What is your ideal office?
One with a kitchen, a juicer, a Vitamix blender and good natural light.
Who is “everybody?”
In the context of this brand, it’s all of the people that “touch” the company, even indirectly. Farmers, sewers, contributors, customers, Instagram followers, old friends, new friends, people we’ve never met who inspire us, and many more.
What is your mantra?
Iris: “This is a work in progress.” Carolina: Daniel said “no.” Our friend and advisor, Daniel Wolf, gave us some wise advice about spending in the early stages of the company. Every time we have the impulse to buy something not 100% imperative to our business, we say no.
When’s the last time you two disagreed?
It doesn’t happen very often. Actually, we’re having a hard time thinking of the last time. One of us is more organized and timely and one of us is always trying to squeeze in one more thing, and is therefore usually late. We won’t name names, but “the late one” gets yelled at a lot.
What is the most sacred spot on Earth?
We think the whole earth is sacred!
What is the most surprising thing you might make lingerie from?
There are some gorgeous textiles that are actually made from post-consumer plastic waste that we could see being really nice for bodysuits or simple undergarments. We’d go there.
Who and what would be on the call sheet for your dream photo shoot?
There’s a park in front of our office, at MacArthur Park in LA, and there used to be a group of old guys that would take and sell Polaroid portraits of park-goers. They did all kinds of double exposures and would have you pose in different ways. The guys still hang out in the park but can’t get the film anymore so no longer take pictures. We have a fantasy of finding a ton of the instant film for them and having them shoot a campaign of park-goers, our friends and passersby trying on Everybody goods.
Why was it important to start your own line after the success of American Apparel?
Between the two of us, we know so much about manufacturing. To let that knowledge die off would be a shame. Plus, we needed a job and neither of us could imagine ourselves in a traditional corporate environment, so...here we are!
They say there is power in numbers — What is your lucky number and why?
Eleven. We both make a wish at 11:11 if we happen to catch the clock. Everything stops and we wish for the whole minute while looking at the clock, so it’s a meditation of sorts. On its own, eleven is an odd, prime number, somehow both nice attributes, plus it has aesthetic appeal.
What is the last thing that broke your heart?
The results of the US presidential election. We were admittedly a bit naive to the depths of conservative darkness in this country. However, it made us more determined to contribute to the light!
How do you consider yourselves disruptors of the fashion system?
We don’t, really. We just do our own thing in the way that makes sense to us.
What is your trigger word?
“Can’t.”
