Founder's Note
To our community:
In 2016, we founded DÔEN. After years spent in the fashion industry, the lack of representation of women at the helm of fashion brands was alarmingly clear. With thoughtful determination, we brought together a collective of LA-based women-identifying creatives and business leaders - all equity owners - to launch DÔEN with the goal of creating a direct to consumer organization that put women first while honoring the true partnership of individuals who helped to build it.
With ownership comes responsibility, a responsibility to our community, our value chain, our growing team, and the world as a whole. Our industry, while contributing to so much beauty, creativity and personal expression, also undoubtedly poses a strain to our climate and the communities where product is made. We are cognizant of these challenges and this report is an acknowledgement of where we stand and what we hope to be and achieve - with a recognition that there is, and always will be, room to collectively do better.
As women, we experience a cultural expectation and, speaking for ourselves, a very personal desire to strive for and achieve perfection. This idea of feminine perfection is ingrained in us from a young age and, with that, we’re often stunted in our pursuit of goals in fear of achieving anything less than this unattainable feat. With our 2030 Roadmap, we’re acknowledging and accepting that perfect isn’t possible, and we can’t and won’t let perfection hinder progress. This is a working, living document, one that will continue to evolve and expand as we learn more about how we can best exist in a world calling for action.
We’re beyond grateful for the incredible partners we’ve had in building out and assessing our current state - environmentally and socially - who share our passion and mission in creating lasting collections while supporting the people in all aspects of our organization, value chain, and community.
And to you all, thank you for your support - for your encouragement and your feedback - as we continue to build what is DÔEN.
Katherine and Margaret Kleveland
