Meet Cassidy Carballo | Sustainable Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cassidy Carballo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassidy, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important contribution to our success has been staying true to our mission. From inception, susoriginals has been 100% sustainable in all aspects we can control, and we take pride in that. We offer a solution to the ever growing problem of fashion waste and the pollution from the fashion industry. Keeping sustainability in mind has pushed us to innovate and create products people love and can feel good about purchasing! Additionally, it has been really rewarding to foster a tight knit community of like-minded people who care about ethics and making a positive impact. Our community appreciates our commitment to sustainability, which drives us to stick to our mission despite how difficult it can be at times. It feels way better to wear a one of a kind sustainable piece, knowing the mission behind it, rather than a typical fast fashion garment.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am proud that not only is every one of my pieces made with 100% secondhand fabric, but also a new, never before seen design that cannot be replicated. Wearable art has become my favorite way to express myself, both in creating and wearing. Each and every one of my creations is true to my unique style. I love that my designs allow for comfort without sacrificing style, while being as inclusive as possible. Doing so while using only what the thrift store has to offer is challenging, but I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished using fabric someone else deemed useless. Owning a business will always be challenging. However I’ve learned from my mistakes and have come to love the ebbs and flows of it all. The legacy I want my brand to leave is that I always did my best for the people and the planet. My story is still being written and I am just getting started.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend come visit me at the Jersey Shore, we’d start the day off at the beach. Afterwards, we’d get bagels and Dunkin before getting in fresh clothes to go thrifting. We’d have lunch at Ikko, my favorite hibachi restaurant. Then we’d hit Jenkinson’s boardwalk and win squishmallows in the arcade. If my friends are feeling spontaneous, we’d take a drive into NYC and I’d show them all my fave hidden spots.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This brand stands on the shoulders of two amazing support systems; our family and community! From the beginning, we started by making sustainable masks when COVID-19 started. While our family of 5 was under lock down we all got to work looking for any fabrics in our house that we could use to make masks. We created a system of cutting it up, sewing it together, and adding finishing touches. In those few months we quickly realized the magic of sewing and how valuable of a skill it is. Since then, our families have been fully behind us and are always looking for ways to help. Our second support system is the community we have been apart of for almost 3 years now. This community consist of other business/creators which we collaborate and bounce ideas off of, and our supporters who always hype us up and bring positive energy to our lives and posts! Without this community, the business would not be a fraction of what it is now. These friends and family are the backbone of our business and deserve that recognition, we love every single person who takes the time to engage positively in and with out community!

Website: susoriginals.com

Instagram: instagram.com/susoriginals

Facebook: facebook.com/susoriginals

Youtube: youtube.com/susoriginals

Image Credits
Cassidy Carballo & Ricardo Oliveros