Collina Strada

Summary

Former equestrian turned-fashion designer Hillary Taymour launched eco-conscious fashion brand Collina Strada after studying iconic fashion brands and receiving degrees in Product Development and Business Management. Sustainability and transparency are the pillars of Collina Strada but Taymour presents it in a light and fun way to engage people and make sustainability relatable. She incorporates eco-friendly practices such as using printed deadstock material- up-cycling tie-dye sweatshirts- and creating rhinestone-encrusted water bottles.

History

With an Associates Degree in Product Development and Bachelors in Business Management from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.. LA-based equestrian turned-fashion designer Hillary Taymour started making bags for herself in 2008 while working in men’s product development at Guess Jeans. Her oversize and exaggerated take on the hobo was such a hit that she made some for friends who loved it. Inspired by the encouragement and sales.. Hillary Taymour launched her fashion label and named it Collina Strada.

The beginning was modest. Hillary focused on distinct textures, sharp detailing and original styles which are a cross between vintage and modern. Luck was on her side. The collections caught-and held-the attention of potential consumers, fashion editors and retailers. At the advice of a friend and fashion designer.. she took a few samples to a fashion trade event in Las Vegas.. and Anthropologie placed an order.

Sustainability and transparency is the founding stone of her label but she presents in a light, fun way so people can relate and embrace sustainability as a way of life. A few examples are printed deadstock materials, upcycled tie-dye sweatshirts and rhinestone-encrusted water bottles. How does she make it fun and still drive the eco-conscious message home? For SS20 a semi-nude fashion model ran down Collina Strada’s runway with “waste not, want not”  painted all over her body!! Inclusivity is standard for Taymour’s brand, which casts models, creatives, artists and tastemakers from all walks of life.

“You can have fun and still be [eco] conscious” Taymour tells Vogue. “What’s going on with the planet is serious — we know that. Let’s talk about it in a way that doesn’t sound so depressing and apocalyptic. No one’s going to change the way they live if it isn’t represented in a fun way.” For AW20 Taymour undertook a new up-cycled fabric project in partnership with The OR Foundation- an organization that which works in Ghana to repurpose discarded clothing. For this collection OR organization brought several T-shirts bales back from Ghana for Taymour who then repurposed them to make fresh apparel.

CFDA Member since 2021 Collina Strada is described as “a platform for social issues and awareness. Taymour’s main concern is staying true to her craft while also becoming a fully sustainable and radically transparent brand in the near future. Based in New York, the brand’s core signature transcends trends. Taymour offers easy-to-wear clothes imbued with a fearlessly fluid attitude.. re-inventing classics and unexpected details..”

Today Collina Strada continues to remain true to its values and is appreciated by the best in the business. On SS23 WWD wrote, “Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour corralled what is perhaps her biggest audience yet to the edge of South Williamsburg, where she unleashed a procession of ‘butterflies.’ Inspired by milkweed and its life support for an ecosystem of caterpillars, moths and butterflies…”

Vision

Collina Strada- founded by Hillary Taymour- is an eco-conscious fashion brand that combines distinct textures, sharp detailing and original styles that effortlessly bridge the gap between vintage and modern. Taymour’s vision is rooted in sustainability presented in a light and fun way so that it is relatable to her consumers and adopted as a way of life. The brand incorporates eco-conscious practices such as using printed deadstock materials and up-cycling. And collaborates with organizations like The OR Foundation in Ghana to repurpose discarded clothing demonstrating a commitment to the brand vision.

Mission Statement

Sustainability is a journey for fashion brand Collina Strada. It is a platform for climate awareness, social awareness, change and self expression.

Products and Services

Eco-conscious fashion brand Collina Strada began with bags but has expanded to womenswear including dresses- tops- pants- shorts- and accessories. She also retails rhinestone- encrusted bottles.

Key Team

Founder fashion designer Hillary Taymour

References

• Official website Collina Strada
• CFDA Member Hillary Taymour CFDA
• Hillary Taymour on Building and Nurturing Community in a Pandemic BoF
• Collina Strada Spring 2023 RTW Vogue
• Profiling Collina Strada Not Just A Label
• Willy Chavarria, Hillary Taymour Talk State of the Fashion Industry WWD
• How Colin Strada is making fashion sustainable and fun Vogue
• Sustainability is no fad for eco-chic label Collina Strada New York Post
• These Designers Want to Fight Climate Change. Just Don’t Call Them ‘Sustainable’. BoF
• Reimagine Fashion Creative Review
• Hillary Taymour, founder and designer of Collina Strada Glossy
• Hillary Taymour, the Woman Behind Collina Strada NewsWeek
• Hillary Taymour gives practical gifts with a sustainable focus Financial Times
• Instagram account of Collina Strada Instagram
• Why Collina Strada Designer Hillary Taymour Refuses to Call Her Brand Sustainable GQ
• Youtube channel of Collina Strada Youtube
• Return Policy Collina Strada
• Facebook account of Collina Strada Facebook