Travel tips from Faircloth + Supply founder Phoebe Dahl

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Travel tips from Faircloth + Supply founder Phoebe Dahl

In the final part of our series on ethical entrepreneurs, we sit down with the fashion designer to discuss her conscious clothing line

Kate Weir

BY Kate Weir22 November 2017

Phoebe Dahl has demonstrable experience of travel as a life-changing force. The clothing company she founded, Faircloth + Supply, was inspired by trips to Japan and India, and its profits are used to support global charity work. Her instantly recognisable surname may denote her as the descendant of beloved children’s author Roald. However, this entrepreneur with radical ideas and an eye for an ensemble, flies her own flag.

The native Angeleno also has a thirst for exploration and hops on a plane whenever she can, so we quizzed her on guilt-free beauty products, inspiring travel hotspots and how to make the world a better place…

Which is your favourite place to fly away to?
I definitely can’t pick one destination. My top three are Amsterdam, Mexico City and Morocco.

On the go, do you prefer a wheelie case or a backpack?
The wheelie case. I’m obsessed with the high-quality suitcases from Horizn Studios and also Away – they have one that’s small enough for carry-on which has a phone-charging port attached. Their colour range is amazing, too – I have the yellow one as it stands out everywhere. It’s where I stash my travel essentials: my Kindle, notebook and camera.

What souvenirs do you save space for in your suitcase?
I don’t really buy souvenirs. I love taking photos and I consider those to be the best reminders of a place.

Phoebe Dahl, Faircloth + Supply

Speaking of holiday memories, which travel experience most affected you?
My most recent trip to Morocco had a huge impact on me. I had been searching for some clarity on an issue I was going through and felt stuck in a rut, so I was in need of inspiration. I decided to spend a night in the Sahara desert, where I’d have no connection to the modern world and could think clearly – it was a powerful experience.

What are your must-have natural beauty products?
I love organic skincare brand Cocokind. They have an amazing rose-water-infused facial toner, which keeps you refreshed throughout a flight. It’s important to rehydrate your body – inside and out – while travelling, all-over body moisturiser is a necessity, and I realised the importance of drinking lots of water.

Are you an ‘on to the next adventure’ kind of traveller, or a ‘we’ve arrived, and now, relax’?
Adventures, absolutely – I love to explore. I don’t understand how people can arrive and just stay in the hotel – not me. I like to get out there and see and experience as much as I can. I genuinely attempt to fit in eight meals a day, so I can try all the local dishes. I’m fascinated by different cultures and I love connecting with people wherever I go.

Any tips to enhance your flying experience?
I always travel with the cosiest things I own – pillows, blankets, eye masks, earplugs – all the essentials. I get on the plane and make a little nest. I love flying; I just cuddle up with a glass of wine and my book, and I never connect to WiFi, even if it’s available. You technically get to pamper yourself, eat what you want, watch movies, listen to music, write, read… It’s the best.

In what small ways can everyone help to effect change?
I think one of the world’s biggest problems is people not caring about events that don’t affect them directly. Everyone needs to get out of the mindset that one person can’t effect change, when, in fact, it often only takes one person to do so. Kindness has a ripple effect, so lead by example and you never know who you might inspire.

Faircloth + Supply

What was the most challenging aspect of developing your clothing brand Faircloth + Supply’s ‘beyond charity’ infrastructure and sourcing ethical suppliers?
It’s heartbreaking to see and experience the devastation communities around the world go through, but when you realise that you can make a difference and provide infrastructure that could effect change for future generations, that’s unimaginably rewarding. To do so, identify a cause you’re passionate about, then work backwards to get to the root of the problem and find a solution. I travelled through different countries and identified a need, then connected with people who share the same vision and values as myself.

I wanted to find residents of the countries we were donating to, someone with inside expertise and knowledge of the local culture and society. Many of our collaborators have experienced heartbreak or hatred over their gender, the colour of their skin or their religion; they’ve suffered pain and loss while living in a country in turmoil. But, despite their hardships, they’ve risen up and raised their voices to make a change for themselves and their communities.

How did the idea for the label come about?
I grew to love textiles and design in my grandma’s antique fabric-and-furniture store in Santa Fe, where she would teach me about antique textiles. She was a collector of French linens and 18th-century farm plaids, and I would sit and sew little hats with her — berets made from these beautiful fabrics – so I took on her passion as my own. I launched Faircloth + Supply in 2013, after a trip to Japan for meetings, then India, for production. Walking around Tokyo, I was amazed by the way people dressed. There are thousands of eccentric looks, but one in particular grabbed my eye: girls wearing oversize linen dresses over ripped Levi’s jeans with espadrilles. It was simple and minimal – natural utilitarian style – but there was something so beautiful about it. After touring Tokyo’s shops and beautiful linen mills, I left inspired to start designing again.

India was the first third-world country I’d visited and experiencing its economic strife first-hand affected me greatly. The juxtaposition of the two places, back to back, struck a chord. On arriving home, I quit my job and started Faircloth + Supply, and that was that. I was fortunate enough to have Vogue write a two-page spread about my line just a few months after launching, which really kickstarted my career.

Ahilya by the Sea, Goa, India

Which travel experience has most inspired you? And how?
A magical trip to India I took with my mother. I love India and I feel most at home and peace amid its chaos. It was so nice to show my mother parts of the world she’d never seen before. I love watching someone fall in love with a place, especially one I love so dearly. We were on a work trip sourcing ethically made fabrics and we just went wherever our journey guided us, with no set plan – an adventure that brought us to the most amazing places. While there, we stayed at beautiful luxury hotel Ahilya Fort, by the banks of the sacred Narmada River. Its sister stay, Ahilya by the Sea in Goa, is equally enchanting.

While in India, we met with an organisation called Women Weave, located in Maheshwar, which empowers women by providing education and employment in the hand-looming industry, largely those living in rural areas, to provide them with an education that will benefit their economic growth and success. Our partnership supports Women Weave’s mission by sourcing their fabrics for our products. Each purchase of one of these handcrafted textiles serves as a direct donation.

How did your partnerships with the B Project and General Welfare Pratisthan develop?
Very naturally and organically. I was having dinner with a friend who was working on a documentary called Girl Rising, a film about educating girls worldwide about gender equality in developing countries – an issue I knew little about at the time. I was so intrigued by what my friend told me, I dove straight into research. The deeper I got, the more I felt such a strong pull to the young girls of Nepal. I wanted to align myself with a small grassroots charity, so I could be hands-on and work alongside the people involved, rather than just throw money at the problem. I discovered this amazing company in Nepal called General Welfare Pratisthan and since we teamed up, we’ve sent thousands of girls to school – and counting.

My partnership with the B Project came about because it was founded my good friend Bojana Novakovic. We bonded over our mutual love of Nepal at a party and we’ve collaborated ever since.

Where are you planning to travel to next?
I’m heading to Mexico City to celebrate my birthday, followed by Tulum.

Next, meet slow-fashion visionary Artsi Ifrach to get the measure of Morocco…