Interview with Sandra Ney, Founder of Will & Ivey
I connected with Sandra through a good friend and immediately fell in love with her selfless compassion. You can tell she holds Will & Ivey close to her heart and is passionate about using the brand to touch the lives of others. I absolutely love the design, the safety and the mission. Combining these three things makes Will & Ivey the ultimate #doitbetterbrand. They offer clothes and accessories for babies and kids that you can feel good about purchasing. Benjamin is wearing the Euro Jogger Stripe and Hunter Tee.
1. Where did you start your design career and how did you land on making children's clothes?
As a student at FIDM, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, back in the early 80’s I had a dream of having a clothing company that was more than just offering pretty clothes. I wanted it to have a purpose of bringing awareness to the needs of vulnerable children needing to be adopted. After my first son was born I was disenchanted with boys’ clothing always being covered in trucks and dinosaurs, and only being offered in primary colors. So, while working as the head designer at Beverly Hills Polo Club, I ventured into creating my first line of children’s clothing on the side. A few boutiques carried my line, but shortly after starting my husband got a call to move to Nashville.
In Nashville I could not find pattern makers and production houses. I hung up the patterns and raised my four children. Fast forward to 2011, a friend hired me to help him design men’s jeans. I helped him create his branding and men’s jeans with a slit pocket for the iPhone. I convinced him to have a philanthropic arm of the company helping children in Zambia through a friend’s nonprofit. I designed a baby jean where a percentage of profit went to the needs of these children. Sadly, after two years my friend decided to close the doors on the company. That experience reignited my passion for designing. I pulled out all my old patterns and prayed. “Lord is it time? Am I to start again? Do you want me to pursue my children’s clothing company that could give back in some way?” I wrote my children’s names down and all of a sudden William and Ivey downloaded. I said “Will is my last born, but who is Ivey?” A friend of mine had us look up the meaning of the names and it turns out Will & Ivey together means “Strong defender of eternity.” I got chills. My goal is to share the great love story, the rescue story of Christ in any way I can, or just to “Love Well” which is one of my mantras.
2. I was immediately struck by your mantra "To weave peace and purpose through fashion," which is the heart behind everything you do. What is your why for starting Will and Ivey?
After raising four children I remembered how frustrating it was to dress a squirmy little one with an over amount of snaps and buttons. I also learned about the danger of dyes and fibers in fabrics today on our skin and the negative affects to our environment.
“Peace” represents two important factors of our company. One, I focus on designing modern minimalist styles and two using eco-friendly, sustainable fabrics.
“Purpose” represents the philanthropic arm of our company, bringing awareness of the needs of children in foster care or the need of adoption. We work closely with TN Alliance for Kids and TN Kids Belong Here in Nashville.
So yes, I had to wait 27 years to see this dream come into fruition, but I’m thrilled to say “Here we are!” I have a company with a sweet purpose - trying to bring awareness of the needs of vulnerable children. I’m learning so much along the way and I hope to ignite many to just jump in and help in any way they feel called. Even if it’s just purchasing a Will & Ivey garment - they are giving comfort to their child while giving comfort to another. Comfort for Comfort.
3. Tell us more about the TAK PAK program you created with TN Alliance for Kids.
I was able to start the TAK PAK program for TN Alliance for Kids. TAK PAKS are backpacks filled with comfort and essential items for a child entering into foster care, to give them their own belongings and help them know they are chosen, not forgotten. It’s so sweet to hear how a child’s eyes light up when they are told to pick out their favorite backpack. They usually only have a trash bag of a few things from their home. These backpacks bring back so much integrity and love. Right now, with the pandemic, we are encouraging people to donate what ever they can to TN Alliance for kids and we will be sure to keep filling the backpacks. The DCS continues to tell us the age and gender needed. With the donations we are able to keep supplies available to quickly fill a backpack. They have told us these have been such a blessing!
4. What are the steps you take to make sure your clothing is organic, safe and sustainable?
When sourcing fabric for my collections I search for two very important certifications: GOTS ( Global Organic Textile Standard) or Standard 100 Oeko-Tex. I use fabric that is eco friendly and sustainable such as Organic cotton, Tencel, Modal, and Bamboo.
5. Where do you get inspiration when you design the clothes? I love how simple, yet aspirational the line is!
I am inspired by modern architecture, rocks, wood and water - the ocean, lakes, rivers, waterfalls you name it. I love minimalism and geometric shapes. Rectangles are one of my favorite shapes. I started the line with a rectangle pocket on many of the styles. I long to keep this as a signature. Pockets are important to me so many of my styles include pockets. I also love muted colors and neutrals and long to stay true to that through the seasons. I had a crazy moment this last fall and included a pop of a brighter green - a bit daring for me. That may not happen again, but you never know. Colors seem to download into my head and I find I’m all of a sudden drawn to a certain color. Sure enough, those colors seem to be the “in” color of the season. That’s always fun!
6. What is one piece of advice for first-time moms?
My number one piece of advice is always to clean the house less and play, read and spend time with your children more. I worried too much about what my house looked like. Grab your husband too, read to your kiddos together, make up funny voices (that’s the best), and play games as a family. They will never forget those moments and it builds a beautiful bond.
