Happy New Year, and by the way…what’s next for socially responsible companies?

Sometimes it seems like the world is on fire. The politics of the USA, the politics of the world, Ebola, elections, wars, hunger, pain, suffering, sadness, gun violence in the US, the Monsanto monster, drought, floods, homelessness, mental illness, cruelty to animals, fraud, deceit, and I could go on for a long time but you get my drift here. Hopeless? I don’t think so. All of these and more imbalances exist and yet, there is an opposing force(s) working to neutralize them. It is made up of dedicated people, organizations, institutions, professionals and the like. Most powerfully, it is made up of you and I.

OK the “I” part. I guess that’s me. The man in the mirror, the hombre. What answers do I have? Good question! I try to do my part, my politics are balanced (at least I think so), I get a flu vaccine each year, I vote, I meditate for world peace, I once started a group in Central Florida to fight world hunger, I try to inspire others, make people laugh, give them hope, hug them, let them know they are not alone. I grow an organic garden in big giant pots on our back patio, I love animals, got a dog from Humane Society last year (best decision I ever made, I think). I promote gun safety and gun education, try to be honest in all my endeavors, and conduct my business with the highest principals I can attain, knowing that there is always room for improvement.

Business? What does that have to do with it? I am in the manufacturing business. It is part of who I am. Our small, family owned company, Soothing Touch, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, creates various skin care products for the natural industry, massage and spa industries, massage schools, consumers, and anyone else who wants, what we think, are very good, effective skin care products at good prices. My point is, our company gets a chance to participate in all of the above ways to change as well. We do our best to take care of our employees, provide them with a nice, safe workplace, with lots of support and some fun to go with it. Manufacturing can be tough work and it usually is but if you are singing with a little dancing in your day, well, it’s just more fun, trust me on that.

We work hard to be among the ranks of the growing number of socially responsible companies, but it seems every time we look at things, we find more we can do. We cut down on waste every chance we get. It is amazing how much gets thrown away if we are not careful. What can we reuse that for, is a common question.

In the past year or so we have introduced ten retail products that carry the USDA Organic seal. We are proud of that. We have introduced four Ayurvedic body lotions that aren’t organic but are completely free of petroleum by-products whatsoever. All the ingredients are plant-based with a paraben free/ petroleum free preservative system. We are committed to organics and know that is a good start to our contributions to the planet, the organic industry, the small family farmers, ourselves, and to our customers. After all, what goes onto the skin goes into the body. Have you thought about that lately? What are the ingredients in your favorite product you put on your skin every day?

Our latest massage lotion, Ayurveda Massage Lotion, is also completely free of any petroleum by-products, parabens, phthalates, PEG, TEA, formaldehyde releasing agents, and propylene glycol. It is one of the first of its kind in the massage industry.

As a company we are cruelty free, work hard to keep GMOs out of our products and we are also vegan except in a handful of topical pain relief balms and gels that contain beeswax.

There is so much opportunity in business to make changes, improvements, and contributions.

With all we have done, we know there is so much more we can do to get better, to improve people’s lives, to make a difference, to affect change, to create the change we want to be as individuals.

I also know that what we do in business, how we make a living, is an extension of what we do and who we are in our individual lives. At least it should be in my opinion.

The cool thing about the concepts here is that it does not matter what business you are in. You can make a difference every day. If you sell cars, do it honestly with passion; if you work as a school teacher, educate yourself and teach well; if you answer phones, do it with integrity and good service in mind. Each and everyone one of these service touch people’s lives and that is exactly the point where the difference is made. That difference can literally change our lives.

So I guess my point is, even with all the challenges around us every day, we can make a difference. We can commit to higher ideals. We can be positive in our outlook. We can be better people and better companies. We can affect global change by focusing in our small, little lives and remember to allow the great multipliers of the universe do their thing ( 1 x unknown = unknown and unlimited). One thing leads to another, to another, to another…

I am grateful for all that I have received on this planet and commit to making a difference one breath at a time, one person at a time, one customer at a time. If we join together, we can truly move mountains or anything else we want to accomplish. I look forward to meeting you along the way!

Gurukirn Khalsa is co-owner and sales manager of Soothing Touch, a family-owned massage lubricant and body care manufacturer located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Organics is a big passion of his, he has been growing various organic vegetables since college, and now he is bringing that passion into Soothing Touch as they transition to more and more organic ingredients. He believes that small organic farming is the answer to many of today’s health and environmental challenges. His family is most important to him, and he has a beautiful wife, 4 grown children and 7 incredible grandkids. 

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Alongside Everlane and Durated the most recent, brilliant service to come to life for consumers who care about what they purchase is Zady, an online shopping platform that artfully tells the stories behind the beautiful and skillfully crafted products it sells. Transparency is the key concept behind the clothing, jewelry and gifts featured on Zady, as style savvy and expertly curated brands are selected only if they can provide clear information on their production processes and the quality of the materials they choose. This is all relayed to the customer in a creative and accessible way with maps, key labels and a story on the evolution of the brand. This is socially conscious shopping 2.0. 

Learn more about this awesome new resource for the conscious consumer in the exclusive EcoSalon interview below with founders Maxine Bedat and Soraya Darabi.

Paneled Crewneck Sweatshirt by Cotton Citizen

LO: Where did the idea for Zady come from?
SD: We met in high school, but began sewing the seeds fro Zady after reconnecting with each other many years later. Having read articles about one another, and each interested in what the other was doing professionally, we decided to meet up. Maxine was working on the non-profit she founded, The Bootstrap Project, which helps revive craft traditions in the developing world and finishing law school.

MB: During this time, Soraya was advising startups based in New York City. I had come across the Fast Company magazine issue with Soraya on the cover in the airport, upon a 2010 trip for The Bootstrap Project.  Soraya read an article on Bootstrap’s beautiful artisanal crafts in a House & Home magazine. After the first coffee, I asked Soraya if she might help with the digital strategy for TBP and I was happy to have the help. Over the next few months, we realized a few things:

1) We liked one another still!

2) We had complementary skills

3) We had a shared and growing interest in understanding how supply chain works and how beautiful things are made.

As we passed articles back and forth about the negative impact of fast fashion and sent each other recommendations for newly discovered products with origins they could actually trace, the idea of Zady was born – a company that searches the globe for and with the consumer to curate a selection of products that are both beautiful and ethically produced. The connection with The Bootstrap Project as a source of craft revival and economic development was important, so we decided to give 5% of proceeds from Zady to Bootstrap to help artisans in the developing world continue to create beautiful craft and preserve their important cultural traditions.

Messenger Bag by Claire Vivier

LO: What sets Zady apart from other online shopping platforms?
MB&SD: Since our launch in late August, Zady has become a destination for consumers to purchase high-quality, luxuriously made goods that are timeless in style, from designers and brands that offer complete manufacturing transparency.

Clicking on a product icon on our map shows you the history of an item through lines. A Gloverall Duffle Coat, for instance, will have a line that appears showing that the wool for the coat comes from Italy; another line will shoot out to England, showing that the brand is headquartered there, and that manufacturing also takes place in the UK. We try to make the supply chain of great products as transparent as possible.

We are also a team of digital natives and want to bring our readers and shoppers as close to ZADY as they can possible get.  We’d also like to connect them closely to the brands we sell – and they love.  So social media is a strong component of our website, and a strong component of our own messaging.

Le Kraft Leather Notebook by Le Compagnie du Kraft

LO: How do you choose which brands to feature and sell?
MB&SD:  Style is the first and foremost important thing Zady looks for when deciding which designers and products to carry. We look for items that are well-made and timeless in style. Something you can return to over and over and then again ten years later.

Next, Zady only works with designers who are able to verify the following: where the company is headquartered, where the products are manufactured, and where the raw materials come from (this is demonstrated by Zady’s “Origins” map view, which allows consumers to essentially shop the globe).

And then lastly, Zady looks for products that meet any of the following criteria (identified by badges on the site): high-quality raw materials; raw materials were locally sourced; made in the USA; made in an environmentally conscious manner; handmade; or from a Bootstrap Project artisan.

The Astrid Cuff by Dream Collective

LO: Do you think Zady is satisfying a demand for locally and responsibly made items?

MB&SD: Just as Whole Foods sparked a movement based on the belief that we should question where our food comes from, Zady is at the forefront of a movement, known as conscious consumerism, which demands transparency for sourced products. Conscious consumerism is a new vision for shopping. It means an understanding of the quality and origins of an item, and the support for purchasing timeless pieces over throwaway consumption. Currently more than 2.5 billion pounds of our clothing ends up in landfills each year. The planet is running out of space for our fast fashion habits.

There are consequences, of course, to the low prices and incredibly fast manufacturing time of this type of clothing. Poor quality, excessive waste, and outsourced manufacturing to facilities with unsafe, unregulated and illegal working conditions are just some of the effects of this type of production.

Zady serves as an alternative for those seeking timeless style with a conscious stamp of approval.

If we take a moment to look through the clothing in our grandparents’ closets, we would find decades-old items that have survived and resurfaced through several style trends over the years. These items were made by true artists who utilized high-quality fabrics with the intention of creating clothing that would withstand time, seasons, and trends. After all, our grandparents built their wardrobes over time. Future generations are in jeopardy of missing out as today’s mainstream fashion is predominantly focused on the idea of purchasing low-cost, trendy items, intentionally made to be thrown away at the end of a season, rather than those that are made to be timeless and classic.

Nesika Dress by Pendleton The Portland Collection

Images: Zady

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Complete Factory Transparency: Everlane Delivers 

The Dawn on  the Not So Clueless Fashion Consumer

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With a fashion-first mentality, online retailer Modavanti wants to transform the perception of sustainable fashion.

With a firm focus on style and a highly curated collection of clothing and accessories, recently launched online retailer Modavanti is a breath of fresh air on the sustainable fashion scene. With a fashion-first mentality, the site “aims to become a leader in the growing movement towards sustainable fashion by helping to transform the perception of eco-friendly and ethically-sourced clothing.”

“We take a lot of care in avoiding clothes and accessories that look too crunchy or granola,” says Modavanti’s Adam Clancy. “In order to convince customers to buy sustainably we need to first convince them that clothes look great; that they aren’t missing out on being fashionable by buying sustainable.” This mentality is also reflected in Modavanti’s site design — which is nice, clean and easy to use.

To make it easier for shoppers to find products that align perfectly with their values, Modavanti has developed a system featuring eight sustainability badges — categorized by eco-friendly, energy-efficient, fairly traded, handmade, made in USA, organic, recycled/repurposed and vegan. Every product featured on the site must achieve at least one of these badges, in addition to adhering to Modavanti’s sustainability threshold (all of this information is displayed transparently on the site). The badge system not only helps us educate consumers but also allows customers to filter their search results according to the sustainability criteria that matters to them.

“The trouble with the term ‘sustainability’ is that it carries a different meaning to different people,” says Clancy. “Some people might care more about the environmental impact of their purchases, while others may care more about labor rights. The sustainability badges empower our consumers; rather than us declaring what sustainable should mean, we let our customers decide for themselves what matters to them.”

Modavanti is adding new labels to the site every week, but here are some current favorites:

Heidi Merrick: Committed to producing in America and passionate about her work, Heidi Merrick is proof that sustainability and beauty go hand-in-hand in fashion. Based in L.A., Merrick, the daughter of a world famous surfer, draws inspiration from nature and the ocean and incorporates vegan materials wherever possible. Read an interview with her here, and look out for the new spring/summer collection on Modavanti in the coming weeks.

Elkarti Morocco: Proving that style, luxury and sustainability can–and do–go hand-in-hand, Elkarti employs more than 40 (mostly women) artisans from the city of Marrakesh, Morocco to make their handcrafted bags and accessories. An interview with founder and social entrepreneur, Ahmed Abidine can be found here.

Indigo Handloom: Woven by artisans using peddle-powered hand looms, these gorgeous scarves can be entirely produced using no electricity, not even a single light bulb. Made by women artisans in India who receive higher wages and better benefits than their counterparts. Only natural non-toxic dyes are used, which are healthier for the artisan, the environment and the customer. Check out this interview with Indigo Handloom to learn more.

Images courtesy of Modavanti.com

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We’ve got a roundup of some unique and worthy crowdfunded projects to check out.

It seems you can’t scroll an inch through Facebook or Twitter these days without seeing a call to support a crowdfund project (or ten) featured on platforms like Kickstarter, Rally and Indiegogo. Maybe you’ve even started one of your own.

What’s so enticing about these crowdfunded social financing models is it’s helping shape the projects, product, art and causes that individuals and communities actually want, as opposed to giant corporations just giving us their preferred options to choose from.

This self-empowerment in turn helps us to send strong messages back to the corporatocracy about what we will and will not support, hopefully leading them towards developing more socially and environmentally supportive policies and products. These are exciting times indeed.

If you’ve not yet lent your support to a crowdfunded project, we’ve rounded up a few you might find particularly worthy. What’s also fun about social financing is there are incentives, often for nominal donations as low as $5 or $10. The more you give, the more you get, and while that’s not necessarily a reason to support a worthy cause, you can use the perks as gifts or even as a donation, if you feel called to.

1. Our own Foodie Underground columnist, Anna Brones, is working on a project about inspirational visionaries in Afghanistan called Afghan Dreamers.

2. Exile Nation: The Plastic People: This documentary film-in-process is a project about the mass-deportation of millions of Mexican-American immigrants and what happens when they’re forced out of the country.

3. Help build an urban garden in Ojai, California at the Topa Topa Elementary school.

4. Technology got you a little frazzled? Grab a handmade notebook (or several) to jot down your thoughts instead from Mirth and Company.

5. Love trees? Support non-profit efforts dedicated to rescuing timberlands from logging.

6. A film with a non-profit component tracks six women touring India, experiencing the harsh economic differences.

7. Support community in a unique experiment: walking the East Coast while holding hands. Results will be documented in books.

8. Keep one of Santa Monica’s most loved healthy and delicious raw food restaurants from shutting its doors. Euphoria Loves Rawvolution’s landlord has gone a little wacky and it’s threatening this long-time establishment.

Got a worthy crowd-funding project we should know about? Let me know on Twitter @jillettinger

 Image courtesy of Afghan Dreamers

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Based in Brooklyn where all the cool girls hang, Foundfuture is the brainchild of The 400 Showroom’s saucy Shannon Lorraine.

Cruising around Foundfuture is like being a kid in a candy store as your eyes get fixated on colorful headbands by Love from Hetty and Dave, eclectic charm bracelets from Mi Asunta, and comic book like statement necklaces that might just give you super powers. Lorraine definitely has an eye for fun and that’s why it’s a welcome respite from all the other eco-sites out there when you pop into shop.

Her about us statement says Foundfuture “brings you the best kept secrets in fashion. It also just happens to focus on sustainable practices.” We’re happy she’s able to do both.

Juno & Jove

Based out of Sarasota, Florida, Juno & Jove launched in 2006 and has emerged as a premier shopping destination for the socially conscious consumer, both online and at their brick and mortar shop. Looking through their carefully curated list of designers, you might be surprised by how many eco-talents you don’t know (which is very refreshing!)

We love that they offer women’s as well as men’s clothing and shoes, and beautiful pieces for the home as well. Once I started perusing the site, I really couldn’t stop. Give yourself some time here!

Mission Savvy

When we found out hip new eco-boutique Mission Savvy was on a Green City tour and will be joining us at EcoSalon Shops! on June 4th, we were flattered to say the least. Especially since she was coming from Mission Savvy headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia.

Founder Jennifer Miller is a pretty amazing entrepreneur hailing from a past life as an animal activist who now fuses eco-fashion and animal protection in a way that’s compassionate as much as fashion forward. Five percent of profits generated by sales from Mission Savvy’s clothing collections are donated to a select group of animal welfare and conservation groups who work on the front lines of tough issues. Peruse her missions and tap into what drives Miller to create awareness about more than just sustainable fashion.

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It’s no secret the denim industry is extremely resource intensive.

We’ve learned just how intensive in recent years, thanks to research by eco journalists and, notably, an article in WWD by Ross Tucker in which Levi Strauss & Co. publicly “shared results of its life cycle assessment on what went into making one pair of its iconic Levi’s 501 style.”

Levi’s being to jeans what Kleenex is to tissue, people were listening.

According to Tucker, Levi’s found that making one pair of 501’s requires almost 920 gallons of water and 400 megajoules of energy while expelling 32 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

“Levi’s said this was equivalent to running a garden hose for 106 minutes, driving 78 miles and powering a computer for 556 hours,” writes Tucker.

Ouch.

If you consider denim one of your wardrobe staples (and who doesn’t?) best to think sustainably designed. To help, we’ve put together a denim guide with plenty of suggestions from the fabulous Jaime Palmucci of Denim Debutante.

Here are 17 good eco bets for denim:

Loomstate: Probably the most well-known of the “green” denim lines, Loomstate is known for their basic cuts and mid-weight organic cotton denim. Like Edun, Loomstate has temporarily put their denim line on hiatus based on fit issues, but there are still pairs online waiting to be bought.

REUSE: A new brand out of the U.S., REUSE creates their jeans with 80% recycled denim. Standard styles for women (men’s jeans are reportedly on the way) and a wallet-friendly retail price of $75-95.

James Jeans: Eco-friendly washes for a dry aged denim look. Note: while this line doesn’t use organic cotton, James Jeans creator Seun Lim uses organic compounds and sun bleaching to create the washes of her jeans.

Serfontaine: Eco-friendly washes and abrasions. Like James Jeans, Serfontaine doesn’t use organic cotton. For their washes, they substitute organic fruit enzymes for chemical dyes and irritants.

reco jeans: Like REUSE, reco uses Recycled Denim in their process. They go so far as to create seeded, plantable tags on their products to eliminate unneeded waste. (Factoid: Alanis Morrisette and Woody Harrelson created the line.)

Levi’s Eco: Organic cotton, recycled rivets and buttons. Styles made with 100% organic cotton include the Red Tab Vintage Straight Jean for men, the women’s Skinny Jean and Skinny Knee Knocker Short. Other elements of the Levi’s® Capital Eâ„¢ lines include the use of recycled buttons, rivets and zippers and natural indigo to dye some styles ensuring minimized impact on the environment. Price range starts at $69.

Nudie Jeans: The Swedish brand known for their Selvedge also has some 100% organic pairs. They follow organic production procedures and use products like potato starch and pre-reduced indigo in lieu of chemicals.

7 For All Mankind: The eponymous brand and forefather of premium denim, 7 For All Mankind does carry some 100% organic pairs.

Rogan Denim: Products are Fair-Trade approved and sweat-shop free. Rogan (the namesake line of Loomstate’s Rogan Gregory) has teamed with Bono to ensure their products are sweat-shop free and fair trade. They also promote minimal washing and no machine washing.

Good Society: The Good Society “is a movement,” according to the website. “A belief that in all things we must love, will and do good. A forward thinking community blending the fashion conscious with the socially conscious.” Being organic fairly traded denim that is fully sustainable surely helps. Another denim line taking a hiatus until current inventory moves. Go forth and buy!

Joe’s Organic: Though the brand only offers a small selection, it does have an organic denim line consisting of some of their best sellers like the Provocateur, Stardust, Muse and Socialite.

Edun: Launched in Spring 2005 by Ali Hewson and U2’s Bono, the company’s mission is to help develop countries in Africa as viable sources of production for fashion by “investing in the development of a community-based value chain, beginning with organic cotton.”  Their denim line is temporarily on hold because of fit issues – stay tuned.

Linda Loudermilk: Linda Loudermilk trademarked the term “Luxury Eco” and researches products that are sustainable by meeting with and learning from scientists, and seeking out companies that create fibers without pesticides or other toxic processes. Her denim line has been made from lyocell and bamboo blends.

Kuyichi: Made from a hemp and organic cotton tencel blend with natural dyes. You’ll love this company! A European label slowly moving into the U.S.

Howie’s: Featuring organic cotton washed with an “eco-ball” for extra softness, this European denim line has been around since 1995 and is about to have a Renaissance, I’m predicting, thanks to some better-known American denim lines taking a break.

J Brand: J Brand’s Green label is coming out soon, we’re told. Made with 100% organic cotton and vegetable dyes, J Brand is widely recognized as a go-to eco denim line. Let’s hope they shrink the fit to something less than what a 6’8″ woman would wear. Normal gals, J, normal gals.

Denim Design Lab: This company transforms salvaged denim woven on vintage shuttle looms to create a “Modern Vintage” look. Sold through “only the most premium denim based retailers globally.” Well, you can’t win ’em all.

To get your daily denim fill, be sure to follow Jaime on Twitter @denimdebutante.

Image: littledan77

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