Toit Volant

Toit Volant (French for "Flying Roof") is an independent Los Angeles-based women's wear brand founded in 2017 by designer Alnea Farahbella and her husband, Arno. The brand is known for its focus on elevated garments and ethical production, prioritizing local and domestic manufacturing, small-batch production, and long-lasting craftsmanship.

Philosophy & Values:

Occasion-less Finery: They design foundational statement pieces for everyday wear that offer a feeling of luxury without being stuffy, and are easy to care for.
People First Production: Toit Volant is deeply committed to fair and just treatment of garment producers. They aim to reduce the gap between creator and consumer and promote empathy for the human beings behind the product.
Culture of Teaching: Alnea Farahbella, a seasoned professor in Fashion Design, incorporates her academic background into the brand, striving to find solutions for a more equitable and sustainable industry.
Sustainability: The brand uses some eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, manufactures locally to reduce climate impact, and recycles some offcuts to minimize textile waste. They aim for responsible sourcing of textiles and materials and limited, mindful quantities.

Production & Manufacturing:

Initially, Toit Volant produced garments in their own Los Angeles factory, Nana Atelier.
After Nana Atelier tragically burned down in 2022, they pivoted to working with trusted manufacturing partners who undergo rigorous reviews to meet Toit Volant Manufacturing Standards, emphasizing high labor and quality control. This includes working with factories that ensure fair living wages, are women-owned, traceable, and practice water conservation.

Products:

Toit Volant offers a range of contemporary and minimalist women's ready-to-wear clothing, including dresses, tops, shorts, skirts, and knitwear.
Their aesthetic often features bold shapes, unexpected details, and experimental textures, like oversized silhouettes, asymmetric cuts, and avant-garde prints.
Products are designed to be versatile, moving easily from day to night, casual wear to office attire.

Sustainability Ratings:

According to "Good On You," Toit Volant has an overall "Good" sustainability rating.
Planet: Rated "Good" (4 out of 5) due to use of eco-friendly materials, local manufacturing, and recycling offcuts. However, there's no evidence of water reduction initiatives.
People: Rated "It's a start" (3 out of 5) as products are manufactured in-house or by trusted partners, but there's no explicit evidence of ensuring payment of a living wage. They do trace some of their supply chain.
Animals: Rated "Good" (4 out of 5). They do not use leather, exotic animal hair, fur, down, angora, or exotic animal skin. They use wool, but there's no stated animal welfare policy.

Toit Volant stands out for its strong commitment to ethical production and sustainable practices within the fashion industry, striving to make luxury design principles accessible and wearable.