Best friends immigrate from Latvia, create metro Atlanta sustainable fashion brand

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Two best friends who immigrated from Latvia together have created a sustainable fashion brand in metro Atlanta. They thrive by finding new life for old pieces of clothing that would normally be thrown away.

“It is like waking up and knowing that you have no idea what you are going to make today,” said Inga Patterson, founder of Inga and Evija.

Many might see trash, something just waiting to be dropped off at a thrift store. Evija Fairo and Inga see treasure.

“You see a yoga mat cover but this was somebody’s dress. This was somebody’s dress and now it is an eyeglass cover. Oh, this was somebody’s pants,” said Fairo, who is also the founder of Inga and Evija.

They immigrated from Latvia in their twenties.

“I was in school and it was summer and I wanted to get out of Latvia and see some other countries. That was one of the opportunities to come to the United States and ended up here. Started with adventure and ended with adventure, 24 years later,” said Fairo.

They fell into the art world and eventually built their brand — repurposing old clothing that would normally be thrown into landfills into bags, eyeglass cases and yoga mat covers.

“Upcycling to me is like an art,” said Fairo.

Said Patterson: “It gives me joy and it gives me joy watching what other people feel.”

The two have found a way to work without working. To do something they love and get paid to do it. They go by Inga and Evija on Instagram and have sold their products at places like the Freedom Farmer’s Market at the Carter Center.

“It is a never-ending story, always creating something new,” said Fairo.

They said they are trying to find ways to connect people and to inspire people to find their way.

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