FEATURE: Getting to Know ALWRLD With Founder Philip Pavkov

Pronounced all-world, ALWRLD is leading the industry in its use of sustainable and biodegradable materials and cutting-edge fabric, packaging, and manufacturing technology.

Without sacrificing fit and function or aesthetics, the brand hailing from Los Angeles is able to assign a Clean Score to every item created. It's a simple calculation achieved by adding the percent of recycled, upcycled, natural, or biodegradable materials in the fabric.

Using a material palette including recycled nylon, recycled polyester, biodegradable nylon, wool, SeaCell LT, and organic cotton, the brand proudly reports an overall clean score of 85% for the current season while some pieces boast a 100% clean score.

To introduce the brand, we talked with ALWRLD founder Philip Pavkov about what inspired the brand's inception, how they're leading the industry and what the phrase "all-world" means to him.

Hi Philip, thanks for taking the time to chat today. I'll jump right to the first question. What made you feel the need to start ALWRLD?

As I looked at how the apparel industry currently approaches business, I recognized a strong need to be “clean” in the way clothes are designed, made and delivered to customers. My background is design and textile science and I work with a handful of people in the apparel industry, so we put together a team to tackle this challenge. We have investors that are aligned and supportive of our mission. So, connecting the dots of all these resources, I’m very passionate to prove today that sustainable apparel is a workable business model across the industry. I hear a lot of people talk about sustainability in apparel and trying to do something that is better for the world. Many brands are dipping their toes in and promise that it's going to happen someday, and I was like why not today? Why not just do it from the ground up and go through the pain and triumph of figuring it out. Every single piece of apparel that we make has a sustainable story. It’s a big challenge but we are resolute in our commitment to clean sport.

In what ways is ALWRLD leading the way in terms of sustainable production? 

Being sustainable is a broad term, and quite frankly many brands in our industry greenwash. We aligned with recognized third-party certification from day one with B Corp and use the Higg Index to work with standardized language and measurements. We started with a focus on fabrics: recycled, SeaCell, organic and biodegradable. Each in its own way lowers the impact of using fossil fuels, creates less wastewater and putrid soil. We also looked for ways to cut down textile waste in the way we design and manufacture with construction, bonded seaming and laser techniques. This is a constant learning experience for us, we aim to get better as we grow, discover and innovate. We recognize that we aren’t experts, but we work with experts to take their findings and apply it in practical way. Our process goal is simple; to leave behind cleaner soil for produce, better air to breath and water to drink.

How should someone feel while wearing the ALWRLD brand?

Confident. Clean. Intentional. Confident that you're getting a very high-quality garment while doing good for the planet. Quality plays a big part in sustainability but not frequently discussed. We design our garments at that highest quality so you can be confident that it will perform a long time and ultimately reduce your amount of spend. There's also a confidence that it’s a clean design that’s every bit as flattering as it is functional. Every detail of our garments is designed with intention. There’s no fabric, stitch, trim, or measurement that doesn’t go through a lens of thoughtfulness.

What does all-world mean to you?

When we decided to name our brand ALWRLD, we looked at the ethos of our mission. It represents the connection between planet and sport. It's marrying performance and sustainability which we work to be on the top of the game in both. All-world is a classic phrase, that identifies people who have accomplished a considerable achievement that is recognized around the globe. Being all-world speaks to our goal to be among the best in the world at what we do. With the spelling, it’s a modern version of the phrase all-world. We dropped a few of the letters out for two reasons that resonate with our brand message. One, it’s a new way of doing something, breaking up the status quo but accomplishing the same goal. And secondly, it goes along with not being wasteful or excessive.

What are some of the longer-term goals that ALWRLD is striving to achieve?

As a brand, we are looking at improving our process, our product and building our team as we grow. We started online with direct-to-customer and now are branching out to create partnerships with retailers that align with our values and allow our community to be able to try out our brand in person. We are working with our vendors to explore how we can reduce the carbon footprint across our entire supply chain. We’re also working with our fabric mills to develop new fabrics that are better than what’s currently available in the market but are highly sustainable. Finally, as we grow, we are committed to building a work culture that’s inclusive, creative and effective.