Innovation and Creativity Make Alterre the Sustainable Footwear Brand of Choice

In case you were not aware, The British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) have announced sustainability initiatives. Bravo for those two fashion governing bodies!! That said; these renowned fashion organizations are late to the sustainability table. But, better late than never.

While the British Fashion Council and the CFDA have been late to the sustainability movement, other brands have injected sustainability business models to their collections for some time. Stella McCartney now utilizes sustainability models, and so does Mara Hoffman. Still, for some fashion brands, sustainability has always been a key part of how they create garments and do business.

Harmony Pilobello and Shilpa Iyengar, co-directors of sustainable footwear brand Alterre, could not imagine creating footwear without an eco-conscious footwear model in place. And for Harmony and Shilpa, sustainability goes way beyond creating non-leather product. Sustainability also includes workers receiving a living wage, cutting down on the global carbon footprint, and a host of other eco-conscious touchpoints.

Fashion Reverie was fortunate to speak with Shilpa and Harmony about their sustainable footwear line Alterre, and why sustainable fashion is quickly becoming the new normal.

Fashion Reverie: Why sustainable shoes? What does that mean and how did you look to create sustainable shoes?

Harmony Pilobello: For us, sustainability is more than making footwear that is not leather based. We think about the effect of our production on the global community at large. We want our product to be a positive product that effects people in a positive way.

One of the reasons we did not make vegan shoes is because many vegan footwear brands use polyurethane, which is non-degradable. Our heels are made from recycled plastic.

FR: Your shoes are made in fair labor markets in Brazil. Could you talk more about that?

Shilpa Iyengar: We spent two years looking for the right manufacturer/factory and it took us a while to find the right fit. It was a challenge to find a factory that wanted to work with young women who had just launched a footwear line.

We were looking for a factory that used fair labor practices and we found that in Brazil. The workplace in Brazil is so cool; they have music playing throughout the day for the workers and most of the workers live within walking distance of the factory. This small commute advantage also cuts down of the global footprint. Also, most importantly, they pay a living wage for that region.

Because many of the workers live so close to the factory, they all know each other. So, in a sense, the factory is its own community. And that was important to us when we were looking for a manufacturer/factory to work with.

FR: Could talk a little bit more about your decision to use recycled plastic?

Harmony Pilobello: Polyurethane, which is a type of plastic coating, is used a lot in vegan products. Though vegan products may be made from non-leather materials, there is usually a layer of polyurethane applied to these non-leather products. We know that polyurethane is not biodegradable. So, even if there are good intentions, a lot of vegan brands are still making new product that hurts the environment.

FR: Harmony, you and your business partner Shilpa Iyengar both met while attending Parsons School of Design. So, how did the two of you come together to form Alterre?

Shilpa Iyengar: Well, we have the same sense of market curiosity and we also share some other oddities. We quickly realized that we bond in certain ways. We have different backgrounds, but similar sensibilities. Before we worked together on a capsule collection at Parsons, Harmony had done mostly women’s eveningwear, and some menswear. I had worked primarily on footwear. Both of us have worked on these different elements of fashion through the lens of sustainability, and that all crystallized when we worked on a capsule collection at Parsons.

FR: So, were you both on the sustainability track when you worked on the capsule collection together at Parsons?

Harmony Pilobello: I attended Parsons at a time when Timo Rissanen has just become a part of the faculty. I learned so much from him. I had always thought about working in a sustainable way, but I was not sure how to be accomplished working that way. I also worked at Patagonia as a retail assistant and that also added to my desire to work sustainability.

FR: How did you come up with the name Alterre?

Shilpa Iyengar: Alterre is a play on the words. It refers to changing and we wanted to elevate the word “alter” to alterre. It took us a while to come up with the name. But we chose “alterre” because you are altering your style buy choosing our sustainable footwear.

FR: Sustainable products are starting to get more traction on the market. What do you contribute that to?

Harmony Pilobello: I think a lot of people are beginning to understand how sustainability affects their everyday life. And with climate disaster, and even with the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness around sustainability is coming more to the fore. I would not be surprised if more people start to consider sustainability when they shop because of the many crises we are living through.

Shilpa Iyengar: There are some consumers who understand that if they are going to spend a substantial amount of money on clothes, they would like the brand to be connected to a worthy cause. This is especially true of some millennials and Gen Exers.

Harmony Pilobello: When millennials entered the workforce, the economy was not booming. So, for many millennials if their pay grade was lower, at least they felt they should be treated with some dignity. And sustainability is more than not using leather on non-biodegradable product, but also income equality and workplace ethics.

FR: What is the design aesthetic of Alterre?

Shilpa Iyengar: It’s kind of flirty and fun. I would say our design aesthetic is bringing the best of runway to consumers, but in a more accessible way.

Harmony Pilobello: Think of our design aesthetic being for the former party girl who has grown up and become an executive. Someone who used to wear stilettoes and platform shoes when they went out on the town; but, needs to wear something more comfortable at this point in her life. However, she still wants to express her individual style.

FR: Who is your customer?

Shilpa Iyengar: Our core consumer demographic is 35 to 65 years old. That said; we do have millennial, Gen Xers, and boomers as part of our consumer base.

Harmony Pilobello: We do attract a lot of consumers who want a professional look. We also attract creative types—actors and opera singers—who need a specific look for auditions. We also have a growing demographic of moms who want to look stylish but need comfortable shoes while taking care of young children.

FR: What are your price points?

Shilpa Iyengar: Our price points start at around $200 and can range up to $600.

FR: Which shoes are your best sellers?

Shilpa Iyengar: Our slides are probably our best sellers—particularly our animal print slides. Our mules are also getting a lot of market traction.

FR: What was the inspiration for your spring 2020 collection?

Shilpa Iyengar: The inspiration behind our spring 2020 collection was Coco Beach, Florida. This collection was a nod to the 1960s space age and the fashion you saw in nightclubs in South Florida. You know the classic TV series “I Dream of Jeannie.” There are lots of pops of color and just a fun, frolicky feel to the collection.

FR: Your design aesthetic includes placing little embellishments on shoes. Could you talk about that?

Harmony Pilobello: Those embellishments are partially trend based which I found in the research I do every season. And from the spring 2020 trend forecasting, we decided to add some special embellishments to the shoes.

Shilpa Iyengar: The embellishment—some are detachable—on our shoes can be changed and mixed and matched to different shoes in the collection. Some of the straps are detachable and some of the charms are detachable. You can also put the detachable ones on other accessories.

FR: How has COVID-19 affected your business?

Harmony Pilobello: Shoes are the thought about when you are working from home. The best part of being a small business is that there are so many components that we don’t have to worry about. As a small business, sometimes you can pivot very quickly and come up with backup plans when there is a major shift in the industry.

In 2019, Alterre got a lot more traction than in previous years. And when COVID-19 hit, we had to figure out how we could come out of this crisis in good shape.

Shilpa Iyengar: Like Harmony detailed, we are usually extremely busy this time of the season. So, since everything has slowed down, this lull has given us time to work on some things we never have time to work on.

Harmony Pilobello: One of the things that we’ve been concentrating on since COVID-19 is getting our shoes into video games. That was already happening before this health crisis. We were looking for ways to connect to different communities, and this opportunity presented itself.

Sixty percent of gamers use avatars. And some like to dress those avatars in specific clothing. Other gamers can see and comment on what avatars are wearing. Believe it or not, this can lead to sales because many gamers want to dress like their avatars or avatars they like.

We have just partnered with a gaming company to dress avatars. We feel this is a great opportunity because a lot of gamers are staying home more because of this pandemic and playing more online games. Some of these games have events, balls, parties, etc. and gamers dress their avatars to go to these invited events.

Because we are a small business, we can make the shift to something like this without a lot of fuss and muss. That said; there are some good things coming out of this crisis.

—William S. Gooch

Image credits

• alterre-ss20-lookbook-20.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-foundeers.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-shoes-02.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-spring-2020-01.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-spring-2020-02.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-spring-2020-04.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-footwear-spring-2020-9.jpg — Editorial image.
• alterre-feature.jpg — Editorial image.