These OC Sisters Started a Totally Green Clothing Line

Sister duo KoMie & Meg from the OC have taken their Eastern and Western culture to start a cruelty-free clothing label known as Delikate Rayne.

The USC grads put their degrees to use to create a dope yet completely green company, check out our Q&A below.

 What is Delikate Rayne and how did this brand come about?

Meg: Delikate Rayne, pronounced “delicate rain” is what my name and my sister’s name means put together in Hindi. It is a luxe cruelty-free women’s contemporary label. Everything we make utilizes ethical practices in the USA. In addition all of our pieces are seasonless, constructed out of fabrications that is completely free of any animal derivatives along with not causing any animal harm in the process of acquiring these materials. Our leather is not only vegan but eco-friendly as well.

Growing up, my parents played a large part in educating my sister and I about embracing a life of non-violence — not harming any living being through consumption, whether it be not eating them or wearing them growing up. Plus our father was raised Jain — a lifestyle that is fully encompassing of no harm towards any living being, be it creature, person, plant, animal etc. A lot of this influenced us more than we realized at the time. It was this awakening combined with our appetite to create blended with our love of fashion that resulted us in taking the plunge and creating Delikate Rayne.

 How did your social media popularity grow so big?

KoMie: Organically. Honestly, I think we are at an interesting time where people in general are more concerned with what products they are choosing to support. We have access to an abundance amount of information available to us more so than ever before, therefore consumers are starting to become smarter shoppers. I think because of this change, people can identify with what we are trying to do and stand for as a company.

Where does your personal style come from and how did you find it?

Meg: My style is lots of unexpected contradictions and comes from so many places but definitely guided by my West Coast upbringing. I usually prefer the whole undone thing, somber like aesthetic but lately have been incorporating more high street pieces into the mix that kind of lends a nice change to my overall vibe. It’s definitely the California girl in me, I will never not love the skate and surf culture that goes so hard here and where lots of “streetwear” gets its inspo from. I also go back and forth a lot between elements of sexiness paired with hints of masculine traits when dressing. Thrown in with whispers of casual, minimal Parisian sophistication meets a just rolled out of bed slouchy look that us Californians are kind of known for.

KoMie: My style has always been very mood driven. I don’t typically follow trends. I don’t think there is anything in particular that is “in style” anymore. Just rock what you like and own it.

 What tips do you have for women looking to grow their personal brand?

Meg: Constantly ask yourself questions because you should continuously be evolving and if you aren’t then that’s a problem within itself. For instance, what are you providing? Is it a product, is it a service? How is what you are doing helping or solving something for someone? You need to get answers from others too. Feedback is imperative, it can be the deciding factor a lot of times between what will and won’t work.

Also, you need to be self aware. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Don’t get caught up in trying to be good at everything, no one is. You are much better off at being the King of one trade then a jack of all. You have to find and stick with what is authentic to you. Authenticity is something no one can EVER take away from you because that is all you. Your greatest power is you because no one is you.

Once you find this, everything else will have a much easier time falling into place. We all have something to offer, finding what that exactly is, is usually the biggest challenge. Know this, embrace it and that is when you will be able to cut through the clutter and see what makes the most sense for you. All your ups and downs are learning experiences that are crucial to your growth and brand don’t ever forget that.

KoMie: Patience is key as well as lots of hard work. Constantly keep educating yourself. You will never know enough since things are always changing. If you are expecting to succeed overnight it will not happen. It’s a roller coaster ride. You’re gonna have your high days and your low days, but the rewards are worth it. Just continue to have the right motivation and remind yourself why you chose to do this in the first place. It helps put things back into perspective. Most importantly, let go of any fear you may be experiencing. There will never be the right moment or perfect time and understand you will not be the best at everything…and that is OK. Learn to trust the process.

How has your social media popularity aided in you becoming an entrepreneur?

Meg: It has given us many instances to get our story out, press for the label, build awareness and coverage of Delikate Rayne products. It’s interesting though because without the social media following we may not have been given certain opportunities and as a result of those opportunities we continue to amass a following so it’s a give and take.

It is hands down one of the best ways to get your message/product/idea anything across to a large number of people at the same time though. It’s a wonderful way to interact and find people, potential customers etc who could be interested in what you are doing and to reach those who may not be aware. It’s the modern way to network and build connections which is priceless.

KoMie: That is the beauty of the internet, being able to connect with so many people both like-minded and not. It’s allowed us to have a platform to carry on conversations about matters that mean so much to us. Our brand isn’t just for someone who follows or believes in this lifestyle. That is the misconception we come across often. DR is for everyone.

To us we actually love having discussions with people who have no idea what we are even talking about when we say we have a line that is completely cruelty-free. I look at it as it is one more person in the world that we exposed that message to. It is a challenge, but we just want people to open up their eyes to what is really happening. You don’t have to change everything overnight, but just be aware and then decide what you want to do with this information. You can’t force people to change. It is not about changing someones beliefs, it’s about making them see the bigger picture. Do you want a planet to still live on in the next X amount of years? Well then listen up.

Why did you decide to take your brand in the cruelty-free direction?

Meg: Since we were born and raised vegetarian the whole idea of not eating animals was something that was a habit early on. As we started to try and incorporate those principles into our everyday (wardrobe especially) we realized how challenging it was to find of quality cruelty-free pieces to wear. So much easier to find food! Building a completely animal friendly wardrobe is a continuous goal of ours so the brand was something that just came organically and made obvious sense…the more we thought about it the more we liked the idea of “guilt-free luxury” and noticed a void in the contemporary marketplace for well made pieces that were constructed entirely out of animal-friendly textiles. We couldn’t find anything that embodied elements of compassion, effortlessness and a nonchalant cool tinged with slivers of luxury so it was inevitable that this would be the best course of action for us.

What are some personal and business goals you set for yourselves?

Meg: I am trying to find a better balance between my work and personal life. Even though what we do is great and I love it so much. Not to mention it comes with so many wonderful perks and components, but sometimes you need to remember how to decompress and find that fine line between the two that is so blurred in this field especially. Need to remember that don’t over do it-not to burn out because it makes a world of a difference when you can come back with a clear head.

In regards to the company: really work towards turning DR into an all encompassing lifestyle brand with multiple components. Your one stop shop for all cruelty-free things so you can maintain a conscious lifestyle without making compromises or sacrifices when it comes to style and/or quality. Above all else though just really want to make an impact in the changing of mindsets when it comes to people’s purchasing decisions at the very least because when we all know better hopefully we can do better.

KoMie: I have learned that thinking of the long term goal for DR can be very overwhelming because there is so much we want to do and that can distract us from what needs to be accomplished right now. I think it’s better to just take it day by day, but we want to have DR expand from just clothing into cosmetics, home goods and who knows maybe even a cupcake shop lol. At the end of the day we hope to leave a lasting legacy that has contributed to no more animals being harmed and inspiring and installing confidence in others to create something that they are equally as passionate about.

Who’s style is the most influential in your pieces and why?

KoMie: Everyone has a part of DR in them but they may not all embrace it. A Delikate Rayne woman is someone who is fearless, is true to herself no matter what anyone thinks or says. She cares as much about the environment and her health as she does of her wardrobe. She’s ambitious, doesn’t follow the atypical norms, and her presence is always noticed in a room without her even uttering a word. She knows her power.

 In what ways does your personal style reflect in your company?

Meg: I think its most evident in our overall branding of Delikate Rayne. The color palette to the fonts on signage and logos to particular cuts and styles in the clothing. What our personal tastes are and what we gravitate towards naturally from a stylistic standpoint play a big role in the aesthetics of our label.

What tips do you have for young women entrepreneurs looking to grow their social media following?

Meg: It does not happen overnight, patience and persistence are key. Be active and engage with others and people are likely to return the action. Pay attention to aesthetics and the overall tone and theme of your social media channels. Are they aligned? Are you the same person on all platforms or if someone were to come across you on multiple accounts it looks and feels as if you are having an identity crisis? If so, that is not good. Time to re-evaluate.

Having a genuine voice that is consistent is uber important. It will always take you far because it comes from a place of honesty. People gravitate towards that because they can identify with it and it’s what they are seeking. It’s like, who doesn’t want the truth, especially in this world of over saturation and over stimulation on all social media platforms? It’s really hard to tell fact from fiction these days so provide something that is interesting and compelling. Study accounts that would fall into the same “lane” as to what you would be doing and take time to understand why their following is so high.

See how you can incorporate onto your page what some of their highest liked/commented posts were in a way that is not straight up copying. Please remember though its not about how many followers you have though its truly about engagement. If you have a gazillion followers but zero interactions that’s not winning.

KoMie: Authenticity is key. Find your voice and know who it is you are speaking to. Take time to understand who your demographic and followers are and what resonates well with them.

 What’s an interesting fact about you that many people don’t know?

Meg: I have never tasted or tried any meat before to this day and don’t plan on ever doing so.

KoMie: I’ve never flown on an airplane solo before.

What do you want your supporters to take from this interview?

Meg: That without their constant support and motivation we wouldn’t be able to fight the good fight we are fighting. Thank you for caring and being on this journey with us, we all together as a collective will and can make an impact. Even when you think by just skipping meat for one meal, buying second hand clothing or recycling a few water bottles is not going to make a difference it really does because if every single person in the world did that even just once the earth would be in a better place. Remember compassion is something that never goes out of style!

KoMie: Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. The only competition you should focus on is with yourself.

 

Photo Credit: Shot on vintage film by Georgina D’Silva 

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