Meet the Founder
Sarah Mattes, Founder of Deco Denim
Deco Denim is here and so are you- hello! This must mean you are curious about how an American made fashion company can get to a place that is sustainable, inclusive and premium without price gouging.
Our Founder
Sarah, the founder of Deco Denim, graduated from San Francisco’s Academy of Art with a BFA in Fashion Design. She’s positioned herself in the fashion industry over the years having interned with Gwen Stefani’s label L.A.M.B and then moving onto Old Navy, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic Outlet, and Gymboree before landing her dream job at Levi’s.
"While at Levi's I did everything from reporting on trends, working on design collections, supply comments for shade reviews, designed back pocket embroideries, selected hardware and denim, and managed fittings."
Her time at the legendary denim brand was invaluable. It also shed light on how the fast fashion industry decimates even the most well-respected brands. She witnessed how forecasting each season resulted in the overdevelopment of fabrics, excessive use of water for washing and chemicals for dry processing.
Sarah took her established brand insights and knowledge and made a move to Gustin - a rising company with a different philosophy to jeans. Here, she learned about the art and love of premium denim made right—ethically and with the best possible materials.
"While with Gustin I helped source fabrics and new factories, wrote copy for product campaigns, designed new products and managed entire productions."
Still, she found herself daydreaming about what was to come. And after 15 years in the denim trenches, Sarah finally set her sights on her creating her brand, her way.
"Although I loved my time with Gustin, I couldn't stop thinking about how few brands were out there that embraced sustainable practices and ethically-made products. Not only that, but brands ideally should be empowering their customers to ask questions about how and where their clothes are made."
Today Sarah is tackling everything that she sees lacking in the industry with Deco Denim—an ethical, sustainable, size inclusive and gender fluid brand with a mission to weave transparency and thoughtfulness in every stitch.
"I wish more people knew how much waste surrounds fast fashion; not just in production but also the sheer volume of what's donated or thrown away."
Deco Denim hit the ground running in late 2022, and looking ahead Sarah has a clear vision for the future of her brand.
"I would love to see Deco Denim outfitting everyone- all sizes and identities globally. I want this brand to be a resource for education about the fashion industry, to help people feel empowered to ask questions and dig deeper into what they're buying."