Lily Chehrazi’s lifelong passion for colors, clothing, and compassion led her to founding Togetherland, a first mover in the incoming tsunami of sustainable fashion, in 2013. The brand is known for its original hyper-real prints that mimic nature’s beauty. (It's also the official clothing manufacturer for BBC Earth.) All Togetherland garments are designed from organic and recycled materials and produced with sustainable practices. Chehrazi and her team actively work with scientists and partners focused on end-of-life fabric recycling to complete the vision of “clothing circularity.”
How Did Lily Chehrazi Start Togetherland?
Before creating Togetherland, the innovator sharpened her passion for fashion in NYC, learning technical design and the art of merchandising, then moving West and meeting her partner Benedict Barrett. At the time Barrett was adapting his photography into wallpapers, with aspirations for furniture textiles, when Chehrazi instinctually told him his photographs were going to be used for clothing and other “alternative” formats.
The next year Togetherland was officially hatched downwind from and adopting the DIY attitudes of the grassroots cannabis farms in the hills of Sonoma County, California, before moving closer to the established clothing manufacturing industry of Los Angeles in 2014. Over the last decade the same DIY creative spirit has come through from runway shows in Tokyo, to breaking Red Rocks merch records, Togetherland has pushed sustainability and new ways of doing business into the clothing industry.
Togetherland: Sustainable Fashion, Environmental Advocacy
Today Chehrazi harnesses Togetherland’s mission into a powerful force for environmental advocacy and fashionable creativity. Among her eco partnerships, she has collaborated with the first mill to make hemp blends in the United States, pioneers of inventing fabric from recycled water bottles, farmers experimenting with weaving regenerative seaweed into cotton blends, and scientists developing algae to dye fabric. The company has also partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects, which plants young trees in deforested areas and provides jobs to people in communities affected by environmental crises. When you purchase from Togetherland, you’re supporting reforestation around the world.
Lily Chehrazi's Natural Inspiration Session Weedsday Playlist
For her Weedsday Playlist, Chehrazi delved deeply into nature - that is, the nature of her inner self. “This playlist is a reflection on what I am mostly listening to throughout my day in my design studio or any ‘inspiration session,’ whether that's at the beach, riding my bike, or relaxing,” she says.
Four Tet - "Morning Side"
I blast this song in the morning to get ready for work. I love how he combines his Indian roots with electronic beats. It's 20 minutes, so it's the perfect peaceful way to start my day in a meditative trance. We also had the chance to hear him do a live version of this that was next level with the deep bass sound system and "remix" elements.
Click here to play on Spotify!
Lee "Scratch" Perry - "You All Know What To Do Dub"
Love me some dub, especially from the OG Upsetter, Lee “Scratch” Perry. The mystic amazement of this record is that he's wearing his Togetherland Koi Argyle Muscle Shirt I made him! I gave it to him at the Echoplex in LA because he was talking a lot about "I am a Fish, swimming...Just keep swimming." It was a real honor to then see him wearing it on his Instagram stories around the world, knowing that such a legend of hybridized styles and the real godfather of so many types of music had a natural affinity to wear that shirt a lot is profound as a creator. But seeing him wear it on the cover of his last album released before his passing [in August 2021] was a magic message for me and Togetherland to "just keep swimming" through the weird times of that year and the pandemic. We feel blessed by him and his art. "We are all fish, keep swimming upstream."
Click here to play on Spotify!
Umoja Sounds Featuring Emma Cheruto - "Aje"
Lately, I've been listening to Emma Cheruto and Afro-Beats because my company, Togetherland, and Emma are working with a new traveling festival in Africa called the African Music Revolution Tour. I hope to meet her soon and would love to see her wearing our clothing! I love her voice and think African music has so much style and more happiness than popular music over here.
Click here to play on Spotify!
Boards of Canada - "Everything You Do Is a Balloon"
Boards of Canada is the soundtrack to my life. They are mysterious and perfect for when I'm trying to concentrate since I prefer listening to music without many words. My mind is fast, so I enjoy slower music. This music video is weird and awesome.
Click here to play on Spotify!
Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water"
These ladies rock out and are a burst of groovy energy. This song is smooth and lovely. I've seen them perform a few times and their unique mix of sounds is one-of-a-kind!
Click here to play on Spotify!
For more about Togetherland, visit togetherland.earth.
What are your favorite Weedsday tracks? Tell us about them - reach out at @honeysucklemagazine on Instagram and @HoneysuckleMag on Twitter!
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Featured image: Togetherland founder Lily Chehrazi (C) Benedict Barrett @bigbackstroke / Togetherland
