Over a decade ago, Kerry Docherty was working as a young lawyer when her husband and brother-in-law asked her to help them co-found the "surfer chic" clothing brand Faherty. They needed all hands on deck, and so Docherty said yes.
"The answer that I don't say is I actually went and saw a psychic," Docherty told The Cool Down. And the psychic said: "If you try to swim against the current at Faherty … it's a tide that you won't win against, and you should try to incorporate the things and the values that you're working on now and infuse them into Faherty."
"I wasn't super-passionate about clothing. I dressed like a grandpa in oversized vintage clothing," Docherty continued. "I was very much mindful of — if we are going to do this and enter a really dirty industry — how can we do it in a way that feels as intentional and mindful as possible?" (The fashion industry is considered "dirty" as it's responsible for 10% of global carbon pollution and is the second-largest consumer of water. Additionally, 85% of all textiles end up in landfills every year.)
Flash forward to Faherty today and the sustainable fashion brand now has 75 stores across the U.S. and was recently certified as a B Corp company. This spring, it is launching a take-back apparel program — in addition to its existing pre-loved store, Second Wave — so customers can get rewarded for sending in their used clothing.
In an exclusive conversation with The Cool Down, Docherty walks us through why running a family-owned business makes for a more sustainable company — as well as what customers can expect for this next phase of Faherty's resale marketplace.
👕 How to get cash back from cleaning out your closet
Right now, you can get straight cash or gift cards when you sell your Faherty gear like sweatshirts, fleeces, and jeans through Second Wave.
Similar to resale platforms like Poshmark, the company's resale marketplace is a peer-to-peer store, so you're buying and selling from other customers.
"We trust our community. We love our community," Docherty told us. "And we found that a way of community building [was thinking,] 'Hey, let Faherty customer No. 1 sell to Faherty customer No. 275 — and we didn't feel like we needed to control the process."
The system is super-simple:
• Select the Faherty pieces you'd like to sell and list your items.
• Once your item sells, you'll ship your pieces to the buyer with a USPS shipping label that Faherty provides.
• Then you can choose between cash for your sale (up to 70% of the resale price) or 100% in credit toward your next Faherty purchase.
And coming this spring, Faherty will be launching the second phase of its resale program: a take-back process where customers can mail back their goods directly to the company to spruce up, clean, and then put on the resale site.
"Regardless of what you send back, you'll get credit for it, even if we can't resell it on Second Wave," Docherty noted. "We want to incentivize people to just send back their favorite goods, get the refunds, and then Tersus [Faherty's recycling partner] decides, 'Can it be resold, or should it be upcycled?' so nothing will be thrown in the landfill. That's our No. 1 priority."
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💸 How customers can snag a quality deal at 50% off
"What I love about our circularity program is it also opens up our price point," Docherty told us. "It's an easier price [for] people."
A quick scroll through the Second Wave store showed deals like $13 for a long-sleeve sun-washed shirt (originally $88), $17 for kids' swim trunks (originally $68), and $29 for men's all-day shorts (originally $98).
"We're certainly not luxury … and we're certainly not fast fashion … but I think what our customers come to us for is the quality and the craft, and we really stand by our product," Docherty said. "And so what we tell our customers, and I think what they've come to learn, is our clothes are meant to last. They are meant to be your favorite piece in your closet that live a very long time.
"That was one of the reasons why we started our circularity program — our resale program — because we want our customers to, when they're done with their product, to sell it, make money on it, make sure it doesn't end up in a landfill."
💚 Resale as a revenue driver
In addition to customers being able to sell their used apparel directly on the resale site, Faherty also adds extra inventory or items that are not suitable for an original sale.
While figuring out the logistics and financials of a resale platform is no walk in the park, Docherty is adamant that even "if we make no money off of it, if we believe that it's still a net neutral program that prevents Faherty clothes from ending up in landfills and keeps our customer engaged, it's worth it."
The icing on the cake is that it is actually bringing in a lot of cash for the company — as well as new customers.
"What we found is it's actually becoming a revenue stream, and we are able to make money off of it. So we did over $1.2 million last year [for Second Wave pieces] that we're thrilled about," Docherty said. This is "continuing to reflect the consumer psyche of a whole demographic of people who don't want to buy new clothes."
🫂 How a family-run operation can lead to a more sustainable business
In 2024, Faherty became a "B1" company — meaning it was both a Certified B Corporation (companies that balance purpose and profit) and a 1% for the Planet member (donating 1% of annual sales to vetted environmental partners).
And why is sustainability such a core part of the business?
As a family-run company, "our name is stitched on every garment," Docherty said. "So it really feels like a stamp of our values and everything that we create. … It's such an intimate thing to have your name on the things that other people are wearing and wanting to do right by them and the environment."
With responsibility embedded in the company's values, Faherty can set an example for other startups to follow. For example, it's set ambitious sustainability goals for 2025 and 2030, including sourcing 80% of its apparel fibers from responsible materials by the end of this year and bumping that up to 100% by 2030.
Additionally, Docherty mentioned that 90% of Faherty's clothing is shipped in plastic-free packaging. "We're also piloting a seaweed packaging" instead of conventional plastic polybags, she added, which will help customers avoid adding plastic to landfills.
"We love having our eye on what other people are doing as technology and innovation increases, and figuring out … 'Can we be doing this better?'" she said.
🤝 Collaboration with Native artists
Faherty has an ongoing partnership with Native artists and brands in an effort to end appropriation in fashion and offer authentically designed clothing that benefits Native communities.
"When we first started the brand, we would have these vintage swatches, and we would design blankets and shirts that utilize those designs," Docherty said. "And I remember a few years in being like, this is exploitative … whether or not you call them Native-inspired or not, if we're using these prints and none of the resources or profits are going back to the Native community, it's just another form of exploitation."
Addressing the issue has been a huge priority for Docherty, and Faherty now collaborates with Native design partners to offer customers exclusive features.
"There's a real story behind it. And I think that intentionality and energy is something that our customers can feel really proud of," said Docherty.
🌱 What gives you hope for a sustainable future?
"I never cease to be blown away by how much innovation and brilliance is happening in every part of the industry across the globe … in terms of how people are making materials, how people are doing renewable energy in their factories, how people are cleaning water, how people are recycling materials," Docherty said.
"The speed in which solutions are being offered and constantly being in relationship with those people offers me a sense of hope. … Every time I just get despairing, I think about all the people I know who are doing such good work in the world."
🎁 Favorite Faherty product?
"I love our fleece blankets, especially the ones that have our Native prints," Docherty said. "They're so cozy, they're so warm. … It's my ultimate gift if I'm going to someone's house."
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