming options for support. The company’s first swimwear collection offers a curated assortment of contemporary silhouettes that are available in sizes XS to 3X. The collection includes stylish prints and colors in every size, and it emphasizes fit, ensuring that details and support are maintained across all sizes. Divisional Head Pat Crews said that the design team focused on creating a variety of contemporary styles and fits that would make all women feel empowered and confident. In late July, Alyned Together’s swimwear was featured in “The Real Catwalk,” a guerilla-style runway show in New York City’s Times Square, where guests became models. The show celebrated men and women standing up for self-love and body positivity.

Source: Thanh Nguyen

The brand also sought to keep prices for its collection within an attainable range. Swimwear from leading luxury designers can range from $72 for separates to $275 for a one-piece bathing suit, making such purchases extravagant for the average American consumer. Alyned Together separates average $58 for a top and $53 for a bottom. The company launched its AlynedTogether.us e-commerce site in July and the brand is also available on Amazon.com. The brand uses recycled polyester as the collection’s main fabric. The material is generated from plastic waste collected onshore, and product packaging is made from compostable poly bags. Alyned Together is an eco-responsible brand that uses 82% recycled polyester as its main fabric. The material is generated from plastic bottles recovered from land and waterways. The design team quantified the plastic waste collected in number-of-plastic-bottle equivalents in an effort to educate consumers on the positive environmental impact of the brand: for example, the Traci suit uses eight plastic bottles, the Sydney top three, and the Celine bottom two and a half. The brand’s packaging is minimal. Alyned Together eliminated hangtags and is using compostable poly bags that are made from 40% starch, 50% copolymers and 10% glycerin. The bags biodegrade by 70% within 45 days when thrown into a landfill or garden. There are two main benefits of using compostable bags instead of plastic bags: no fossil fuels must be extracted to produce compostable bags and using them reduces the ongoing accumulation of plastic waste.

Source: AlynedTogether.us

Alyned Together has partnered with 1% for the Planet, an organization that connects businesses with nonprofits devoted to environmental causes, and has committed to donating 1% of its annual sales to such nonprofits. 1% for the Planet was founded by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies. Alyned Together is donating 1% of its sales to ocean conservation efforts specific to microfiber research and ocean cleanup. The brand is also working on volunteer opportunities and partnering with local brands and organizations to clean up New York beaches. The brand’s first cleanup, of Jacobs Riis Beach, is scheduled for September 14 in cooperation with sandal brand Tidal New York.

Source: OnePercentforthePlanet.org

The team is developing its new collection by incorporating consumer insights and using 3D technology, with the aim of reducing sampling and overall fabric waste by 50%. Alyned Together is incorporating consumer feedback into future collections and engaging with customers directly to understand their needs. Limoncelli said that consumer feedback has been very valuable for the brand because it helps the designers understand customers’ fit and color preferences as they develop collections for 2019. The brand is also using 3D technology provided by Optitex and CLO as it develops its 2019 capsule collection as part of its efforts to reduce sampling and overall fabric waste by 50% in the fit and development process. The brand hopes that its “small change, big difference” ethos will have a ripple effect throughout the industry, given the amount of garment waste that is contributed to landfills annually. Limoncelli added that Alyned Together’s goal is to innovate and disrupt the swimwear market each season, in the hope that what the brand contributes will inspire the majority of other brands to follow.