Lyanne Loriz & RAW Collective

Now that you’ve learned all about RAW Collective, get to know the woman who’s years of growing awareness led to the ideation of a movement, one that will leave a legacy on the earth.

Lyanne Loriz, the founder of RAW Collective, is a mother of two, Lukas and Lily, and a devoted wife to husband (and soulmate) Jake. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico but grew up in the states. She attended George Mason University, earning a BA in Advertising and later attended FIDM where she got a degree Merchandise Marketing.

Lyanne’s passion for the fashion industry began at a young age. She always saw herself working in the industry some way or another.

“When I was a young I was obsessed with Amanda Woodworth from Melrose Place,” Lyanne said. “I wanted to have my own advertising company with fashion brand clients.”

The Driving Force

That obsession was a driving force behind Lyanne’s move to Los Angeles, away from the more conservative and political area of DC.

“I was working for an Investment Real Estate Company after college, creating ads and marketing plans,” Lyanne explained. “I had to wear suits and carry a briefcase - I was just so uncomfortable in that setting.”

That’s when Lyanne and Jake made the big move across the country. Still dating, and without kids, it was the perfect time to make a move and chase a dream…

The shift from the east coast to west coast was a bit of culture shock but also had many benefits. Lyanne was now living in one of the world’s leading cities for fashion. Thousands of brands not only have their headquarters in Los Angeles but their entire operation. It was the perfect place to be.

Lyanne began working in the fashion industry right away. She spent hours and hours devoting herself to building these brands, helping to drive traffic and sales. She was committed to improving business for these powerhouse brands. This is what she had dreamed of! Or, she thought it was…

There came a moment in Lyanne’s career when things started to change. Her awareness of the negative impact this industry has on the planet became more and more evident. After working at several brands, Lyanne also realized that it was all about the money for the people running them. The more cheaply the products could be made meant more money for these executives.It wasn’t about making quality product that customers will love, it was about getting someone to shop one more time, and then another time after that. More is more in the fashion industry.

This change in thinking shook the dust off an old idea she had come up with in college.

“I was taking a news publication course and we had an assignment where we could choose from a list of projects,” Lyanne said. “RAW was an idea I come up with for a non-profit organization that would just raise awareness for women across the world. My focus was to highlight the adversities we face and create a movement that was not only supported by women but also men.”

With her new awareness of the pollution, waste, and unsustainability of the fashion industry which she worked in, the wheels began to turn. Raising awareness worldwide was something that Lyanne already thought about, and now she had the perfect thing to tie it to!

RAW Collective Is Born

After years in the industry, Lyanne realized she had all the tools and connections she needed to stop helping to stuff executives pockets and instead really make an impact on this world. And thus, the journey to create RAW was born.

Now, in all that time in the fashion industry, Lyanne also created a beautiful family with her husband. When her daughter Lily was just a few months old, and Lukas only two, Lyanne and Jake decided to head back east. They landed in Miami, Florida, a young family eager to become their own bosses. Eager to change their way of living so they can pass on a better world to their kids. Eager to catch that dream they’d been chasing.

Lyanne has changed a lot about the way she lives, from overall sustainability and eco-friendly living to changing her diet to vegetarian (and now vegan). And on top of all that, the big change of becoming a mother, which came with a whole new set of impacts on the planets. Clothing. Bottles. Diapers...

“I really started to feel down about the negative impacts of quantity over quality when I started getting gifts for my children,” Lyanne said. “I am a minimalist at heart and while I have always had clothing overflowing (because of my jobs), I really started to notice how much waste goes into clothing when people were buying me gifts for the kids. I had so many outfits that neither child wore because they didn't fit, and by the time they did, it wasn’t the correct season, or just impractical for our lifestyle. I literally am still moving around with clothes I was given for Lukas YEARS ago that still do not fit him.”

You know what they say, you only get one opportunity to make a good impression. Lyanne decided it was time to make an impression on her children while they were young.

“I want my children to grow feeling confident in their clothing choices, but more importantly, I don’t want them to feel less for not having everything,” Lyanne said. “I want them to know what is enough and to be reassured that their lifestyle and choices are not negatively impacting others and our environment. We need to stop filling our lives with STUFF! And, at the end of the day, that’s what all of this material must have items are… stuff.”

Making An Impression On The Fashion Industry

RAW Collective gives Lyanne the opportunity to make an impression on more than just her children, but the entire fashion industry.  

“I would love to create a movement through showing and educating people that there is another way to be a consumer,” Lyanne explained. “Also, I want to send a message to brands that they can still be profitable but also significantly decrease their negative impact on communities and the environment!”

“RAW Collective is a marketplace of like minded-brands that encourages everyone to become conscious consumers without having to sacrifice style,” Lyanne said. “I think this is a mission we can all get behind. We can change the way we impact this planet!”

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