Eska + Girl Crush: a partnership based on environmental responsibility

As part of Eska’s #ProudInAllColours campaign, we joined forces with Girl Crush, a local fashion company that makes comfy, stylish and eco-friendly clothes for all body types. What does a pure spring bottled water company have in common with a fashion company? Environmental responsibility.

Like us, the two young Québécois entrepreneurs Lucie Rhéaume and Cindy Cournoyer, founders of Girl Crush, based their business on their environmental values. While we use recycled plastic pellets to manufacture our bottles, Lucie and Cindy use them to create some of their items. That’s just one of many ways the company, which was recently featured in the pages of British Vogue, is making its mark and staying true to its values.

Rethinking sustainable fashion so that environmental responsibility goes hand in hand with accessibility

Lucy and Cindy, two young women who are motivated by challenges, launched their clothing brand in 2019. They began by making t-shirts with funny or inspiring messages. Their unexpected success led them to quickly revise their plans. Girl Crush, as we know it today, was born and began putting forward its own collections of lounge wear.

Girl Crush’s mission: to make a difference in an industry where short-term consumption (inexpensive, lesser quality, and constantly revamped products) dominates the market, with substantial environmental costs.

Cindy and Lucie decided to design clothing that would be both eco-friendly and affordable. “Products made by companies that use recycled or sustainable materials are often expensive. By making sustainable fashion more accessible, we want to slowly help bring people on board,” explains Lucie. “When you go shopping downtown, 90% of what you find isn’t eco-friendly. We wanted to make stylish clothes, but that fit our values,” adds Cindy. “So yeah, making clothing accessible money-wise, but also fashion forward.”

The two entrepreneurs are aware of their influence on social media and intend to make the most out of it. “We include our communities in the process, our research, our experiments, and our fabric choices. This guides us and helps raise as much awareness as possible about the importance of making eco-friendly choices.”

Clothing made from recycled water bottles, designed by Girl Crush

Several technologies exist to minimize the environmental impact of the clothing industry, and these two entrepreneurs don’t hesitate to study them. One of these technologies consists of using recycled water bottles to create the fabrics. It was while researching less environmentally damaging methods that the two young businesswomen discovered this process. “It already existed for bathing suit manufacturing, and we wondered if we could use it to make comfortable clothing,” says Cindy. “By using a technique that mixes recycled cotton with recycled plastic bottles, we get the perfect fibre for making some of our clothing.”

As Cindy puts it: “It’s really interesting to see that Eska uses the same recycling process as us. Joining forces was the obvious thing to do!”

Advocating for diversity at all levels

Inclusiveness in all its forms is one of the brand’s main messages. Through the #ProudInAllColours campaign, Girl Crush acts in favour of the LGBTQIA2 community. “Getting involved in the movement, for us, means being open, being willing to listen, and learning more as we go,” says Cindy. But for these two young businesswomen, the inclusiveness horizon is even broader. “In our collections we offer sizes from XS to XXXL, and we hire models of all body types and ethnic backgrounds. We’re also involved with different causes, often in connection with women, such as Les fonceuses and Le Chaînon”.

Lucie and Cindy, an example of two women following their true nature

Even if the company is still young, it seems to be riding a wave that won’t break any time soon. What’s the key to their success? “We have an incredible work dynamic,” declares Lucie, who has dreamed of being an entrepreneur since she was little. “We have really complementary skills and personalities. For example, I can sometimes be impulsive while Cindy is patient and diplomatic, which really helps us in customer service. A fierce negotiation with a business partner is where my energy comes in handy.”

The Eska Pop Quiz

Are you big water drinkers?

Lucie: I try to be, but I forget!
Cindy: I love drinking water, and I even get on Lucie’s case to make sure she drinks enough.

How do you prefer your water?

Lucie: Cold
Cindy: Cold, with a big ice cube

Which of Eska’s mocktails created for the #ProudInAllColours campaign would you like to try?

Cindy: I think the blueberry one looks delicious!
Lucie: The orange one!

Who would you like to drink this mocktail with?

Cindy: Charlotte Cardin
Lucie: Elon Musk

As part of the #ProudInAllColours campaign, Girl Crush has made a video in collaboration with Muze Influence to launch its Summer 2021 collection. Each time the video is shared during the month of June, Eska will give $0.25 (up to a maximum of $5,000) to Fondation Émergence, an organization engaged in the fight against homophobia and transphobia.