La Deuxième was born from the desire for a piece in my closet that would have the comfort of a well-worn t-shirt, but a little more body conscious and chic. As the exploitative practices and environmental impact of the fashion industry have become unavoidably clear, I knew my brand had to do things differently.

Each La Deuxième top is upcycled from a pre-owned t-shirt in a Los Angeles factory that pays fair wages and adheres to ethical working standards. Every single other component—from ethically-sourced, ecological elastic to organic cotton labels to compostable, 100% plastic-free packaging—has been carefully selected to avoid doing harm to our beautiful planet. One tree is planted for every unit sold, and all material remnants are recycled through For Days.

Named after the book, The Second Sex, by one of my feminist heroes Simone de Beauvoir, La Deuxième (lah deuhz-ee-ehm) also refers to the second chance a garment is given. I broke the French rules and used the feminine form because it’s a brand by women, for women.

La Deuxième’s motto, fait avec amour, means “made with love.” I hope you’ll wear yours with love, too.

Avec amour, Kate