Origin Story
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After graduate school, I joined corporate America, where I learned to straighten my hair (much longer back then), wear synthetic pants, get comfortable with heels, and tailor my accent. I learned to adapt, but the environment emphasized appearances, and blending in wasn't easy. I started Not Same, Equal. as a way to reclaim my space and make a point. |
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When I designed the first prototypes of the anti-pant, they served as my own private stand against tight synthetics and polyester, they de-emphasized the shape of my body and gave it the space it deserved to be at ease. I was chasing freedom—I needed something versatile I could comfortably wear every day with any shoe, and go anywhere. Those first pair of pants were so addictive; I wore them every day, barefoot and with many a shoe living my best life. They were the perfect embodiment of the freedom I craved, to be comfortable being me. I must have looked pretty comfortable because people stopped me all the time to ask me where I got them. That's when I made a few more and distributed them eager to see what would happen next. |
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From early feedback, I realized that folks were practically living in their anti-pants, so I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could turn them into a business. I got mom to join me, and together we launched our first set of Not Same, Equal. products in December 2019. |
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A versatile set of clothes that took space made space, and changed paradigms together. |
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When we sold out of our Truvian stock a second time, we set up systems to circle back profits and make more products. Since all this was happening during the COVID '19 pandemic, we put our profit to good use right away. In our first two years, we circled 43% of profits to local relief and community initiatives in India and the US. We also found ways to balance our (low but present) carbon emissions. For example, we offset 27 metric tons (or 132 trees) of emissions with carbon points that support carbon sequestration, methane capture, and renewable energy projects. |
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With every sale we continue to leverage ecologically responsible raw materials, circular product design methodology, and socially responsible production processes to make our products strong, functional, and beautiful enough to create sharable value. |
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I was lucky to be raised with the wisdom that it's not our bodies, but what we're made of on the inside that determines who we are. It's our capacity to consider,
the choices we make, our actions and reactions that make us. Therefore, even though we are not the same on the outside, it's our internal capacity to be our best that makes us equal.
Not Same, Equal. exists foremost as a reminder that we're not the shape or form of our bodies, we're a function of life itself, and all life, no matter what it looks like on the outside, holds equal capacity to be its best on the inside. Each one of us deserves the freedom to be who we are, so we can be the best of who we are, from soil to soil.
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| 📜 / Our manifesto |
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♾️ / Our process
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🛍️ / Our products
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Winter Market - Reno, 2019
