With a background in interior design and love for vintage fashion, Hayworth, 36, started making clothes a couple of years ago. “I like to see the potential in a piece, and bring new life to something that another person has discarded. I feel good about the recycling aspect of it. It motivates me to do more.”
Jeff Schmitt, founder of the Colorado Clothing Co, discovered a blend of soy and bamboo that was soft to the touch, durable and unlike anything else in the market.
Schmitt trademarked Soybu in 2003 and started using it for robes, towels, lounge wear and various clothing items. The fabric, he says, “feels like cashmere,” is cool to the skin, has anti-microbial properties, is easy to care for and lasts a long time.
Soybu garments are sold in the US at Nordstrom and are staples at resorts and spas. The company continues to work on new fabrics and now incorporates recycled polyester and organic cotton into its collections.
Another aspect separating many of these apparel companies and stores from traditional businesses is their philanthropy, often environment-related. Portland, Oregon-based Nau, which makes technical outdoor clothing from organic and recycled materials, gives 5 percent of each sale to a local charity.
NPD Group analyst Cohen credits young consumers with helping spur the green movement. “Youths are exposed to Earth Day because it’s taught in school. The youth market is clearly going to be the driver in keeping it alive.”
Earth Day, first observed in 1970, was embraced by baby boomers, but the appeal faded in the 1980s. The difference today, Cohen says, is the energy situation. “The price of oil in the 1980s was not nearly the issue it is now,” he says, adding that until alternative energy sources are widely used, it will continue to be an issue.
RSS