About
About DeWilde Collective
DeWilde Collective is a small, mama-owned business and fashion label. All garments are handmade in Hawaii, crafted from vintage and thrifted aloha shirts. By purposefully using materials that already exist, my mission is to bring new life to the beautiful fabrics of secondhand pieces that might have otherwise ended up discarded. Sustainably using resources that already exist to avoid adding to the unfortunate amount of waste already created by the fashion industry.
About The Owner
My name is Kylie DeWilde and I live on Oahu with my 7-year-old son, Flynn.
After Flynn was born, I wanted to figure out a way to make a living entirely from home. I started thrifting and then reselling my thrifted finds online, which eventually evolved into a little resale business.
One of my favorite things to search for in thrift stores were vintage aloha shirts.
My goal was always to work towards having my own little label one day; however, the more I learned about the fashion industry, the more discouraged I was about how unsustainable and unethical the “behind the scenes” really are.
So, I got this idea, why not try and use what I already have? I had thrifted so many beautiful aloha shirts with plenty of material, and usually little flaws here and there that would make them no longer wearable. BUT not totally unusable. So rather than having them end up discarded, I decided to try and bring new life to the beautiful prints and fabrics.
I busted out my little sewing machine that my grandma gifted me for my 11th birthday and got to work.
Initially, I started re-purposing the aloha shirts into just shorts but from there became completely inspired.
Now I make shorts, tops, and matching sets, as well as children’s clothing and scrunchies out of the remnants, so nothing goes to waste.
Every peice is made from either a vintage, or secondhand, “vintage-looking” aloha shirt that I personally thrift and curate.
Ultimately, this little business of mine was born out of my desire to be able to work from home, be my own boss, and make my own schedule so that I could be a mom first and foremost. As my business grew, I discovered a new passion for changing the way we as consumers view our clothing and fashion.
My desire is to create beautifully crafted, collectible garments that are unique and one of a kind, using materials that already exist as to not add to the excessive amount of waste created by the fashion industry.
Your support means the world to me as a small business owner, and as a mama supporting my little family.
- Kylie