Given that their company Sun and Loom is inspired by adventure, it should come as no surprise that Coleman Smith and Francine Day met while surfing off Pacific Beach. They immediately connected over a love of the outdoors, and as time went on, Day says, “We were both climbing that corporate ladder and, on the side, always discussed starting a company around community and sustainability. Once the world shut down, all of a sudden we were both together and working from home. It gave us the creative space to do what we wanted to do. It was a leap of faith.”
They quit those steady jobs to pour their hearts into launching their online retail shop in October. “Everything about this brand and this company is our love letter to California,” Day continues. “I’m from California, and when Coleman moved here it offered him everything he wanted in terms of community.”
Sun & Loom / Bandana Models
Vivian Kim
As with all good things, Sun and Loom’s collections take time to create, and their current plan is to release new lines just twice yearly in fall/winter and spring/summer. Each line is created in collaboration with a local artist and explores one of California’s unique ecosystems.
The first collection, “Desert Oasis,” was an ode to Joshua Tree. Day and Smith chose the theme and Brooke Kelley designed the apparel. The result was a handful of vintage-soft tees and bandanas that play on the desert aesthetic in line drawings and sayings like “Fill the sun to the brim.”
Sun & Loom / T-Shirt
Vivian Kim
The company’s name reflects their mission. First, the sun: Ten percent of their profit goes to the Honnold Foundation, a nonprofit that brings solar power and solar power initiatives to communities in need around the globe. Second, the loom: As part of the slow-fashion movement, they prioritize the quality of each item over producing mass quantities. “It’s about creating a piece you want to have in your closet for a long time and maybe even pass it down to people you love,” Day says. “Clothing with purpose is something that’s important to us.”
And they’re onto something. It’s estimated that over 50 percent of Gen Zers and Millennials prefer to buy from sustainable brands. Day and Smith are obviously among them.
“When we were brainstorming the company, we were looking in our closet at things that we held on to longest,” Day says. “It was clothing that used to be my mom’s and Coleman’s dad’s. It’s about having a few things you love, instead of having a lot of things.”
Sun and Loom
Sun & Loom / Bandana
Vivian Kim
