Finding Hope & Designing for Change.
Mission Statement.
High Horse is an experimental design studio guided by its values. Sustainability first and fashion second; our platform considers the fashion industry’s broader impact on the world and tries to do things differently.
We celebrate heirloom garments, textile conservation and the pursuit of timeless quality. We also embrace radical sustainability, accepting smallness, and adaptability.
Not only does this root us in designing differently, we are also advocating for whole systems change. We are asking bigger questions with our brand such as, who does the fashion industry truly serve as it stands? What can we do with our platform to combat that? And the big question; what could a true system change really look like?
With these difficult questions in mind and heart; we’re exploring circularity, localism, and activism through a hopeful and intersectional lens.
Our materials. Our work.
We source almost all fabric and trims second hand, utilizing either deadstock or thrifted piecemeal materials, the majority sourced locally. When we outsource supplies, we do our absolute best to source them sustainably, ethically and with transparency.
Our production is incredibly small and most garments are made one of a kind or in very small runs. Everything is made in studio by Courtney herself, with an aim to be zero waste through innovative and experimental design techniques.
Our contributions.
“Activism is the rent I pay for living on the planet.” - Alice Walker
Anyone who understands the history of fashion can understand it is rooted in imperialism and dominion over the planet and its people. As a result it is an extremely destructive and exploitative industry.
This feels particularly true in the era of climate change, where real time catastrophic events are unfolding and forcing us to zoom out and look at the big picture. This big picture puts us in our place. Not as creative individuals or as an independent small business; but as a small part of the bigger whole that is our planet. It is to this planet and its people that we want to give back.
This is why we donate.
We currently donate 3% of all our profits to various organizations that intersect environmental and racial justice. Small contributions for big dreams.
Carbon Offsetting.
We want to do our part on this planet and be a business that leads by example. Though our materials and production already have a radically low impact, we still have a carbon footprint. In using carbon offsets, we can counteract the greenhouse gas emissions that we can’t avoid causing.
For this, High Horse has partnered with the public benefit corporation Native, to invest in their HelpBuild initiatives. Through Native, we are sourcing our carbon offsets from various projects to address our estimated Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.
For more information about Native and their work, visit their projects page here.
Our Shipping and Packing.
Our eco friendly shipping materials are sourced from EcoEnclose and are produced within North America.
We ship with 100% recycled, tear resistant paper mailers, boxes and tissue paper, paper tape with a plant derived adhesive and zero waste shipping labels constructed from post consumer waste.
We also carbon offset all of our shipments so you can rest easy with your online purchases.