Local slow fashion business aims to promote sustainable fashion through their simple, timeless pieces
Menta Clothing Co. is an up-and-coming local Hamilton business that was founded two years ago by Luke Guevara. They participated in their first Supercrawl fashion show on Sept. 8.
Guevara grew up in Hamilton and has attended Supercrawl many times in the past, though this was his first year as a vendor.
“I've been going to Supercrawl pretty much my whole life, on and off. [It]’s really exciting to be able to set up a booth and have my own little business, my own little space,” said Guevara.
I've been going to Supercrawl pretty much my whole life, on and off. [It]’s really exciting to be able to set up a booth and have my own little business, my own little space.
Luke Guevara, founder, Menta Clothing Co.
When he was casting for models for their fashion show, Guevara looked for models with an energy that glowed and had vibes that matched his.
“I was really looking at energy and the vibe that they had, that kind of radiates off them and it kind of glows. It's something I really find important and for the people I surround myself with,” explained Guevara.
Guevara takes pride in being very rooted as a Hamiltonian, especially since Hamilton has many up-and-coming small businesses.
“There [are] a lot of great entrepreneurs in Hamilton. Hamilton's been known for being a hardworking place,” said Guevara.
While Menta Clothing Co. has gone through some ups and downs over the past two years, they have been featured in several events, including Art Crawl, and have received great reception from the community.
“They all love the idea of what Menta is: staying local [and] using premium quality fabric. . .[The] majority of people that buy a shirt come back for a second one because they love it so much and that's because it's different,” said Guevara.
They all love the idea of what Menta is: staying local [and] using premium quality fabric. . .[The] majority of people that buy a shirt come back for a second one because they love it so much and that's because it's different.
Luke Guevara, founder, Menta Clothing Co.
However, despite being connected to the local community, Guevara sources his fabric from Austria. The fabric that he uses, TENCELTM Modal, comes from the Beechwood tree, whose fibers are extracted via an environmentally friendly pulp-to-fiber process. As a result, this material is biodegradable under industrial, soil and marine conditions.
Guevara is passionate about leaving a low carbon footprint and keeping Menta Clothing Co. as ethical, sustainable and green as possible, which is why most of his third-party suppliers are local, either in Hamilton or the GTA.
“I think what makes me unique is I'm very rooted and being Canadian and being a Hamiltonian. Everything I do is pretty tight knit. Meaning that all my third parties I work with, they're all Canadian and they're all local,” explained Guevara.
Guevara hopes that customers will be encouraged to support local businesses or Canadian businesses after they see Menta Clothing Co.’s fashion show and visit their booth. During the rest of the year, their items can be purchased from their website.
