Good Qs with Lena Cesnuleviciute, Founder of Jah Milla Boutique, Ibiza
Lina Cesnuleviciute is the creator of Jah Milla, an artisanal sustainable clothing label that specialises in luxurious, handcrafted crochet garments.
Founded in Ibiza in 2018, Jah Milla boutique was inspired by the island's vibrant atmosphere and oneness with nature.
We sat down with Lina, to discuss designing with leftover raw materials and the future of sustainable couture.
Jah Milla is a sustainable fashion brand, what makes your crochet pieces unique?
First of all, they are made by hand, so no piece is the same, each one of them is one of a kind. It takes on average 100 hours to produce one of our dresses. Depending on the designs, it [can] take double. Each one of our crocheters love what they do, crochet is not work for them, it’s their passion and as they call it their ‘meditation’.
It’s quality over quantity in our case and we really do invest a lot of thought, time and attention into our dresses. We believe that people can see that and feel that, and by choosing to buy our brand, they also understand that they make a sustainable choice and they support the female artisans who infuse all of their love into the garments.
We aim to produce from only natural materials, use natural fibre yarns and have a zero waste policy.
We don’t over consume and we don’t throw away, we come up with creative ways in how we can use up our residue yarns, we buy our raw material stock very strategically and we sometimes buy the remaining stock to make a very small amount of pieces. This year we designed skirts that were made out of remnants, and made dust bags out of leftover yarns.
We respect our artisans and reward them for their work in a fair way. Therefore, all the garments are produced by true professionals and true fans of crochet, because in Lithuania, where I am from, the crochet and knitting tradition is very deep rooted. I think that all those things make our brand truly unique and special. Our ultimate goal is to make a woman happy - the ones who produce them and the ones who wear them. All is an exchange of positive energy between both.
What excites you about sustainable fashion?
That hopefully the world is waking up and that the fashion industry is shaping up into a better version of it[self]. As much as it has its negative aspects, I think that the confinement helped us to stop and reflect. I feel like it made the world slow down a bit and take a step back in the way we consume.
I hope that there will be more and more space for sustainable fashion brands in the market in the near future, and I trust that the consumers will rewire their buying mentality and patterns into ones that make a difference to our planet. I wish that the increasing number of people will start to value fashion products for their deeper meaning, the story behind and the process that went into producing [them].
Which piece from the collection is your favourite, and why?
I have to choose two, because I cannot decide. I really love our Eivissa dress, it really makes you feel like a Greek Goddess when you wear one, but I am also completely captivated by our San Josep dress, I find it so versatile, you can simply wear it on the beach, and you can totally get married in a white one!
What are the small changes we can all make to reduce our impact on the planet?
Every small change can have a great impact. As we all know there is no planet B, so any little thing that we do to reduce our impact helps tremendously. Something that people can start doing is maybe start consuming locally, it has a great impact on both the economy and the planet! Another good example is to compost, you don’t have to live on a farm or in the country to have a compost pile, it’s very easy to do and your plants will be so grateful!
And last but not least, reuse everything as much as you can. Boxes, bags, paper, clothes you can find amazing ways to give everyday objects a second life!
Why did you decide to go into launching a sustainable fashion brand?
It all just happened naturally. We had a vision and the tools and it just all made sense. It was born out of passion. We borrow a lot of inspiration from nature, so it’s only natural that we want to create in symbiosis with it.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
The creative part, and the process of seeing ideas being materialised into actual outfits. And of course the greatest reward is to see women from all around the world wearing it and appreciating what we do!
Do you recycle? Should we recycle?
Of course, we recycle. No questions asked, and yes everyone should recycle.
What thoughts do you have on how we can reduce landfill?
Buy less, waste less! Re-use what you can reuse. Don’t be reluctant to invest more money on something that you might keep for longer. Give away, don’t throw away. Everything starts with conscious decisions. Every little thing helps!
How do you take care of yourself? What are your self-care tips?
Happy Mind - Happy Body - Happy Soul. We only make a change when we start with ourselves. Don’t get distracted or misled by the ‘rules’, don’t be influenced by opinions. Your mind is your strongest force, your body is your only temple. Take care of both. Detox both. Invest in both. Often easier said than done, but I do my best to follow this philosophy in life.
What’s the most interesting thing you learnt this week?
Not really the thing of the week, but a random informative fact for example is, that every bit of plastic ever made still exists today and we keep adding to it... pretty crazy!
What challenges are obstructing more sustainability in your industry?
For us is the search for suitable yarns - it is really a big problem. It’s not easy to find companies that produce good quality natural yarn. We are only at the beginning of our journey with this brand, we are still small so we find it really challenging to source these materials. So if someone in this industry reads this, feel free to contact us, we are open for suggestions.
What is on your must see or read list right now?
Seaspiracy!!! It changed our way of living and consuming, it changed our view on the planet and the choices we make even more. Even though we always opted for more conscious and organic options, now the way we buy food for our home is different from how it was a few months ago. I know this documentary has raised a lot of controversy, but at the same time, if only 50% of it is right, it’s already a disaster, and if it teaches people to respect our world, our planet and our animals, it already does a very good job and so it’s worth watching.
Also, watch the latest Dior show, it’s absolutely outstanding.
What Good News have you had/ heard this week?
The fact that hopefully by 2040, we will end virgin plastic production worldwide! Good news right? And the fact that I am going to finally see my Mother this month after a year of confinement!