Our Story
First Rite was launched in 2015 in San Francisco, CA by designer Nikki Garcia. Years of working in all aspects of the industry from retail to small label and corporate design merged into the idea of a better way: Creating garments that minimize our footprint on the planet, a more hands on approach involving personal relationships with partners, and an involvement in the process from textile or fiber to finished product.
In 2022 Nikki and her family relocated to her hometown of Portland, OR, where the studio is now based.

The Collections
We design collections twice a year keeping in mind the principles of minimalism, ease, and seasonal fluidity. As we begin our process each season, we think about where we left off and what pieces and palette we can carry through or build upon with the goal to create a seamless collection of effortless and interchangeable pieces designed from 100% natural fibers to last for many seasons to come.

Our Materials:
We work toward sourcing the best textiles and fibers for our collections and choose only those made from 100% natural fibers, our favorites being linen, organic cotton, and alpaca. We choose undyed yarns that highlight the natural shades of the animals they come from for our knitwear whenever possible. The dyes used for our linen and cotton collections out of India are azo free and OEKO TEX certified.
Read more about our materials here

Our Production Partners
We have chosen our partners based on their quality, craftsmanship, standards and practices, and have built lasting personal relationships with mutual respect. We support fair labor and hourly living wages. Our wovens are cut and sewn in Los Angeles, CA and New Dehli, India. Our LA partners are a small family owned, woman led workshop that create our denim collection and some heavier twill styles. Our partners in India produce our linen collection and focus on sustainability, holding a fair trade certification for their facility. Our sweaters are knit by a woman led, Fair Trade Peru certified workshop in Lima, Peru, and we work closely with them to source all natural yarns from mills that support the surrounding farming communities.

Sustainability
We are committed to reducing our footprint by supporting partners and suppliers using best practices. We source 100% natural textiles and fibers for our development and production and prioritize those with certifications that ensure their supply chain traceability and environmental impact.
Our partner workshops in India and Peru hold Fair Trade certifications that address social, economic, and environmental standards and transparency in their practices.
We are proud to ship plastic free, using 100% recyclable materials made from post consumer waste to contribute to a zero waste future.