People, Planet, & Passion Lilie: An Interview with Grow Ahead’s Newest Business Partner
In the world of ethical fashion, Passion Lilie stands out not just for their beautiful, timeless designs, but for the unwavering values stitched into every seam. Founded in 2013, the New Orleans-based brand combines artisan craft with sustainability, proving that style and ethics can go hand in hand. We spoke with Passion Lilie’s founder and designer, Katie Schmidt, to learn more about her journey from childhood sewing projects to launching a globally-minded fashion brand that centers women, protects the planet, and redefines what fashion can (and should) be.
Please share a bit about yourself and why you started Passion Lilie over a decade ago.
I'm originally from California, but New Orleans has been my home for almost 15 years now—this city truly shapes everything we do at Passion Lilie. My journey with fashion began early; I started sewing at age 7, and that passion led me to pursue costume design at UC Irvine, followed by a master's in Luxury and Fashion Management in France.
It was during my studies in France that everything clicked for me. I discovered the profound social impact that businesses can have—it was a complete paradigm shift. When I returned to New Orleans, I worked at a Fair Trade shop, absorbing everything I could through hands-on experience and travel. By 2013, I realized there was a significant gap in the market: fair trade fashion simply wasn't offering enough stylish, well-fitting, and affordable options. I knew we could do better, and that's when Passion Lilie was born.
Can you share the story behind the name Passion Lilie?
The name has two beautiful inspirations. First, it's named after the flower, which symbolizes honesty—a perfect representation for a fair trade brand built on transparency and integrity. Second, it honors a beloved family friend who embodied everything I admired: she was a world traveler, fiercely independent, and had this magnetic charisma that drew people to her.
I had to include "Passion" in the name because it reflects who I am at my core. When I care deeply about something—whether it's fair trade practices, sustainable fashion, or supporting artisans—I put my whole heart into it. That passion drives everything we do at Passion Lilie.
Passion Lilie is all about social and environmental sustainability. Can you dive into your most-loved practices at Passion Lilie?
Our fair trade principles are the heart of everything we do, and I'm incredibly proud of how we've implemented them. We work closely with the Fair Trade Federation to ensure both our business and our artisan partners in India uphold all nine fair trade principles.
What this means in practice is paying fair and living wages, building capacity within communities, creating safe and empowering work environments, maintaining zero tolerance for child labor, actively minimizing our CO2 emissions, and deeply respecting cultural, racial, and ethnic identity. These aren't just checkboxes for us—they're the foundation of how we operate every single day.
Each of our practices reinforces the others. When we invest in tailor training, we're building capacity. When we source responsibly, we're protecting both people and the planet. It's all interconnected, which is exactly how sustainable business should work. You can dive deeper into our specific practices at passionlilie.com/pages/fair-trade-production.
With the tailor training program undoubtedly being a competitive opportunity, how do you choose just one women to take on? How many have joined the Passion Lilie team permanently as tailors?
We partner with local nonprofits who help us identify women who would benefit most from this opportunity. It's fascinating because not every woman is immediately interested—some prefer more traditional roles, and we completely respect that. The program has to be the right fit for both the participant and our mission.
So far, we've had three women complete the program, and one has joined our tailoring unit permanently, which is incredibly rewarding. Each graduate, whether they stay with us or use their skills elsewhere, represents a successful investment in women's economic empowerment. That's what matters most—giving women the tools to create their own opportunities.
How often are you able to visit and create with your five producer partners in India?
Until recently, I made annual trips to India to work directly with our artisan partners—those visits were invaluable for relationship-building and ensuring quality. However, as a new mom with a 15-month-old, international travel has taken a backseat for the past couple of years.
That said, we've built such strong relationships over the years that I have trusted representatives in India who oversee production and maintain our standards. I'm in communication with them weekly, sometimes daily, so while I miss the in-person collaboration, our partnerships remain as strong as ever. These relationships are built on more than just annual visits—they're built on trust, respect, and shared values.
How did you launch your first partnership with raw materials producers? Was it difficult to ensure the fibers and cotton were produce responsibly?
It was definitely a marathon, not a sprint. Our first partnership required extensive in-person visits, countless interviews, detailed questioning, and extensive sampling. We needed to verify not just the quality of materials, but the entire supply chain—from environmental practices to labor conditions. The length of the process was actually reassuring because it showed us how seriously our partners took these issues.
Through your new partnership with Grow Ahead, Passion Lilie gives customers the opportunity to donate to small-scale farmers at check out. You're also taking responsibility for the carbon emissions that come with running a business through direct contributions to Grow Ahead's agroforestry project partners. With Passion Lilie already being a heavy hitter in the sustainability realm, why was it important for you to implement these programs?
Here's the reality: the majority of our CO2 emissions comes from transporting finished goods from India to the US and then to our customers. This is unavoidable if we want to continue supporting artisans in India, which is absolutely core to our mission and identity.
Rather than ignore this impact, we decided to take responsibility for it. Partnering with Grow Ahead allows us to offset those emissions through agroforestry projects while simultaneously supporting small-scale farmers. It's a beautiful alignment of environmental and social impact.
We also wanted to give our customers an easy way to contribute to this mission. At checkout, they can choose to donate to these farming projects, extending our impact even further. Even when you're already doing a lot in the sustainability space, there's always more you can do—and should do.
Passion Lilie just launched a pre-loved site! Tell us more about it and what inspired you to take on this new endeavor.
So excited about this! Our pre-loved site represents the final piece of our circular fashion puzzle. Here's how it works: customers can get store credit for Passion Lilie garments that no longer serve them, while everyone can shop verified, vetted second-hand pieces at 40-90% off retail prices.
What makes this special is the simplicity—customers don't have to list items and wait for sales. They just fill out a form, send pictures, and we handle everything else. We send a return label, inspect the items when they arrive, and issue store credit immediately.
This launch was driven by two things: our commitment to truly circular fashion and listening to our customers. We have wonderful customers with multiple Passion Lilie pieces asking for ways to refresh their wardrobes while keeping their beloved garments in circulation. It's sustainability that actually serves our community.
What message or ask do you have for fashion brands that haven't made the transition to sustainable supply chains and fabrics?
Start small, but start today. I know it can feel overwhelming when you look at your entire supply chain and think about all the changes needed. But you don't have to transform everything at once.
Begin by evaluating your current practices and identifying one area where you can make an immediate impact—maybe it's switching to sustainable packaging or sourcing one fabric more responsibly. Once you've successfully implemented that change, build on that momentum and tackle the next challenge.
Most importantly, be transparent with your customers about the steps you're taking. Share your journey, including the challenges. Customers appreciate honesty and progress, even if it's incremental. They want to support brands that are trying to do better, not just brands that are already perfect. The key is authentic commitment to improvement, not perfection from day one.
Passion Lilie's mission is rooted in honesty, thoughtfulness, and fairness. From training tailors in India to offering carbon responsibility at checkout, Passion Lilie proves that ethical fashion is not only possible, but powerful. When fashion supports farmers and artisans and protects the planet, everyone wins. Join Passion Lilie and Grow Ahead in making that future possible by shopping Passion Lilie's Pre-Loved site and becoming a Grow Ahead business partner below.