Meet Daisy Chen Hutton: Female Founder of The Fixx Collective

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daisy Chen Hutton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daisy Chen, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Most consumers are still blind to the fact that the fashion industry has an enormously negative impact on the environment. Even as someone who worked in corporate fashion for over a decade, I was unaware of these statistics until recently.

From the agriculture (including pesticides and excessive water) to grow natural fibers, or petroleum based manmade fibers, to toxic dyes, wastage of materials in production, carcinogenic chemical treatments, energy waste, transportation…. ALL of this adds up even before it gets to the consumer. And as consumers, we treat our clothing like garbage, literally disposing of them into landfills after a few wears, adding to carbon/ methane emissions and polluting our waterways.

As an industry, we need to make changes to prioritize the Earth over infinite growth. And as consumers, we need to change how we make our fashion choices.

This is what spurred us to start The Fixx Collective- a place where you can get your Fashion Fixx but also be part of the Climate Fixx.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Fixx Collective was not a business that was started for the purpose of making a profit. We genuinely love fashion and also suffer from the eco-guilt of what the fashion industry does to our planet. We are a mission based business that wants to educate consumers on their fashion carbon footprint but also offer a solution to do better. At the same time, we know that sustainable fashion often comes with a stigma of being very “beige,” as we conjure up images of only dressing in natural linen. But we think you have options and we’re proud to be your ANTI BLAND SUSTAINABILITY BRAND.

At The Fixx Collective, you can buy sustainable basics and rent your fashion pieces. This allows you to maximize your wardrobe with minimal environmental impact. Renting allows us to share our wardrobes, especially with the pieces we would normally only wear a few times. We Recycle, we upcycle, and now we SHArecycle.

Our business launched in early 2020, so we were obviously hit hard by the pandemic. Now that things are opening up, we’re finally able to get things off the ground with our pop up events in LA. Starting business in this past year has been anything but easy, but the lesson we’re going with is that it’s ok to go at whatever pace feels acceptable to us. Businesses aren’t built overnight. There’s no rulebook. We’re embracing life’s curveballs and learning to go with the flow.

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?
First, we would start with a Style session and clothing rental with The Fixx Collective! We offer packages for a small group of girlfriends to come in, get styled together, and rent a look for an event- brunch, night out, whatever!

Then we would head out for drinks and karaoke at Break Room 86. Nothing like belting out 80’s songs all night long!

Next day, we would have lost our voices from all the singing so it’s the perfect day for a walking food tour from Six Taste. Love their customizable tours of different neighborhoods where you can taste amazing sips and snacks from all the local restaurants. The downtown tour is great!

Can’t come to LA without a beach day, so either Paradise Cove or a scooter ride down The Strand in Manhattan Beach. Then a detour over to Din Tai Fung for soup dumplings.

Gotta have sushi when in town- our fave is Sushi Yuzu and sister restaurant Kabosu in Toluca Lake. Their Salmon toast (salmon roe, salmon chunks in a mix of chili and sesame oil on crispy rice) and Uni with shaved truffle are to die for.

Then another night out- a show at Pantages and drinks at the W.

Finally, a sunday brunch at Ostrich Farm and some local Silver Lake shopping- love the fun prints and styles at The Odells! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people. Parents, mentors, colleagues, friends… but I’m going to Shoutout two people in particular today. Ingrid Chen Vuu, and Grant Igawa.

Ingrid, Grant and I met over 15 years ago working for a big fashion brand. As fellow AAPI and survivors of the corporate fashion world, we went on to become lifelong friends.

Our careers took us in many different directions but somehow, when I got this idea to start The Fixx Collective, the stars must have aligned because both of them were not only available, but also willing to help. Starting a business is like having a baby- it takes a village.

Ingrid is my sounding board, my super organized creator of spreadsheets and financial plans, my analytical, practical thinker. She helped birth this brand while also birthing her first human baby- all during a pandemic.

Grant is our creative genius, willing to take on any feat, great or small. He builds pop ups from the ground up, creates stunning visual displays and marketing tools, and then whips up incredible floral arrangements out of the backyard as well as a full course plant based meal out of the refrigerator.

Without the commitment of these two, none of this would have been possible.

Website: thefixxcollective.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefixxcollective/

Image Credits
John Vuu