Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Borges.
Sofia, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up here in Miami, Florida, where I became aware of the problematic reality of sea-level rise at a very young age. Just a little bit of rainfall has the city completely flooded. Growing up, my dad was always very passionate about climate change and it wasn’t unusual for our dinner table conversations to be about the future of our planet.
My dad would always ask me, ‘What will you do to help the planet?’ and I truly struggled to find a meaningful answer until I discovered the truth behind the fashion industry. Like most girls, I loved going on shopping dates with my mom and friends, but I never stopped to wonder how the clothes I was wearing were made and who made them. When I started asking those questions, the answers were shocking and scary!
I left Miami at the age of 18 and went to University in Washington, D.C., which is a very politicized city where almost everyone is campaigning for a cause. The city and its environment really pushes you to stand for something – to find the causes that you care about, become informed about them and do everything you can to contribute to their fight.
While I was living in D.C., there was a point when I could no longer shake my dad’s voice in the back of my mind saying, ‘What will you do to help the planet?’ There was a gut feeling that ‘turning off the sink water as I brush my teeth, turning off the lights if I’m not in the room, and using a bike rather than a car’ wasn’t going to cut it.
Around 2016, I started watching documentaries and reading articles that opened up my eyes to several industries that could ignite real and positive change for the environment. One of those industries was fashion – leading me to convert from a fast fashion consumer to a slow fashion one. After getting my Bachelor’s Degree in International Business, I went to a Coding Bootcamp in Barcelona to learn how to develop web applications and fell in love with creating websites and telling stories through them. So, in 2019, I put together my passion for entrepreneurship, web development, helping the planet, and fashion into one project and created Normou.
Has it been a smooth road?
I encountered two main challenges when attempting to shop sustainably. The first was that it was actually really hard to find eco-friendly brands that fit my personal style. Then, when I would finally find sustainable brands that I liked, I realized that the average prices for these sustainable fashion brands were extremely high and I simply could not afford them.
Creating Normou solved a challenge that I myself faced as a consumer. When I started researching and discovering the detrimental truth behind the fashion industry, I went out on a quest to find sustainable fashion brands that I could shop from but it ended up being much harder than I thought.
I knew sustainable fashion was emerging and dedicated platforms for eco-friendly clothing existed, however, I knew that these high price points were becoming a barrier for entry and deterring young women from making the switch from fast fashion to slow fashion. Curious for answers, I began conducting extremely thorough research by reading consumer insights reports and articles on the fashion industry where I discovered that while 81% of Millennial consumers wanted to buy into brands that were making a sustainable impact, only 29% were willing to pay more for the higher than average price tags associated with those sustainable products.
These challenges became my inspiration for creating Normou, which was born from a dream to give people the opportunity to shop sustainable fashion without breaking the bank. Ultimately, I think successful entrepreneurship always comes with obstacles. Those obstacles are the ones that allow us to reevaluate our plan and learn the important lessons; they are our opportunities for growth.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Normou – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In essence, Normou is an e-tail destination where consumers can find everything sustainable and ethically produce on one platform, without compromising their style or their bank account. The word “Normou” is my interpretation of the word “normal”, because at Normou we are working to redefine what is ‘normal’ in the fashion industry every day and make sustainable fashion the new normal.
We partner with eco-conscious brands to sell their sale rack, prior seasons and items below $200 USD. By partnering with these brands, we are able to maintain the integrity of their quality and business model while giving consumers more accessible prices. We’re known to be the best source for curated eco-friendly fashion that is affordable.
Our mission is twofold – first, we aim to address the needs of our consumers. We want more women converting to slow fashion on a global scale by offering them a platform that fits their lifestyle. Second, we aim to be pioneers at an industry-wide level, where the shortcomings of fashion are heard and accounted for. We realize the mistakes of the past in order to build a better tomorrow. This is why Normou strives to bring awareness and transparency to the forefront to ensure we connect consumers to the brands who match their values in a structure that avoids dead inventory and helps put a clear end to fast fashion.
We use 100% compostable packaging, to ensure that every single step of our process is as sustainable as possible. The idea is that shoppers can grab all the packaging materials from their orders and add it to their compost so that it doesn’t end up in landfills. At Normou we are a small team, but I’m always happy to see the way in which we are all looking for ways to give our customers a better experience. For us, it truly is about creating a better planet for us all to live in and changing the practices that are seen as the norm in the fashion industry.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
First and foremost, my favorite part about Miami is the beaches. I always say I could never live far from the ocean. Beyond that, I appreciate the Latin culture that resonates throughout Miami. There is a certain flair and rhythm to this city that makes it so unique. Having lived a few years in Washington, D.C., I also greatly appreciate the lack of Winter in Florida. It’s definitely nice that it’s Summer all the time down here.
My least favorite part about Miami is the lack of an efficient metro system that other cities tend to have, where you can hop on the metro and get pretty much anywhere. This plays into how transportation in South Florida has become a larger problem as the city has continued to grow. Second is our recycling and trash system. I want to see this city implement more trash cans to help reduce the likelihood of trash entering our oceans, while also seeing an improvement in the recycling system the city offers. Living in the heart of Brickell has opened my eyes to just how much trash is polluted on our streets.
Contact Info:
- Website: normou.com
- Instagram: @normouofficial
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/normouofficial/
Image Credit:
Photographer @hayleebarsky
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