Holly Surya
California Market CenterSuite A1092(213) 624-7424
Eco-friendly accessories designer Holly Surya has expanded her previously corporate showroom into a multi-line, one-stop shop for eco-conscious designers. Surya has been practicing eco-friendly, sustainable and socially responsible business with her eponymous line of handbags and home goods for 10 years.
For her new showroom, Surya plucked home accessories, clothing and accessories brands that covered the bases of “fashion forward, a strong set of design values behind them, [and] weren’t just on the [eco-friendly] bandwagon.”
Though Surya admits that it is not possible to be 100 percent eco-friendly, she does her homework about each brand’s materials and production to ensure that the brands in her showroom are as eco-conscious as possible.
Surya’s showroom includes the clothing lines Purlieu, a graphic-driven line of tees and dresses using eco-friendly fabrics; Lav & Kush clothing, which is made from bamboo, linenand Modal; and Small Axe Clothing, a retro/vintage–inspired line made from hemp, bamboo and linen. In the accessories category is Surya’s own line of woven bags made from recycled PVC and recycled fabric; handbag line Canopy Verde, which uses organic cotton/bamboo and unique eco-friendly buttons, embroidery and zipper pulls; and Art is Life recycled rubber “bio foam” flip-flop sandals by artist Robb Havassy. In the home accessories arena are Coy Soy candles and Dirt Candles, made from soy wax; and Verlu, a jewelry and home accessories line that is made in Indonesia from recycled silver, reclaimed wood and mother-of-pearl.
While there is a growing awareness about the existence of eco-conscious brands, Surya said that buyers “approach it as a fashionable showroom” first. Once Surya explains that all the lines are eco-friendly, “it carries the conversation longer” and can become an added incentive to buy. —Rhea Cortado
