Zii Ropa
What is your brand's philosophy?
Zii Ropa marries the concept of coastal and city living by creating timeless, modern and functional silhouettes using natural fiber fabrics. Living consciously is a natural part of the formation of ZII ROPA and in turn, we create and produce our collections with ethical standards, respect to our makers and thoughtfulness to our planet.
Where do you get inspiration?
Inspired by the muted landscapes and textures of Mexico, I design for the woman that works, travels, and seeks freedom in her expression when she moves from one world to another.
Tell us about yourself and your team!
(how many people are on the team, how does that breakdown by race and gender, what is the base pay, what benefits are offered, and anything else you'd like to include)
We are a team of 6 full time employees and all women, we are small but slowly growing! We employee mainly native, local Mexican women and our designer/founder is Canadian and brand manager is Polish-American. Also, our production manager is half Mexican and Japanese so we have a beautiful mix of women from different backgrounds. We work with a woman owned and operated production house who adheres to fair wage practices and outsources to local families that sew from their homes. This supports small family businesses, working mothers and people with disabilities.
Where are your products designed?
Our products are designed and made all in Mexico City.
What materials do you use? Where are your raw materials made? (Include as many details as possible about the factory/workshop/supplier. i.e. name, website, contact information, address, number of workers, etc.)
Our designs are fabric focused with a majority made in linen, cotton, wool and silk. We emphasize natural fibre fabrics not only because of its gentle touch to the skin, but also its biodegradable nature. Unlike synthetics fabrics, natural fibre fabrics have a way of breaking back down into the earth after your garment has lived a full life. We source high quality fabrics and test them for durability and feel, ensuring that our garments can be worn often and loved with use.
Where are your final products made?
(Include as many details as possible about the factory/workshop/supplier. i.e. name, website, contact information, address, number of workers, etc.)
Mexico City
What certifications do you have, if any?
N/A
What are you most proud of as a brand?
That I’ve made it this far! It’s been a challenging process full of all kinds of turns and bumps in the road. Most of all that our clients find pieces they love and cherish for a long time. I’ve always wanted to make wearable, functional pieces that are used for many years and worn in all kinds of situations. And that we have a really lovely team of women from diverse backgrounds which brings together a wealth of perspectives, creativity and fun!
What is your vision for the fashion/homeware/art industry in the future?
ZII ROPA has an ever evolving classics collection that pulls from our top sellers from each new collection. Timeless and thoughtful – the pieces are meant to be worn for years and years, becoming enduring staples. Designing on our own terms rather than the industry standard, allows for slower, more meditative design processes and leaves room for creativity, collaboration and small capsule collections.
We continue to explore and innovate our processes to not only better ourselves but the community around us.
See our Zii Ropa collection.