Seasons, Salt and Everlane
Everyone’s been talking about Everlane — for the past 5 years. Why? Because it went from a tiny startup with a big idea to a widely popular brand with upwards of $100 million in revenue. How that happened is debatable, but I’m inclined to believe the secret is influencer marketing.
Everlane has a very specific mission, and they don’t shut up about it: Radical Transparency. Everlane tells their customers exactly what factories made their product and how much the materials cost. They come pretty close to an ethical brand, which is hard find in the fashion industry.
Lucky for Everlane, there’s a whole slew of influencers who post about ethical fashion. Take Andrea Hartman as an example.
Andrea is a mom of three living in Portland, Oregon, with an Instagram following of 21.5k. She started her blog Seasons+Salt to “share sustainable, ethical and independent designers” — a goal she maintains on social media. Andrea’s Instagram page is streamlined and simple. It’s a beautiful mix of white and beige and thriving house plants. Her posts give practical advice for effortless outfits, personal reflections and countless other thoughts for the modern woman. Everlane sponsored some of Andrea’s recent posts in accordance with releasing its summer clothing line.
I’m not surprised Everlane chose to partner with Andrea. Not only does her mission align perfectly with its own, but her Instagram itself looks like Everlane’s clothing line. Everlane prides itself on timelessness and avoids any form of fast fashion. It’s “not big on trends.” Neither is Andrea. The outfits she posts to Instagram look like they could fit in any decade.
What’s more, Andrea’s posts are strikingly honest. In one of her blog entries, “Black Lives Matter | Personal Reflections,” she openly shared her struggles with and thoughts regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. She’s completely transparent with her readers, which takes us back to Everlane’s Radical Transparency. In a post sponsored by Everlane, Andrea observed that the previous year (2019) was a learning experience for the brand. It’s not a very favorable comment, leading her to clarify, “Even though this is a sponsored post, they [Everlane] are very hands off when it comes to the content.” By working with an influencer who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, Everlane emphasizes its commitment to transparency.
Given Andrea’s focus on ethical fashion, chances are her followers are already aware of Everlane and they’ve at least considered buying something from the brand. That being said, Everlane is likely evaulating bottom-of-the-funnel KPI’s, namely conversion. How many people click on a link to Andrea’s favorite Everlane jean? How many people buy the outfit she posted today? These are the questions Everlane will be asking as they monitor their relationship with her page.
Note: All images taken from Seasons+Salt and _andrea_hartman.
