Indigenous Apparel

Indigenous Unveils New Brand Direction at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City

2012-01-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to announce the unveiling of our new brand direction at this week's Outdoor Retailer Show in snowy Salt Lake City Utah!

Here are some shots of the booth decked out with our Fall/Winter 2012 Line

A more detailed preview of the new line is coming soon to the website!

The New Indigenous Video, Produced by Free Range Studios

2012-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Our new video, produced in association with Free Range Studios, tells the story of our artisan-crafted garments, made out of organic materials by fair trade cooperatives. Free Range Studios is a progressive graphic design firm "driven by a belief that the right stories told in revolutionary ways can transform society." Their prior work includes powerfully influential videos such as "The Story of Stuff," and viral hits like "Grocery Wars." We hope this video, however brief, conveys that at Indigenous it's about creating products that are worth the price, worth wearing, and worth sharing. Watch the video and tell us what you think!

Vocational Loan Fulfilled for Four Peruvian Women!

2012-01-06T09:52:00.001-08:00

The lives of four Peruvian women are about to change. Thanks to The Hoop Fund, an non-profit that organizes microloans for worthy causes, these women will be gaining new skills, a new career, and new hope in this brand new year ahead. The loan of $2,500 will provide tuition to vocational school, where the four women will learn the expert weaving skills they will need to improve their lives and the lives of their families. The loan also helps pay for their supplies, child care, meals and transportation, allowing women with small children the opportunity to attend.

Ninety five separate individuals contributed to the betterment of these women's lives through thirty month loans, averaging just over $26 each. Thank you to everyone who helped give the gift of this opportunity! Your actions will be making a huge difference in the lives of four women, their families and even their communities!

EcoLogic and AllianceExchange work to save tropical ecosystems by helping the indigenous people who live there.

2011-12-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

For the past four years, two amazing not-for-profit organizations—EcoLogic and AllianceExchange—have partnered together to raise funds and promote each other's programs. EcoLogic empowers rural and indigenous people to restore and protect tropical ecosystems. AllianceExchange provides rainforest children with educational opportunities, thus preparing the next generation for their work—to be stewards of their Kishwa culture and their Amazonian rainforest environment.

Together, EcoLogic and AllianceExchange recently held a fundraising event in Cambridge. Indigenous was proud to be able to help sponsor the event by contributing a "Winter Care Package," which turned out to be the most popular item at the raffle. We think that Peggy, the winner of the Indigenous Designs fair trade, artisan-made hat, gloves and scarf, looks absolutely lovely! Thank you to EcoLogic and AllianceExchange for the important work you do, and thank you to all of their supporters who came out for the event.

A Beautiful Event at Cavallo Point!

2011-11-14T14:33:00.001-08:00

For those of you not able to attend Mercantile Artisan Day at captivating Cavallo Point, here are a few photos of the event. We happen to think the clothes look amazing!

Mercantile Artisan Day at Cavallo Point Lodge Featuring Indigenous

2011-11-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Fall Fashion - Saturday, November 12 11AM-4PM

Featuring:

Indigenous & Forty-Nine Square Miles

For more information: 415-339-4740 | mercantile@cavallopoint.com

601 murray circle | fort baker | sausalito, ca 94965 | 1.888.651.2003 | cavallopoint.com

Slow Money Body Language

2011-10-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

Indigenous Co-Founders Scott & Matt had a great time presenting at this years Slow Money National Gathering at Fort Mason in San Francisco

Thousands of Americans have begun affirming a new direction for the economy. It's called Slow Money, and people have literally started to embody the movement.

Slow money national gatherings are quickly emerging as a significant new venue for field building, investing and social change.

The Slow Money Alliance is bringing people together around a new conversation about money that is too fast, about finance that is disconnected from people and place, about how we can begin to fix our economy from the ground up.

What would the world be like is we invested 50% of our money within 50 miles of where we lived?

What if there were a new generation of companies that gave away 50% of their profits?

What if there were 50% more organic matter in our soil 50 years from now?

We can bring money back down to earth!

2011-10-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Indigenous founders Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds are long-time members of Social Venture Network, an association of innovative, influential entrepreneurs who are using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems (www.svn.org).

Scott and Matt will be joining fellow SVN members Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's who will be speaking at SVN's upcoming fall conference in Philadelphia on Oct. 29th. Just before Ben & Jerry's plenary session, Lynne Twist of the Soul of Money Institute will be hosting a benefit for SVN's Bridge Project. Social Venture Network's Bridge Project is an initiative to support entrepreneurs of color, women entrepreneurs and young leaders who are transforming the way the world does business. Research has shown that these particular business people face greater barriers to growing their ventures and ultimately changing the world. Scott and Matt have donated beautiful Indigenous shawls and blankets for The Bridge Project fundraiser

Indigenous Fall/Winter 2011 Collection

2011-09-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

We've been busy putting up some of our best pieces from our Fall/Winter 2011 collection on our web store, and we're so excited about sharing it with you that we've decided to extend our Step into Fall sale into October! Just use coupon code 'FB128' at checkout to receive 25% off of your entire purchase. That is in addition to our every day free shipping!!

The line is looking better than ever with a diverse collection of eco friendly knits in a wide variety of silhouettes.

Starting with our light weight jersey collection, you've got great stand out tops and skirts and ultra comfortable layering items.

Our jersey is super soft and made from 100% organic cotton.

See our entire jersey collection here!

Looking for something a little warmer? Try a cozy cardigan made from the softest baby alpaca.

All of the alpaca we use is sourced from free range herds in Peru, where alpaca has been raised for thousands of years. It's as warm as wool but as soft as cashmere and has a unique texture and feel all of its own.

Explore our current alpaca styles here!

Our most recent addition to the line is our super soft, luxurious organic cotton fleece.

Made from the same fine organic cotton as our jersey, this fleece is the softest we have seen.

This year there are several great fleece styles to chose from, like the Fleece Weekender, seen here!

On a tight budget? We've got some great styles on sale for pretty serious discounts.

Visit our sale page for up to 50% off on sale items. And yes, you can use your coupon for items that are already on sale!

And of course, we haven't forgotten our Men out there. Come see what's new in our fair trade + organic men's online store - like this super lightweight long sleeve polo in three great colors!

Shop our entire collection of men's tops here!

WAKE UP AND DREAM

2011-09-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

We'd like to invite you to take a moment to explore our good friend Gregory Wendt's blog WAKE UP AND DREAM.

"If you're paying attention to what's going on around the planet, and don't have your head in the sand, you can see that things are rather chaotic in the human mind globally.

People have two reactions to such chaos - surf the chaos, or attempt to hold on to old identities during the transition.

It's not unlike a metamorphosis - there's a liminal state between caterpillar and butterfly where neither form is readily apparent. How we steer our attention through such a transitions is particularly important."

Read On!

Territory Ahead Enhances Fall Apparel Offering with Styles from Indigenous Designs

2011-09-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Multi-channel clothing retailer, Territory Ahead, teams with Indigenous to offer a collection of artfully original, handcrafted women's garments. Indigenous clothing is organic and preserves rich South American textile traditions, with fair trade standards and wages.

This Fall, Territory Ahead is offering a collection of Indigenous clothing including sweaters, coats and accessories. The assortment features the chromatic Cowl Sweater - and organic cotton and Tencel blend in a hand loomed reversible knit. The dual color sweater, which falls to the top of the thigh, boasts contrasting color on the reverse side of its cowl neck, cuffs and hem.

Both Territory Ahead and Indigenous design unique, quality clothing from the threads up. Their garments attract customers who care that their clothing is produced responsibly. The partnership allows Territory Ahead to augment its fall offering with styles that are in line with the brand's core values and reach new customers.

Read the full article in the SF GATE.

Bringing the Slow Money National Gathering to San Francisco, Oct. 12-14th

2011-08-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

Slow Money national gatherings are quickly emerging as a significant new venue for field building, investing and social change. More than 1000 people from 34 states and several foreign coutnries attended our first two national gatherings, and more than $4.25 million has been invested in 16 of the presenting small food enterprises. Since last year's event at Shelburne Farms, Vermont, 11 local Slow Money chapters have begun investing around the country.

Learn More

Join the Slow Money movement at historic Fort Mason for what promises to be a special few days on San Francisco Bay - from thought leadership to entrepreneurship, from global vision to local food and music, from deal-doing to relationship building. Be a part of this emerging community that is working together to fix our economy from the ground up ... starting with food.

Our Friends At United by Blue

2011-08-26T12:24:00.001-07:00

We want to introduce our fans to a very important new clothing line that is working to help protect our oceans. For every product sold, United By Blue removes 1 pound of trash from our oceans and waterways!

"We know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the sea floor. As a landlubbing society, it is hard for many of us to see how closely our lives are connected to the world’s waterways, whether we live on a coast or 1,000 miles inland.

The Blue Movement is committed to changing this misconception. Lead by a committed group of individuals and organizations, the Blue Movement is dedicated to preserving and protecting our world’s oceans and waterways for our own and for future generations. We are scuba divers, fisherman, and sailors. We are educators, activists, and businesspeople. Most importantly, we are all passionate, and we all understand our dependence on the world’s oceans and waterways."

"The Blue Movement can trace its beginnings to deepwater explorers Jacques Cousteau, an avid diver whose own passion for the underwater world transformed a generation, and to Dr. Sylvia Earle, whose groundbreaking research continues to inspire a new generation of scientists and discoverers.

Unfortunately, the waters that first welcomed Monsieur Cousteau and Dr. Earle many years ago now have much less to give. Overfishing has decimated and even destroyed fishing populations around the world, and fish remaining fish are choking on pieces of the 14 billion pounds of trash that end up in the ocean every year. An exploding Chinese middle class population has increased the demand for shark fin soup—and increased the number of sharks killed for their fins to 90 million every year. As oceans absorb the atmosphere’s excess carbon dioxide, the water becomes more acidic, causing once lush coral reefs to turn white and die.

The modern Blue Movement refuses to let this trend continue. The Cousteau family continues to work toward more sustainable resource management in fishing communities and to raising awareness not just of underwater beauty, but of underwater problems. Advocates like Wallace ‘J’ Nichols has started the Blue Marble Project not just to spread the awareness of the Blue Movement, but to remind us that every hand holding a marble is connected to oceans and waterways and has the power to use that hand to do something good.

And that, perhaps, is the very essence of the blue movement: each and every one of us, no matter where live, depends on the ocean for survival. And no matter where we live, we have the power to make a difference in an underwater ecosystem thousands of miles away."

UBB uses the power of business, education, and environmental action to save our oceans and waterways from pollution.

To date, UBB has hosted 42 cleanups and removed 28009 pounds of trash.

Video of our Photo Shoot with Miss USA

2011-07-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

When we met Alyssa Campanella one summer day last June, we just thought she was a pretty (well, gorgeous) young lady with an appreciation for fine clothing and respect for people and the world we live in. As she modeled our all-organic, fair-trade clothing, we couldn't have asked for a better representative for our company-- fresh, vibrant, thoughtful and compassionate.

We are so proud and grateful to have Alyssa, Miss USA 2011, as the feature model for our new Indigenous Fair Trade & Organic collection debuting in August.

Please check out this video with shots from our recent photo shoot.

Click to learn more about the photo shoot!

Miss USA in Support of Indigenous Fair Trade + Organic Fashion!

2011-06-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

As reported in Apparel News, we had the pleasure of having Alyssa Campanella "Miss USA" at our Indigenous Spring 12 photo shoot. Alyssa loves Indigenous and supports Fair Trade and Organic values. Alyssa is an amazing model and looks fantastic in our spring collection.

"Matt & I are proud to have Alyssa modeling the Indigenous fashion line for Spring 2012" Scott Leonard, CEO Indigenous.

Here are some behind the scenes shots of Alyssa with the photo shoot crew, and our very own Britta Reynolds.

Congratulations Alyssa! Miss USA heads next to Brazil for the Miss Universe contest in September.

"I LOVE Indigenous!" Alyssa Campanella, Miss USA.

Group Buying for Social Enterprises: 5 Ways Deals Can Do Good

2011-06-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Offer a sexy deal, drive massive amounts of new customers to your door, and you're golden, right?

There's been a lot of news these days about group deal platforms, and if you're a traditional business - with excess inventory to move, highly perishable goods, or a low cost of goods sold - then a deal platform might be just what you need.

But what if you're a hybrid business that's both for-profit and for-social impact: say a fair trade or sustainable brand that invests in the well being of your suppliers and theecosystems they live in? Will the typical, discount-focused, deal aggregator work for you?

Not likely.

In our experience at the Hoop Fund, working with companies at the intersection of traditional commerce and philanthropy, at best the typical deal aggregator only shows off half of what you do, and at worst it might even undermine one of your core assets (your impact).

Here are 5 tops reasons why your typical deal aggregators won't cut it for social enterprises, and what you can do about it.

"Stay on target" - most deals are blasted out over an entire city, reaching some people who might be your ideal customers, but way more people that will never be. As a socialenterprise, you need a way to filter down to people who will be attracted by your impact.

The Hoop Fund's approach bundles deals on products that do good, with microloans to the people who make them. Customers get the deal only if they help to fund a project thatimproves the lives of the farmers or artisans making the product.

This is a fundamental shift from the traditional online "deals" model: sure, the Hoop Fund allows for immediate return (lower cost of trying a new product), but it combines that with a stickier, long-term social and economic reward (personal impact).

Discounts are blinding - it's hard to get customers to focus on your impact if you're flashing a giant "80 percent off" sign in their face. To get around this, Blissmo recently introduced a mystery box subscription for eco-friendly or organic products, as an alternative to their typical deal of the day promotion. By making the contents a mystery, Blissmo focuses the experience on discovering new products, not the discounts a subscriber is getting.

Think about the story they'll tell - having a good story to tell, especially a personal one, is a proven way to make products more enjoyable. If you've ever visited a vineyard, a farm, or anywhere a product is made, then you understand the power of this phenomenon. Your visit and your connection to the product transform your experience of it. So learn from thewine industry and make sure your deal creates a good story for your new customer.

Compare a customer getting 50 percent off at your store because she earned it (say, because she raised $300 for a local charity), vs. if she had gotten 50 percent off for buying a coupon. Same customer, different intents, but the experience, and advocacy, of the former is radically different from the latter, which leads into the final reason...

Doing good is rewarding - Good deeds make us happy, and happy customers keep coming back. So be wary of watering down the good you do just to get new customers in the door. Imagine someone saying, "Hey, I just got 50 percent off on my donation to the United Way!" Focus your deals on helping people feel like they're doing more good, not less.

While our brand partners like Alter Eco, Indigenous Designs, and Lotus Foods have a huge need to attract new customers, they also need to pay special attention to attract the right customer to make it all worthwhile: a customer that will care about their impact and efforts to do good, and hopefully one who is going to stick around long enough to help them.

Put simply, if you're a company whose strength is doing good, then your deals should do good, too. You're much more likely to attract the right customers and, in the process, give them good reasons to stick around... which after all, is the whole point of offering a deal in the first place.

Patrick Donohue is the CEO of Hoop Fund.

READ THE ARTICLE FROM REUTERS

Indigenous proudly features Alyssa Campanella, Miss USA 2011-12, modeling in support of Fair Trade + Organic Fashion!

2011-06-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to congratulate Alyssa Campanella on becoming Miss USA 2011-12!

Indigenous proudly features Alyssa Campanella in our upcoming Spring 2012 catalog!

“I love Indigenous” Alyssa Campanella

Fund your sweater and wear it too...

2011-06-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Hoop just launched a new campaign to link together buying with lending to the people behind our products. Is this something you believe in?

How this HoopFund works.

1. Purchase a HoopFund for $25.

2. Receive a $35 credit via email towards Indigenous product via email + a $10 HoopFund loan.

3. Use your $35 credit to buy any product at www.indigenousdesigns.com.

4. Follow the progress of your loan.

5. Get your $10 loan back.

ONE FOR ONE: sustainable products for you plus funding for the farmers and artisans who make them.

To participate just Click HERE!

Slow Money Northern California Regional Showcase 2011

2011-05-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

The first Entrepreneur Showcase of Slow Money Northern California!
Slow Money is excited to bring together 200+ investors, entrepreneurs and food & farming leaders who are rebuilding our local food system. Learn how you can get involved and invest in building an economy based on principles of soil fertility, sense of place, care of the commons, and economic, cultural and biological diversity.

Following the Slow Money National showcases over the past two years, millions of dollars have been invested in entrepreneurs who presented their small food enterprises. This event is your chance to invest your resources close to home.

Examples of investment proposals include:

· Strengthen the distribution from small farms into Bay Area cities

· Build a facility for processing grass-fed meat locally

· Convert and protect regional farmland for organic farmers

· Provide healthy food alternatives for low income neighborhoods

Featured speakers include Woody Tasch, Slow Money founder and Author, and Ari Derfel, Executive Director of the national Slow Money organization.

Network with active investors, organizational leaders, local food exhibitors, and visionaries of local food systems.
Be inspired and learn more about Slow Money in our region and nationwide.

Our Special Gift To Our Fans!

2011-05-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our Special Gift To You!

We're having an amazing year but we do not have the excess inventory to support our usual Summer sample sale.

This special discount is our way of thanking you for all the wonderful support you have given Indigenous throughout the years.
Feel free to use this discount towards anything on our website. throughout the years.

We promise to be here for you this Fall for our annual holiday sample sale.

This is a limited time offer, so order soon!

**Sale good from May 15th - June 30th**

To use your code

just type "SSDC1" in the code box when you are checking out.

Inventory is subject to change.

From everyone at Indigenous,

Thanks for being a part of what we do.

Impact Investing Makes More Than Change

2011-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Investors' Circle is a network of over 150 angel investors, professional venture capitalists, foundations and family offices who are using private capital to promote the transition to a sustainable economy. Since 1992, Investors' Circle has facilitated the flow of over $145 million into more than 220 companies and small funds addressing social and environmental issues.

Values with Velocity - Learn more Register Now

VENTURE FAIR: Capital for Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs
FORUM: Capacity Building for Impact Investors

World Fair Trade Day 2011

2011-04-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Indigenous Designs is a proud sponsor in World Fair Trade Day, an international celebration of Fair Trade. This year’s events will be taking place in over 80 countries worldwide. Help us invite friends, coworkers and neighbors to build awareness of Fair Trade and empower vulnerable producers! Fair Trade seeks dignity and hope for farmers and artisans who produce the items we consume and enjoy, a better future for our planet, and tastier, higher quality products for you. Across N. America, advocates are inspiring over 100,000 people to take Fair Trade Coffee Breaks from May 1-15. In 2009 over 65,000 people took such breaks. The more people participate in World Fair Trade Day, the more difference we can make. With over 1,000,000 producers around the world already benefiting from Fair Trade, it’s time to raise our voices and vote with our dollars until all trade is fair! This year, individuals as well as organizations will host hundreds of events to celebrate Fair Trade. Visit www.FTRN.org to learn more and get involved.

Come to the Fair Trade Pavillion at the San Francisco Green Festival!

2011-04-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Every product bought is an opportunity to make a statement. Most products often come from thousands of miles away and affect countless people throughout the supply chain. Fair trade is a commerce that focuses on producer empowerment, equality, and economic development. With fair trade products you support the world and the economy. Visit the Fair Trade Pavilion to learn about positive local solutions available to put an end to global social injustices.

Come to the Green Festival this weekend to hear James Roberts of Indigenous Designs, Mathieu Senard of Alter Eco, Patrick Donohue of the Hoop & many others speak about financing fair trade!

Visit the Green Festival website for details

Support The People Who Make Your Stuff! Join the Hoop!

2011-03-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

We're excited to support a new website called the Hoop, which allows people like you to give loans to the people out there who are making great fair trade products. Choose a product right off their list. There is 0% interest, and you get all of your money back. Everyone wins.

Click here to browse a current list of hoop projects.

Help cotton farmers go organic!

Help purchase a new hand knitting machine for an Indigenous producer!

Visit the Hoop for more details.

TEDxPresidio - Come hear the opening talk on Slow Money

2011-03-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

TEDxPresidio - Come hear the opening talk on Slow Money
April 2, 2011 - Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

Click here for tickets.

The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
3301 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
Click here for a map.

Ari DerfelAri Derfel
Executive Director
Slow Money

Ari is an award winning entrepreneur, organic chef, activist, mountain guide & public speaker. His academic career includes the University of Wisconsin, Harvard, Georgetown, UCLA, and Cambridge.

Currently, Ari is the Executive Director of Slow Money, a national organization quickly gaining prominence at the intersection of the sustainable food, socially responsible investing, localization, and social enterprise movements. Their mission is to catalyze investment in local food systems as a means to build strong, secure, robust local economies. Their current goal is to get 1 million Americans to invest 1% of their assets in local food systems by 2020. Slow Money is has been named one of the biggest ideas of 2010 by Business Week and one of the top five trends in Finance by Entrepreneur Magazine.

More about TEDxPresidio.

More about Slow Money.

Indigenous & Root Capital Journey to Peru Highlights Partnership

2011-03-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Indigenous CEO Scott Leonard and Director of Operations James Roberts traveled with members of the Root Capital team to visit an Indigenous artisan workshop in the neighborhood of Canto Grande in the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Canto Grande is part of the San Juan de Lurigancho district located in the area known as Cono Este. With a current population that may have exceeded one million people, it is the country's most populous district and possibly one of the largest urban neighborhoods in the world.

It was here that Scott, James and the Root Capital team visited with Juan Vargas, who owns and operates one of the many independent knitting workshops in the Indigenous supply chain. Juan’s humble workshop employ’s artisan knitters from his neighborhood. Currently his operation consists of just a few hand operated knitting machines, but it has grown and continues to grow and become more sophisticated. It is with the help of fair trade financing organizations like Root Capital that Juan plans to improve his workshop and to upgrade his knitting equipment so that he can work with finer knitting gauges and expand the number of products he can offer.

Root Capital is a nonprofit social investment fund that is pioneering finance for grassroots businesses in rural areas of developing countries. They provide capital, financial education, and market connections to small and growing businesses that build sustainable livelihoods and transform rural communities in poor, environmentally vulnerable places. Over the past 5 years Indigenous and Root Capital have come together bring financing to artisans at the BOP (Base of Pyramid). This visit highlighted one of the many ways that the partnership between Root Capital and Indigenous has brought socially responsible financing to the handicraft market in Latin America enabling thousands of artisans to become part of the global economy in a way that is fair, environmentally sustainable and scalable.

Berta's Passion for Stitch Design

2011-03-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

Making a difference, one stitch at a time … This season we are highlighting our artisans’ design & development process and acknowledging a very special contributor to our team— Berta Espinosa Escobar. Berta’s passion for the art of knit design and scaling it to market travels back many years. She graduated with a degree of Interior Design from the Arts Institute in Peru. As her life progressed, she married and became a mother of two wonderful children. Although being a mother and wife was rewarding, Berta’s passion for design and her entrepreneurial spirit never faded. When she was a young mother, her sister introduced her to hand looming. She was so excited about this new art form that she immediately began knitting sweaters and eagerly collecting all sorts of knitting books relating to stitch design. Within a few months, her sister introduced her to a friend who had a local fashion boutique in Lima. Together, the two created sweaters to sell at the boutique. Orders began to grow and a few years later Berta met Patricia Roose, the founder of an artisan-based social enterprise that now works
with Indigenous. Patricia was so impressed by Berta’s talent and passion for design
that she asked her to be a part of her brilliant knitting team. Berta accepted, and she has now been working alongside Patricia for the past 25 years. Berta has a unique story and is proud to be a part of the greater Indigenous family. She understands the importance of fair trade and knows that whatever she designs or develops with Indigenous, it will help to bring much needed opportunity to the Peruvian people who are involved with all aspects of the process—from the organic cotton and alpaca farmers to the yarn spinners, and of course, to the talented artisan knitters. Berta is one of many of our gifted women entrepreneurs within the Indigenous fair trade supply chain.
Together, our passions bring positive change to everyone involved in the Indigenous fair trade organic supply chain. As Berta says “one stitch at a time, we can make
a difference”.

FAIR TRADE PILOT PROGRAM FOR ORGANIC COTTON

2011-02-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

Background

As a fashion company we want to continue to collaborate with and support the entire Indigenous brand value chain.

I have been inspired by the work of others in Organic Cotton farming. We endeavor to bring fair trade certifications deeper into the Indigenous supply chain.

It’s not an easy task to undertake, but with great partners and projects like the one described below we will all continue to make process towards fair trade certifications in the apparel industry.

Back in August 2010 Indigenous and its Organic Cotton supply partners started to evaluate the possibility of running a Fair Trade certified Organic Cotton pilot program with some of our organic farmers in the coastal valleys of Peru. Indigenous is financially supporting a portion of this work … the real heroes are the people on the ground making it happen. ( Thank you Orlando!! J )

Five of our best farmers in the Chincha Valley were selected for this pilot. All of them own an average area of 5 hectares and have been growing organic cotton for more than 10 years.

At the beginning the farmers were reluctant to gather together for this project, as Peruvian farmers are frequently made false promises by outside corporations. Based on our history working with them they decided to take part in the pilot.

Social Project

One of the main items under discussion during several meetings held was how a Fair Trade premium would be applied, once the certification was obtained. Complexity arose from the fact that these farmers don´t live in a community, they live and work on their farmland with their families.

Based on information from Fair Trade projects in Asia there was a suggestion for a self sustainable project which can not only increase the productivity of their harvests, but also work as business in the future. They all decided to use future proceeds to create a common Biol (Organic foliar fertilizer) production and storage room.

Through the program cylinders have been purchased to store the product. All of the supplies needed to start Biol Production (fish guts, milk, eggs, guano, molasses, etc) were also purchased. One of the farmers donated a piece of land close to his house, so they can build a small storage room in there and safe keep the Biol. Orlando provided construction materials and together with their families they built a small storage room.

The next step was to produce other natural fertilizers that would be required in organic agriculture. In November 2010, bins were requested and provided to start producing humus.

We believe that there is a lot of potential in what has been achieved so far with this group of farmers, and that the program could be expanded in the near future.

We are seeing a tremendous impact in the life of these farmers, and it is not solely economic. They feel that they are part of something bigger and believe that the could not only make a business but help other farmers by sharing their best practices in organic agriculture.

Where we stand

These farmers organized themselves in less than half a year. They
have created a business plan aimed at expanding their organic model. They envision not only producing Biol and Humus for themselves, but for all the organic farmers in their valley. To accomplish this they need to double their production. Orlando will continue to help them by selling Biol and Humus to other organic farmers involved in our organic cotton production. Proceeds from these sales will go to the farmers fund to be used as they see fit.

If this project works they will incorporate new farmers into this group and expand the model to different agricultural valleys in Peru. Indigenous is hopeful in continue its support of this wonderful project.

Good thoughts,

Scott Leonard

Chief Executive Officer

Indigenous Designs Corporation

Indigenous featured on Apparel News

2011-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

"Label Stays Organic in South America"

I happened upon the line when visiting the Dial M showroom at The New Mart in downtown Los Angeles. Indigenous was doing organic way before anyone else was talking about. It's good to know they are still going strong in Santa Rosa, which is better known for its connection to the wine industry than to the apparel industry.

Read the full article in Apparel News.

Indigenous has incredible response while showing buyers their Fall 11 collection at Outdoor Retailer

2011-01-25T09:30:00.001-08:00

Artisan Workshop Near Lima

2011-01-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share a few images captured by Scott Leonard yesterday as he visited on of the workshops we work with near Lima, Peru. Enjoy;

FAIR TRADE USA LAUNCHES NEW GARMENT AND TEXTILE CERTIFICATION: INDIGENOUS AMONG PIONEERING COMPANIES

2010-11-22T20:08:00.001-08:00

Fair Trade USA, the only third-party fair trade-certifier in the U.S, has launched a clothing certification that guarantees consumers that the clothing they purchase was not made in a sweatshop.

Heather Franzese, Senior Category Manager for Apparels and Linens at Fair Trade USA has led the development of international fair trade garment certification standards, meeting with cotton farmers and garment factory owners all over the world. I was told by the company that “On any given day, she might Skype with or visit in person workers and factories in India, Peru, Liberia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, or Nicaragua. She can speak about Fair Trade garments from the perspective of a worker, a factory owner, a cotton farmer and a U.S garment business owner.”

Pretty impressive.

Both the farms where the cotton is grown and the factories where the clothing is sewn are inspected and certified to ensure that there are both better working conditions and higher incomes for both farmers and traditionally underpaid garment workers.

Hopefully, Fair Trade USA will eventually work with the U.S where many farmers and garment factory workers stateside could use the help as well.

I caught up with Franzese to find out more about the launch of the certification for garments and textiles currently being set up in underdeveloped countries. Here’s what she had to say:

When did you launch the new certification?

Fair Trade Certified clothing is brand new in the U.S. The pilot standards for Fair Trade factories were published in March 2010 after several years in development. During a public comment period last year, we heard from 55 organizations in 15 countries and incorporated that input into the certification standards and process.

What brands have joined on as part of the certification?

A dozen pioneering companies have committed to launch Fair Trade Certified apparel and house wares. Organic pioneers like Maggie’s Organics and Indigenous Designs, as well as brand new eco-fashion brands like Liberty & Justice, which produces tees at a factory in Liberia that focuses on women’s empowerment.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN ECOSALON

Indigenous Designs: 15 Years of Fair Trade Fashion

2010-11-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Check out this episode of Conscious Living, from Hollywood, California--on the red carpet--for the 15th Anniversary of Indigenous Designs, a certified fair trade, organic clothing line.

On the guest list were some of Indigenous Designs’ biggest fans, including Hollywood fashionistas, entertainers, and actors, like Edin Gali of the hit series Mad Men. The highlight of the event was an eco-fashion show, which featured models wearing beautiful organic wool and cotton designs made by Peruvian artisans who are paid a fair living wage. Watch this episode to see how Co-founders Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds are turning fashionistas into Passionistas!

Your Olive Branch Announces Winner of “I Love Fair Trade!” Contest

2010-11-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Following a summer-long open submission period and an online vote, Your Olive Branch is pleased to announce the winner of its I Love Fair Trade! contest. Bryan Parys, whose written submission, “Seeing Max in the Backyard,” garnered over 40% of the vote, will receive $2,000 worth of fair trade products from Alter-Eco and Indigenous Designs, two of the contest’s sponsors.

Throughout the summer, Your Olive Branch invited people across the world to creatively express what fair trade products mean to them through words, video, images, and other media. Dubbed “I Love Fair Trade,“ the contest’s entrants produced a rich variety of submissions covering topics such as the role fair trade products play in their lives, how and why they support fair trade, or how they think fair trade contributes to global peace and sustainability.

“The response was tremendous,” says Tom Willits, Your Olive Branch’s Executive Director. “To see people from across the globe sending us their words, their artwork, their videos, and even their songs about the importance of fair trade–it was a truly uplifting experience.”

After reviewing all of the submissions, the contest judges selected ten finalists. From then on, the winner was to be determined by an online vote based on the ten creative pieces, all of which are still on display at YourOliveBranch.org.

Bryan Parys’s “Seeing Max in the Backyard,” a work of creative non-fiction, can be viewed in its entirety here.

Indigenous Honored with Leadership in Sustainability Award!

2010-10-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Indigenous honored with Leadership in Sustainability Award! The second annual awards dinner will be the premier event of the year for recognizing community leaders who have displayed remarkable achievement or inspiration in the goal of creating a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community.

2010 Honorees
Please join us in congratulating our 2010 Honorees:

Trailblazer
Kelley Rajala, Co-Founder of Sonoma County GoLocal Cooperative and Share Exchange

Individual
Len Greenwood, Montgomery High School Green Technology Pathway

Organization
Daily Acts

Business
Indigenous Designs
Agilent Technologies

Collaborative Initiative
Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP)

About the Leadership Institute
Founded in 2000, the Leadership Institute is a 501(c)3 public charity based in Sonoma County and dedicated to ensuring a sustainable future for California’s North Coast. Their mission is to train people to be more effective leaders, and to educate community leaders and the public to understand that the future of our economy and quality of life are dependent on each other. The Institute is active throughout the year, providing education, training, and networking opportunities for community leaders.

Learn More HERE

Purchase Tickets HERE

YOUR OLIVE BRANCH ANNOUNCES “I LOVE FAIR TRADE!” CONTEST FINALISTS

2010-10-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Online voting will determine the Grand Prize Winner, who receives $2,000 worth of fair trade apparel, food, and other goods

Throughout the summer of 2010, people across the world were invited to creatively express what fair trade products mean to them through words, video, images, music, and other media in Your Olive Branch’s I Love Fair Trade! contest. Contestants’ submissions covered a variety of topics, such as the role fair trade products play in their lives, how and why they support fair trade, or how they think fair trade contributes to global peace and sustainability.

After reviewing all of the submissions, the contest judges have selected ten outstanding finalists, one of whom will win $2,000 worth of fair trade products, supplied generously by Alter Eco and Indigenous Designs.

An online vote to pick the winner began on Sunday, October 3, and will continue until Friday, November 5. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on November 12.

To view all ten of the finalists’ submissions and cast a vote to pick the winner, visit I Love Fair Trade.

For more information, please visit You Olive Branch or email grow@yobo.org

I Love Fair Trade! is sponsored by

Indigenous Featured by Pure Thread at Coterie in New York

2010-10-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

Empower change through fashion! Indigenous was featured by Pure Thread at this years Coterie show in New York. Enjoy!

Pure Thread Video 1 from The Pure Thread on Vimeo.

Indigenous Featured in Coco Eco

2010-09-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

The eco-fashion houses profiled here are the pioneers in fair trade fashion and style. They founded their labels with the intent to help women and communitiesin unforgiving circumstances. They set up training and stable employment for women who in turn, help produce sustainable fashions for their companies. They invest profits back into women and their communities for education, health and homes. Women who, without help, would be living in “crushing poverty with hope for prosperity as scarce as jobs,” in the words of Indigenous Designs’ president, Matt Reynolds. These eco style leaders paid fair wages and provided good working conditions, without harming the planet or it’s life, long before socially conscious business models were in vogue. These inner principals simply guided how each of these companies did fashion. Now, in today’s tight global economy, fair trade fashion is not just surviving, green statistics indicate that fair trade fashion is thriving. It could be good timing or it could simply be doing the right thing.
Either way, Indigenous Designs Matt Reynolds knows exactly why he does it.

“Knowing that my daily actions are helping to benefit people and the planet,” Reynolds said. “I wake up feeling good about what I do everyday.” Indigenous Designs’ co-founder Scott Leonard was part of the original Organic Fiber Council that set up the standards for organic cotton. In 1994, armed with a groundbreaking apparel model, Indigenous Designs was created, incorporating both ecological stewardship and social justice.

Read the full article from this months Coco Eco here.

Indigenous is Founding Brand Member of Eco Working Group

2010-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Eco Index is a ground-breaking environmental assessment tool designed to advance sustainability practices within the outdoor industry. It provides companies throughout the supply chain a way to benchmark and measure their environmental footprint, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and make informed sourcing and product life cycle decisions.

Scott Leonard, CEO of Indigenous Designs has been actively involved with Outdoor Industry Association and is a founding brand member of the Eco Working Group. He explained, “I am hopeful that the Eco Index will influence and guide sustainable practices throughout the outdoor industry, putting it ahead of the sustainability curve. If we are going to move the needle on eco-products, we need to work collaboratively with the larger brands.”

Read the full article, "Three Reasons to Pilot the Outdoor Industry Association’s New Eco Index."

We also encourage you to learn more about the Eco-Index by visiting the beta website.

In appreciation of new friends and old ... Indigenous is offering 25% off to all of our fantastic fans on Facebook!

2010-09-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

For a limited time Indigenous is offering 25% off to all of our fantastic fans on Facebook.

Transition into fall with cozy fair trade knits and novel organic jersey from Indigenous. Our super soft organic cotton, tencel and baby alpaca knits are the perfect addition to your fall wardrobe. We invite you to see all the beautiful styles Indigenous has available now at the Indigenous online store.

To receive your discount just use the promo code 'FBFALL' at checkout. Discount is good for our entire web store.

While you're shopping don't forget to take a look at our great selection of fair trade accessories - like this super soft eco wool blanket made in Ecuador. This jacquard loomed blanket contains no dyes and comes in a variety of Incan inspired designs.

Win $2,000 Worth of Fair Trade Goods!

2010-09-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Your Olive Branch (YOBO) Presents "I Love Fair Trade."

Enter Your Creative Submission To Win!

What Can I Win?

The grand prize winner of I Love Fair Trade! receives $2,000 (US) worth of organic apparel, fashion accessories, artisan chocolate, and other fair trade goods from Alter Eco and Indigenous Designs!

In addition to the winner, 9 runners up will receive a Your Olive Branch Peace Pack, consisting of an organic Your Olive Branch t-shirt, a pack of organic lettuce seeds, and a copy of the critically acclaimed DVD “Soldiers of Peace.”

Who Picks the Winner?

Submissions will be judged by a panel of Your Olive Branch staff members. Ten finalists will be selected based on creativity, technical quality, and engagement with the topic of fair trade. The finalists will be entered into The Voting Round, which will be voted on by the general public. The finalist with the most votes wins the grand prize!

When is the Contest?

The Submission Period runs between July 5, 2010, and September 26, 2010. All entries must be received no later than September 26, 2010. The Voting Period runs between October 3, 2010 and November 5, 2010 at yobo. For a complete list of rules, click here.

Enter To Win!

Indigenous Named As Top 5 Eco Fashion Designers on Treehugger

2010-08-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Indigenous Named As Top 5 Eco Fashion Designers by "Great American Apparel Diet" announced on Treehugger.

Alpaca Mixed Knit Coat

2010-08-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

We've carried our extremely popular Alpaca Mixed Knit Coat for the past 2 seasons, and now it's available for sale online! The Alpaca Mixed Knit Coat features the softest most luxurious alpaca available anywhere, gorgeous knit detailing, a 2 way front zipper and a detailed hood. It's perfect for cool Fall nights, which are just around the corner!

Second Annual Indigenous Fashion Show!

2010-07-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Join us on the Catwalk for a fun evening of music, wine, food, friends and Sonoma County style!

Free Event (suggested donation $10)

A cooperative fundraiser presented by:
...GoLocal, The Leadership Institute for Ecology & Economy, Daily Acts, Transfair USA and Indigenous.

To RSVP please click here!

Tencel vs Bamboo Fiber: Excellent Write Up on Ecouterre

2010-07-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

How Eco-Friendly is Bamboo Fabric, Really?

BAMBOO RAYON

Bamboo stalks contain bast fibers that can be processed into a relatively stiff and rough fabric like flax (linen) or hemp. Most bamboo fabric in the market, however, has a smooth, silky hand that feels similar to rayon—because that’s essentially what it is.

Rayon is a regenerated cellulose fiber, which means that a natural raw material is converted through a chemical process into a fiber that falls into a category between naturals and synthetics. The source of cellulose can be wood, paper, cotton fiber, or in this case bamboo.

Tencel is also a regenerated cellulose fiber, but processed with a nontoxic spinning solvent in a closed-loop system.

The best we have found is called Tencel, a branded name of lyocell fiber. Tencel is also a regenerated cellulose fiber, but processed with a nontoxic spinning solvent in a closed-loop system. The raw material is wood pulp harvested from eucalyptus tree farms, and the pulp is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. It’s possible to use bamboo or other sources of cellulose, but eucalyptus yields the best quality fiber with the least amount of waste. Therefore we think this process is the best available option.

Read the entire article on Ecouterre

Indigenous showcases their fair trade Fall line at Agura Sushi in West Hollywood

2010-06-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Meeting At The Crossroads Of Fashion and Passion

It was fashion, style and attitude—good attitude, and for a good cause—as Indigenous Fair Trade + Organic clothing designers presented their Fall line, celebrated 15 years of business and helped raise awareness for fair trade.

The red carpet celebration, “A Passion for Eco-Fashion,” featured DJ Ambassador Jr., exotic organic foods, and a fashion show of Indigenous creations from Spring to Summer to Fall, presented by Christine LaLonde of Memoire Events. Honoring the highly style conscious and highly socially responsible woman, the Indigenous brand demonstrated the crossroads of Fashion & Passion.

“On this special night we wanted to share awareness that we all can take care of the planet, help preserve time honored traditions, respect workers rights and still dress ourselves in beautiful, luxurious, top-quality fashion,” says Reynolds, ID’s President.

“For 15 years, we’ve been building on fair trade values, elevating artisan communities, and producing premium organic fashion for thoughtful consumers who appreciate how their money impacts people and the planet,” adds Leonard, the CEO.

The event/fashion show, held at Agura Sushi in West Hollywood and organized in part by David Lasky Public Relations & Christine LaLonde, Memoire Events drew a host of celebrities and Hollywood’s elite.

In attendence were Edin Gali who plays, “Kurt” on “Mad Men” and Anya Benton “Nip/Tuck” who dished about their upcoming film, a suspense thriller entitled, “Cornered.” “I play Detective Harper and I’m the comic relief for the film,” Gali said. “And I’m the punky-spunky lead best friend of the girl who gets kidnapped,” Benton added. The film is currently in production and stars Scott Michael Campbell.

The actors were, of course, at the Indigenous event to show support for the clothing company that, “honors both people and the planet.”

Gali continued, “I’m here supporting Indigenous and the founders Matt and Scott. I’ve been a client of theirs for a while. I’m from Bosnia, so anything that involves helping somebody or something, I’m in.” Gali admitted that he’s also an avid recycler.

Actor Israel Korn (who has appeared in “Vampire Diaries”) majored in environmental engineering in college and said, “I support anything that is environmentally and eco-friendly. So if you’re environmentally friendly, you will find me there.”

Also in attendance, Rachel Avalon, a holistic nutritionist and the 2009 Project Green Search Winner and Activist. “I’m a big believer in what fair trade is really about. The more we can support companies that really honor all people the better.”

“For a lot of places in the world the apparel cycle has led to exploitation, first of the environment, then of the workers,” says Reynolds. “We believe there’s another way, a better way, a mindful way. That message of awareness is what this celebration was all about. Indigenous will continue to serve as a beacon to the fashion world, offering a positive choice for People and the Planet without sacrificing style.’
“We’ve been very successful in guiding our brand to the cross roads where the passion for fair trade values and premium fashion meet,” Leonard agrees. “And our customers in the fashion industry have met us at that cross roads of fashion and passion and demonstrated that they do care about more than just the fashion and fit; they also appreciate knowing their mindful purchase is helping entire communities to elevate and thrive.”

“Friday night was a celebration of 15 years of Indigenous fair trade fashion and recognizing all who have supported the journey. One example is the people and sponsors that made the event possible. Christine LaLonde and David Lasky have been amazing and inspired us in this Passion for Fair Trade fashion collaboration. In addition, we were so blessed to have the support of great fair trade and Eco companies like Guayaki, Alter Eco, Sambazon, Livity, Conscious Living TV, Daily Acts , Eco Fabulous, New Belgium Brewing, Sweet Riot, Go Local BALLE, and Global Action Through Fashion.”

Indigenous Designs Corporation is considered a true pioneer in premium eco-sensitive and socially–conscious apparel. Indigenous has provided ecological and fair-trade quality clothing since 1994, and has established itself as a national clothing brand label, employing over 1,500 highly skilled artisans in knitting groups and cooperatives. The Indigenous collection is available through Garnet Hill, Territory Ahead, REI and over 600 premium specialty boutiques nationwide. For a complete list of retailers visit the website at www.indigenousdesigns.com. For samples, images or more information, editorial media may contact David Lasky, Blast Off Public Relations, at (323) 899 5085 or at daveflick123@aol.com

Check out this Video of the event brought to us by Positive Magazine!

Don't Miss the Passion for Eco-Fashion Night!

2010-06-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

A Passion for Eco Fashion, a Passion for Progress!

Indigenous invites you to celebrate 15 years of Fair Trade Fashion.

Friday, June 11 from 7:00 - 11:00 pm at the Agura West Hollywood.

Celebrate the legacy of Indigenous’ Fair Trade Fashion and wish them well on their next 15 years of continued progress and prosperity of a fashion line with a cause.

Guest List Only

This event is open to the first 250 who RSVP

matt@indigenousdesigns.com

Click the flier for more details!

BAREing It All:: Behind the Label - Berkeley, CA

2010-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night in Westminster House South, BARE Magazine and Feel Good hosted the fashion panel, BAREing It All: Behind the Label. The panel discussion was centered around the labor practices in the apparel industry and what steps are being taken by various companies to combat these unethical practices. Feel Good was grilling up sandwiches and serving Coke Zero to benefit their mission to end world hunger while attendees engaged in a guided discussion that brought to the surface ethical issues surrounding clothing choices and how to make conscious decisions about our clothing. Guests were shown the documentary, "Behind the Swoosh," which documented Jim Keady's trip to Indonesia to understand the living conditions of those who work for just above a dollar per day at Nike's factory.

Guests watched Jim Keady's "Behind the Swoosh" documentary.

From left: BARE Events Coordinator Seika Iwao, Indigenous Designs' Matt Reynolds, and Eco Citizen's Joslin Van Arsdale.

After the short film, panelists Matt Reynolds of Indigenous Designs and Joslin Van Arsdale of Eco Citizen answered questions about how their businesses have thrived off of the basis of fair trade. Indigenous Designs uses a vertical integration business model to give artisans from villages in South America the opportunity to make money from their skills. Reynolds emphasized that one of the most important parts about the fair trade movement is that people understand what it actually is. Fair trade is not equivalent to free trade or organic. Fair trade involves fair compensation for those who produce goods that are sold on a mass scale. Van Arsdale seemed optimistic about her average customer who she says is interested in knowing where their clothing is coming from. Her Russian Hill boutique was inspired by her desire to become a part of the fair trade system and support brands that stimulate indigenous economies and skilled artisans.

The fair trade movement is still small but is sure to grow over the next decade or so. Reynolds and Van Arsdale agree that it is important that fair trade garments must be of equal or better quality than what is currently popular in the clothing market. Reynolds believes that for this socially conscious trend to truly infiltrate the mainstream, the product must have superior quality, be reasonably priced for consumers, and illicit an emotional response from the average customer. Both panelists envision a world in the near future where it is more common than not for a brand to engage in practices of fair trade.

Reynolds and Van Arsdale were thanked by BARE staff for participating in the panel.

From left: Iwao, Reynolds, and Van Arsdale. All photography by Albert Treat.

Jordan Silver
Creative Director
BARE Blog

Slow Money's Second National Gathering

2010-05-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

Slow Money's Second National Gathering

ISM*

(*Inspired by Slow Money)

Shelburne Farms, Vermont

June 9-11, 2010

The beautiful grounds of historic Shelburne Farms. A phenomenal roster of speakers, including Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg, Robert Zevin, the 'father' of the socially responsible investment movement, and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm, made famous by Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and the film Food, Inc. The chance to hear investment presentations from two dozen small food enterprises and collaborate with folks from around the country who are finding new ways to connect money, culture and the soil.

Slow Money. It's not an ISM - as in capitalism, socialism, consumerism, market fundamentalism. It's a new kind of social investing for the 21st century. It's what comes after industrial agriculture and industrial finance.

Indigenous invites you to come join this emerging network of thought leaders, investors, donors, entrepreneurs, farmers, and activists for our Second National Gathering this June in Vermont. Together, let's fix America's economy from the ground up...starting with food.

Go to http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/national-gathering.html for details and to register.

Check out Indigenous at Lexus Green Fashion Show - Sponsored by Revive

2010-04-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

New Loan to Indigenous Designs for Groundbreaking Project

2010-04-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Former RSF borrower Indigenous Designs has just received another loan from RSF, this time in the form of a Program-Related Investment (PRI). Indigenous Designs is a Fair Trade and certified organic apparel company that sources from over 1,000 hand-knitting artisans located primarily in South America. The new loan from RSF will specifically support Indigenous Designs as they work with TransFair USA to create the very first standards and procedures for a U.S. apparel and home goods Fair Trade certification. The program with TransFair aims to provide an opportunity to create new “Best in Class” methods surrounding supply chains for Fair Trade and organic certifications in the clothing industry. Two of the major goals of Indigenous Designs’ involvement in the project include empowering and protecting the farmers and artisans producing the cotton, materials, and clothes, as well as educating the public about organic and Fair Trade apparel.

For Indigenous, their supply chain often begins with a farmer in the field where chemical-free organic cotton is grown. The organic cotton then migrates into the hands of the artisans who knit the fibers into garments, which are finally made available to the consumer. Since their founding in 1994, Indigenous has been a leader in responsibly sourcing natural and organic fibers. “Pioneering companies like Indigenous Designs will pave the way for consumers to demand more information about working conditions at factories and farms where their clothes are made,” says Todd Stark, TransFair COO, of the collaborative project between the two organizations.

Read The Article!

Sara Snow gives Indigenous some love!

2010-03-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you Sara Snow for being such a great supporter of fair trade + organic apparel!

See her recent article on Ecouterre!

Sara Snow, Eco-Lifestyle Guru

Win a Weekender Cardigan, Purse From Indigenous Designs (Worth $139)!

2010-03-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Now that spring is in the air, it’s time to shed that heavy coat in favor of something a little more breezy. We’ve got the perfect transitional piece in mind—and we’re giving it away! (It’s Crazy Eddie time, people.) One lucky reader will get to add this 100 percent organic-cotton cardigan by fair-trade clothier Indigenous Designs to their spring wardrobe. Plus, we’re throwing in a gorgeous alpaca cable-knit bag to create a matching ensemble worth $139! Enter now for your chance to win!

Click here to enter to win an alpaca purse and Weekender cardigan at Ecouterre!

Celebrities Rave Over Indigenous Fashion & Socially Just Cause, March 2010

2010-03-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

"I love the one button hoodie. Mine is silver and so comfortable. Love the arm length, the lightweight hood, and cool button. Nice fit. Anything fair trade and organic is great. Love Mother Earth.“ Annette Harper, Comic.

“"Wow! Thank you very much for giving me such a beautiful item of clothing. It's so nice and soft. It's lovely. I fully support the work of Indigenous Designs. Indigenous truly rocks! Their commitment to making the world a better and happier place is outstanding.“ Eva La Rue, CSI, Miami

"I have always loved fashion and I have always loved the ideas of organic and fair trade products. Combining the two is a splendid idea! Indigenous Designs is excellent and commendable." Rebecca Mader, ABC’s “LOST”

"This sweater is absolutely gorgeous. It is so stunning! I fully support fair trade and organic clothing. It is so wonderful that Indigenous stands up for what is right and what is fair in this world. They should be commended for their excellent efforts and their truly beautiful clothing.“ Kate Linder, CBS Young & the Restless.

"I completely support everything that Indigenous stands for and believes in wholeheartedly. This sweater is definitely something I will wear and cherish. It is beautifully crafted. Indigenous is refreshing and intelligent in what they do. I will tell many friends about Indigenous too.“ Bridget Marquardt – Girls Next Door

"I love this scarf so much! I love the colors and the texture of it. It is a really beautiful scarf. I completely support Indigenous Designs 100%. The organic and fair trade spirit rocks! I have much love and admiration for Indigenous. What an amazing company!" Nina Dobrev, star of The Vampire Diaries" and April 2010 cover girl, Seventeen Magazine.

New Loan to Indigneous for Ground Breaking Project

2010-03-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Former RSF borrower Indigenous Designs has just received another loan from RSF, this time in the form of a Project-Related Investment(PRI). The new loan from RSF will specifically support Indigenous Designs as they work with Transfair USA to create the very first standards and procedures for a U.S. apparel and home goods Fair Trade Certifications.

Click here to read more regarding Indigenous' new ground breaking project on Fair Trade apparel:

"Pioneering companies like Indigenous Designs will pave the way for consumers to demand more information about working conditions at factories and farms where their clothes are made", says Todd Stark, Transfair COO, of the collaborative project between the two organizations. Watch this short video to hear some other perspectives (including that of RSF CEO Don Shaffer)on the exciting progress Indigenous has made in their field:

Top 10 Ideas for Change in America

2010-03-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

500 Words for Change in America -

Click on this link to vote for Slow Money on Change.Org: http://bit.ly/slowmoneyidea

Folks across the country know something is wrong. There's just something about the system we've created over several decades that is inherently flawed. Some blame the government, others big banks, still others blame political parties, but all agree that there's something that's just not quite working the way it should. People are losing homes, jobs, and health coverage at an alarming rate because of the societal turbulence in the enormous yet formless thing we call the economy.

Enter Change.org and their 10 Ideas for Change in America. Taking advantage of the concept of "the wisdom of crowds," Change.org launched a campaign to find 10 great ideas. It began with thousands that were submitted by ordinary individuals and organized interest groups alike. These were whittled down through online voting to a more manageable 70 or so, and right now the voting is getting down to the wire to choose which 10 ideas will be presented to the White House - as in formally presented to senior people there, not just sent in an envelope to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. You can (and should!) vote too.

All, or nearly all at least, are worthy ideas. Each has its merit and is worthy of consideration. But for those with an interest in food, three of them rise to the top quickly, and first among equals is Slow Money.

The idea is a simple one: invest as if food, farms and fertility actually mattered. Get anyone who invests money (and if you have a 401k or an IRA, that's you too) to direct just 1% of it toward small food enterprises and local food systems. Get at least that small sum of money out of the hands of Wall Street, huge banks and multinationals and use it, quite literally, as seed money. Invest in local farms, food systems, artisans, brewers, bakers, cheesemakers and so on and keep that money close to home.

We'd create a thriving economy that makes real, healthy food, instead of a fake one that just makes money for bankers. One that invests in people and the land, not in some distant amorphous concept called Wall Street.

In their book Inside the Apple, a Streetwise History of New York City, this is how Michelle and James Nevius describe the building of the palisade for which Wall Street was named: "The wall had two major problems: it wasn't needed and it didn't work."

Also interested in investing in the land is the American Farmland Trust, whose idea for saving farm and ranchland is doing quite well in the balloting, as well as an initiative to put a garden in every school. Both are important concepts you've heard me advocate for vociferously for years.

Slow Money is new and novel though, and needs more votes before this thing wraps up at 5pm EST this Friday, 3/12. Please visit Change.org, vote for these 3 ideas and any other 7 you feel are worthy. It's fun, important, and it only takes a couple minutes. Thank you.

By Kurt Friese, Restaurant owner, SFUSA board member, and publisher of Edible Iowa River Valley

SLOW MONEY "Ideas For Change in America"

2010-03-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Did you vote yet for Slow Money on Change.org "Ideas For Change in America" competition? The top 10 voted ideas will be presented at an event in Washington, DC to relevant members of the Obama Administration, and then promoted to change.org's full community of more than 1 million people. The competition ends at 5pm EST on Friday, March 15th. Here is the link to vote: http://bit.ly/slowmoneyidea

This competition is particularly timely for Slow Money, which just launched its internet communications campaign last week in purusit of a million signatures on the Slow Money Principles by the end of 2011, on the way to a million investors investing 1% of their assets in local food systems within a decade. Most of the other ideas in the change.org competition are sponsored by well established organizations with large national networks. This is a great opportunity for Slow Money to show that interest in local food and genuine economic alternatives is a real, emerging force for social change.

The strength of people’s response to Slow Money in this competition has been a wonderful surprise. We’re moving up fast and have a real shot at making it into the top ten.

Here's what folks who've already voted are saying:

"Slow Money is one of the best ideas for funding land and food based projects I've ever heard of." Lizbeth Brown

"Slow Money is an inspired and important concept. A crucial attitude shift." George Gibson

"Yes jam packed, simple, yet geometric in its potential impact. Slow money, slow food, nutrition, health and wealth based on positive environmental impact, the focus on producing in place of consuming, justice, fairness and consciousness... This is a future I could, and would like to live with." Jorge Navarro

Please vote today and pass along to your friends. Slow Money is committed to investing in small food enterprises and local food systems, connecting investors to their local economies, and building the nurture capital industry. For more information on Slow Money, please visit their website at: www.slowmoneyalliance.org

Hollywood Celebrities Looking Eco-Fabulous in Indigenous

2010-02-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

•"This scarf is so beautiful. I love how it feels. It has such vibrant colors. I'm delighted to wear any of the items from Indigenous Designs,” says Maiara Walsh of the ABC series, Desperate Housewives.
•"I love Indigenous Designs! Its designed by artists and eco friendly :) Cool! Its a great line!“Tami Erin
•"Indigenous is comfy and beautiful. I dig them. I dig Indigenous Designs,” says Shar Jackson of the upcoming movie, The Untitled Kris Black Project (2010)
•"I love this shirt. It’s beautiful. I am in deep support of Fair Trade fashion,” says Edin Gasky of the AMC drama series, Mad Men.
•"This is an absolutely gorgeous tunic. I am going to wear this everywhere! It is so nice that Indigenous is helping these people in need". Tatiana Del Torro - American Idol Contestant -
•"This is the softest fabric I have ever felt. It's like wearing a baby blanket,” Brienne De Beau & Christina DeRosa of the upcoming movie, The Untitled Kris Black Project (2010).
•"I want to wear this all the time". "I love supporting Fair Trade". Jeremy Jackson, Bay Watch

Fair Trade Attire-Greening the Fashion Industry, by Lyra Mag

2010-02-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

We’ve covered Indigenous for several seasons…and though the “greening” of the fashion industry is ongoing, this label was already THERE--- built on sound, sane principles of ‘do no harm’ (true organic materials, vegetable dyes, hand loomed and hand made fabrics/clothes made by global artist co-ops paid fair wages etc).

What sets Indigenous apart is that the attire---has always been so on trend and stylish…it doesn’t surprise us that big name Hollywood celebs have started to wear their clothes for style and because “mindful purchases” are part of the mindset these days.

Check out the article:

READ THE ENTIRE STORY!

Indigenous is proud sponsors of Greg Reitmans, On the Green Carpet at Sundance Film Festival 2010.

2010-02-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

Indigenous is proud sponsors of Greg Reitmans, On the Green Carpet at Sundance Film Festival 2010. Celebrities wearing Indigenous at Sundance Film Festival included Paris Hilton, Marisa Tomei, LeVar Burton and Bradley Cooper.

There were three, ‘On The Green Carpet’ video blogs produced at the 2010 Sundance film festival. The themes of the video blogs were based on the themes Peace, Health & Sustainability, & Freedom. The blogs were all well received and are currently syndicating on The Environmentalist, Matter Networks, TONIC, and Odyssey Networks. Additionally, Wall Street Journal is reviewing them now and are potentially planning to syndicate them this weekend. Will keep you all posted.

PEACE

HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY

FREEDOM

GREEN FASHION IS MORE THAN A PASSING TREND

2010-01-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

In a society obsessed with instant gratification, novelty, and conspicuous consumption, it’s easy to dismiss fashion design as frivolous. Skirt lengths and platform heights appear inconsequential when juxtaposed with real-world concerns like climate change, economic strife, water shortages, and hunger and malnutrition. But if you consider the fact that clothing is something we envelope our bodies in every single day, to ignore the apparel industry’s environmental and social impact would be negligent, not to mention foolhardy.

$2 billion of hazardous pesticides are used every year to grow cotton—more than any other agricultural crop.
Clothing uses more water than any other industry besides agriculture. Conventional cotton, which is grown in more than 70 countries and comprises almost 50 percent of textiles worldwide, also happens to be the most toxic crop in the world. Roughly $2 billion of hazardous chemical pesticides are released into the air every year, accounting for 16 percent of global insecticides—more than any other agricultural crop. (To put this in context, it takes about a third of a pound of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to grow enough cotton for a T-shirt.) The World Health Organization estimates that at least 3 million people are poisoned by pesticides every year, resulting in 220,000 deaths worldwide annually. In rural communities, where poverty prevents farm workers from taking the necessary precautions, miscarriages, premature births, and sickly children are rampant.

Like any good product design, clothing production can be accomplished in a better, smarter, and more socially and environmentally sustainable way.
Ecouterre is about changing people’s minds about what “fashion” design entails, beyond fleeting fads and mindless consumerism. Like any good product design, clothing production can be accomplished in a better, smarter, and more socially and environmentally sustainable way. And we’re not the only one’s who think so—organic clothing, produced without toxic pesticides and dipped in low-impact dyes, is gaining popularity across the globe. In 2006, retail sales of organic cotton products reached $1.1 billion globally—85 percent higher than the year before, according to the Organic Exchange. Organic cotton is by no means alone on the playing field. With improved technology, other strange and wonderful eco-fabrics have entered the fray, from salmon leather to fiber derived from milk.

We’re excited about the future of fashion design and think that it’s time for hardcore fashionistas and hardcore greenies alike to start paying attention to eco-fashion—and, more important, start engaging in dialogue with each other. We hope that Ecouterre will provide that forum, as well as pave the way to a smarter, more sustainable future.

Fair-trade organic Indigenous Designs awarded YouTopia Grant

2010-01-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Starting a new decade and marking the beginning of its 15th year in business, Indigenous Designs has been awarded the Free Range Studios 2009 YouTopia Grant.

The organic, fair-trade clothing company will use the grant to demonstrate to the fashion world and conscientious consumers that how they spend their money is like voting with dollars and can have a positive effect on impoverished communities in the developing world and the planet.

“So many great companies in the competition had so many brilliant ideas that it’s a huge honor to be considered with them,” said Scott Leonard, CEO and co-founder of Indigenous.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that we won this grant to show our business model to the world as an effective, profitable way to do good things for people and the planet while producing high-quality, stylish fashions.

"The competition for this grant is a testament to a new kind of business leader rising to the challenge of environmental and social change. We're privileged to be trusted to take a leading role in the movement.”

READ THE ENTIRE STORY!

Sustainable Agriculture & Philanthropy

2009-12-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

Did you know that of the $500 billion ($500,000,000,000) given philanthropically each year, only 0.01% goes to sustainable agriculture? If this shocks you, please visit http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/, and sign the Slow Money Principles. It is time to take action and help sway these odds!

Jessica Rodriguez

2009-12-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

We hope you enjoy this video of Jessica Rodriguez. Jessica is a close partner with Indigenous. Here she tells the story of creating opportunity for knitters in southern Peru through collaboration within the Indigenous Designs fair trade production model. Jessica Rodriguez visited Indigenous after being recognized by Hilary Clinton for her important work.

Over a decade ago, we met a remarkable woman named — Jessica Rodriquez — while traveling in
the Andes of Peru. At that time Jessica was producing hand made knits and working with just a few
employees. Her mission was to provide opportunities to the many women in remote areas who had
no access to work. We shared in Jessica’s vision, and through planning and commitment, set forth
on a path together to bring opportunity to these women. Thanks to the wonderful response from
customers like you Indigenous has been able to slowly build up capacity and provide stable work for
the artisans, and Jessica now manages and supports over 700 families throughout the highlands of
Peru!
This is the story of Mario and Maria Huisa. They are just one of the 700 family members who have
benefited from collaboration over the past decade. When Jessica first met Maria and Mario, they
were living and working in a modest brick home in the highlands of Peru. Together, Mario and Maria
wanted to find opportunities to work within their village while continuing to practice their ancestral
knitting heritage. They also wanted to find a way to help support their community. Jessica recognized
a special spark within Mario and Maria. She explained, “They had passion and wanted to make a
difference within their village and family, but because of their distant location the opportunity for
work was scarce.” Through collaboration with Indigenous and Jessica, Mario and Maria were
provided with just the opportunity they needed. They started with only one knitting machine and the
passion to make a difference in their community. Today, Mario and Maria have built a new home, own
ten knitting machines, four linking machines and provide work for up to 40 artisan knitters within
their community. Mario and Maria shared in our vision and the fundamental belief that if given the
opportunity, change could happen. They are just one example of the courage and tenacity that
indigenous artisans possess. Thank you for allowing us to provide the opportunity for change.
Our specific work with Jessica has been acknowledged by Hilary Clinton and the State Department
through Pathways to Prosperity as an exemplarily model for women empowerment and
entrepreneurship.

The Evolution of Indigenous - MBN News

2009-11-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

Indigenous President & Co-founder, Matt Reynolds, in LA with MBN News talking about the Indigenous Fair Trade & Organic Fashion path over the past 15 years. Check it out!

Watch Indigenous Designs Fair Trade and Organic Fashions in Faith & Lifestyle | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Youtopia - Vote for Indigenous

2009-11-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Indigenous friends,

We your support! Please vote for Indigenous in the Youtopia contest to help us win $15,000 in Free Range design or strategy services. Free Range produced the "Story of Stuff" and could help us expand an understanding of the importance of Fair Trade handicraft work. You can help by simply voting for Indigenous! Here's how:

Indigenous is listed under the section labeled "Socially Responsible For-Profit" - Vote for: Mindful Purchase For People And The Planet

Thanks for all of our friends and fans for your support!!!!!!

VOTE FOR INDIGENOUS!

Political Packrat: Slow Money: A Fast Growing Idea

2009-11-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Slow Money is the name of a book, a movement, and an idea whose time has come. The subtitle of the book " investing as if food, farms and fertility mattered" explains the heart of the movement which is only about a year old, but which is going viral all over the world.

The principles of slow money are not about capitalism or communism but about common sense and basic morality. The idea of slowing money down means to not invest for a quick killing and maximum return for investors, but to invest for long tern goals and the good of both investment and investor.

Political Packrat: Slow Money: A Fast Growing Idea

Indigenous Raises Money for Sebastopol School District

2009-11-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

On October 15th and 16th, 2009, Indigenous contributed to the Sebastopol School District fundraising efforts by selling their contemporary fair trade + organic apparel to locals and parents. During the two day effort, Indigenous was able to raise $798 for the Pine Crest, Park Side and Brook Haven Schools of Sebastopol, California.

"I have three daughters in our local school system, so I feel a compelling duty to assist the district with fundraising efforts where possible. In these difficult times when our schools are continually being left behind and under-funded by the State, we at Indigenous Designs feel that it is an honor to serve our community and support raising funds for our children’s education. Supporting and educating the future leaders of America and the World, is a responsibility and investment that can not afford to be marginalized."
Scott Leonard, CEO Indigenous

New Styles for Fall Available Now!

2009-10-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

New styles are now available at the Indigenous retail shop.

25% off for all of our Facebook Twitter and Blog friends! Just use code: INDI9 at checkout to receive your discount.

Click Here for New Fall Product!

Seed A New Economy

2009-10-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Pledge $5 to seed a new economy

Starting Tuesday, October 6th 2009, thousands will join you in seeding a new economy by contributing $5 or more. 100% of the money goes to the Slow Money Alliance.

Our goal is 200,000 donations for a total of $1 million dollars that will be used to help Slow Money. Its first goal: a million people signing the Slow Money principles. From there, steering tens of millions dollars per year of creative funding to small food enterprises and organic farming, to support a new economic vision based on soil fertility, diversity and nonviolence. This is truly historic.

Make your pledge today, then return to this site and make your contribution of $5 or more. You may also donate directly on the Slow Money Alliance site starting October 6th. The event will run for one week - 12:00am EST on October 6th through 11:59pm EST on October 12th. The more we raise, the more media attention we'll get. If you don't want to wait until the 6th to donate, you can contribute now at the Slow Money Alliance website.

So you know we're on the up-and-up, all donations will be made on the Slow Money Alliance's website. We chose the Slow Money Alliance because its founders and board have a proven track record of running successful, socially responsible businesses. If anyone is going to pave the way for a radical shift in our economy - from the ground up -- it's them.

Read about Slow Money in Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.
Sign the Slow Money principles
Meet the Slow Money Board and Advisors
who are we and why are we doing this?

The idea was hatched in Santa Fe by Shelly Roche, Anthony Nicalo & Derek Shanahan. We're doing it because we (like many of you) want to change the world, and we had an idea, and we wanted to see if we could help make it happen. We're not making any money off this, we're just hoping to be able to demonstrate a new model for how the economy can work when social responsibility meets community-supported business.

We are not employed by the Alliance. We are enthusiastic members of the Alliance, and are inspired to act.
thank you

Your support means more than you'll ever know, to more people than you can imagine.
questions? want to know more?

http://friendsofslowmoney.com/

The Official Pardon from Saveagallon

2009-10-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Reports from the Sustainability Across America Tour

I knew from the start that this road trip wasn’t the most eco-friendly way to report on the sustainability movement. Yes, it’s been weighing on my conscience and my heavy carbon footprint. That is, until the good guys at Saveagallon issued me this Official Pardon!
I joined the Saveagallon community after college as a fun way to gauge all that carbon and cash I was saving by walking and biking to work everyday. It’s a great way to keep yourself motivated to maintain your alternative methods of transportation, and they make it fun for the whole family. Over the past year, the SAG guys have experimented with projects like SAG eco-allowances for kids, where you can tally alternative transportation savings to offer as incentives for your kids to carpool to soccer practice and more.
This year the organization based in Davis, California has teamed up with Davis Bicycles in a year long project with the Davis School District. They’ve created a mechanism to track participation in an alternative transportation contest by user, classrooms, schools and school districts to generate some real buzz around environmental responsibility, health, and community participation amongst kids.
Just the kind of stuff the movement for sustainability is built upon.

Check our shiny new Official Pardon and sign up to to put a fun twist on all that peddling and pavement pounding you’ve been doing!

Trumpets Blaring Certificate Ceremony Time…

Ms. Jones, for all your hard work and dedication to making the world a better place, we at Saveagallon.org would like to present to you one very cheesy, virtual pardon to drive as much as you need to see this tour through. If anyone give you any trouble about driving and eco-reporting just send them to this link. We’ve got your back!

Grass Roots Friends of Slow Money Campaign

2009-09-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I participated in the inaugural national gathering of the Slow Money Alliance, and I am extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity for this new organization to have major impact on our food system and our economy. Many of that event's 450 participants, from 34 states and six countries, felt the historic import of Slow Money's approach to finance, activism and entrepreneurship. We were deeply moved at the prospect of beginning to fix the economy, from the ground up. Slow Money is a non-profit dedicated to steering new sources of capital to local food systems, empowering individual investors to reconnect with their local economies and building an entirely new financial sector -- the nurture capital industry.

We are inspired, and we hope that if you take a minute or two to look at www.slowmoneyalliance.org, you will be, too. See some of the commentary from the inaugural gathering. Read the Slow Money Principles. See the growing list of Founding Members. Slow Money's mission and strategy could not be more timely. And so, we've been moved to action. To augment the Slow Money team's campaign to grow membership in the Slow Money Alliance, which starts at $25 and which has more than 125 Founding Members of over $1,000 or more, many of us are participating in an immediate grassroots Friends of Slow Money campaign to galvanize hundreds of thousands of $5 donations in the coming weeks.

Please join me in pledging to donate $5 to the Slow Money Alliance on October 6th. Do so here: http://friendsofslowmoney.com/

Thanks for your help!
Matt Reynolds
president/Co-founder
Indigenous

Scott Leonard, CEO, Indigenous Designs, Socap 2009

2009-09-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Magic Put the Wheels in Motion

2009-09-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sustainability Across America Tour

Scott Leonard, CEO of Indigenous always says “The sweet spot for the Indigenous brand is somewhere between serendipity and sustainability.” And so it seems true for the movement as well.

Over the span of nearly two months of traveling and talking to pioneers and activists in the sustainable realm, one thing appears incredibly evident- that there is magic in the making of this movement. In Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken muses at the importance of seemingly mundane actions and occurrences that are in fact crucial links in the chain reactions that lead to massive change, in the civil rights movement, in the satyagraha movement, and in the sustainability movement.
As you follow along on this journey, you’ll learn that Indigenous is not only a sponsor of this project but a lot of the heart and engine behind it as well. Scott’s saying comes from his personal experience of the wonder and synergy that breed when like minded people come together for a cause that is bigger than themselves. One thing I’ve learned in my travels so far is that few people fulfill a single role in the movement, frequently, they’ve got their hands in a dozen projects that contribute to change in a myriad of ways. Scott, ( aka “Uncle Green” ) is one of these multi-tasking movers in the industry, and the Indigenous story neatly ties together many of the story ends that I’ve introduced to you along the way.
This particular story started in 2004, when Scott partnered with the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) to design an educational seminar on sustainability at Outdoor Retailer, an enormous industry trade show event. At the time, Kevin Hagen who you hopefully met in the article “Taking the REIgns” was beginning the process of getting his MBA in sustainable business at BGI and collaborated on this seminar, traveling to Outdoor Retailer to help out with the project. Long story short, the seminar was a success, but it only gave Scott a taste of fully sustainable flavor he wanted to bring out in this bi-annual event of an industry that is so closely connected to the perservation of our natural environmnet. So, Uncle Green got busy and in 2005, rolled out a Sustainability platform at the next O/R event called Green Steps with Kevin Hagen and Matt Reynolds (co-founder of Indigenous) “observing, supporting, and cheering on” at every level.

In the next few years, Green Steps accomplished a lot to “clean, green and educate around sustainability,” Scott said. Amongst the biggest accomplishments were getting the entire show, with acres upon acres of booths with electricity running carbon neutral and bringing in “best in class” speakers like Terry Gips of the Sustainability Associates to talk about everything from The Natural Step to Dan Imhoff author of Paper or Plastic discussing important packaging choices that industry faces. These sustainability talks gained momentum and came to feature executives and directors from such organizations as Forest Ethics, Trans Fair , Organic Exchange , E-mission solutions , LOHAS and the Chicago Climate Control Exchange. The magnitude of their impact was such as to raise awareness and eventually catalyze a spark with the Outdoor Industry Association for the creation of the Eco Working Group, a collection of over 180 brands, non-profits and government agencies engaged in round table discussion about product life cycle and sustainability in the Outdoor Industry. It wasn’t long before the OIA Eco Working group began assembling a Sustainability and Fair Labor Advisory Council.

Somewhere amidst the Green wave of commotion in around these collaborations , Kevin Hagen had graduated from BGI with an MBA in Sustainable Business and found himself in the position of Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at REI. Taking the reigns for sustainability in the company sometimes called the 800 lb. gorilla of the industry, Hagen has met with substantial success in partnerships like that with the Eco Working Group, of which Indigenous was a proud founding member. As this first chapter of this SAAT tour came to an end in the North West, I could not help to think that things had really come full circle with this connection between Indigenous , BGI , Kevin Hagen and Green Steps collaborations ~ or was this the sweet spot between sustainability and serendipity in full effect?
What started between Indigenous and BGI as a small seminar on sustainability has flourished like an olive tree, sprouting the Eco Working Group whose branches now reach far and wide in the industry, and has even followed in the evolution of Kevin Hagen’s career from student at BGI to Director of CSR in one of the most influential companies in the industry. A notion to elevate suataibilty through Green Steps, has been the spark for this monumental shift in the industry, and has itself evolved and extended its scope. Today, Scott Leonard is still beaming from the legacy of these seeds but humbly sates that this was truly a collabtion and none of it would have taken off the way it did if it were not for the heart felt support of people like Kenji Haroutunian , Executive Director of Outdoor Retailer and Environmental Journalist / Eco collaborator Pride Wright. “We needed and yearned collaboration along the way and I found support on all sides of the spectrum from Doug Hoschek virtual inventor of Polar Fleece to Frank Hugelmeyer, President of Outdoor Industry Association that were ready to embrace change and set a course for sustainability.” Said Scott.

Due to the Green Steps program Outdoor Retailer now boasts innovations like recycled paper badges printed with soy ink (a far cry from the conventional petroleum based badges of the past), recycled aisle and booth carpet that is reused at every show, the sale of organic food that is served on biodegradable food ware from sandwich containers to napkins, utensils and cups.
In the spirit of the sustainability movement, which is inherently collaborative and inclusive with a voracious appetite for progress, Green Steps cuts no corners in their quest to neutralize the impact of the Outdoor Retailer events. Each event is powered by 100% renewable wind energy and absolutely everything used in the production of the event is recycled- the cardboard from exhibitor move-in, all the garbage from the show floor is sorted and recycled, and all biodegradables are sorted and delivered to the local compost pile to be transformed into mulch and fertilizer for local growers. Through inspiration of Green Steps, the Oudoor Industry Association has even extended the Carbon Neutral Traveler Challenge that allows businesses to reduce the impact of their emissions through carbon offsets that support wind energy production.

The nature of the sustainability movement echoes the nature of Green Steps, with individual actors planting seeds and growing across every industry to spread the branches of sustainability across our very landscape. Similarly, the magic of coincidence, that which brought Kevin Hagen into the Green Steps project as a student of BGI and then into the positon of Director of CSR at REI exists in all levels of the movement. Perhaps most importantly, the synergy illustrated in this story that stems from an enducational endeavor by Indigenous that indirectly spawned such an active and progressive organization as the Eco Working Group exists all throughout this intricate network of entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, politicians and citizens that form this vital community that’s pushing the world farther away from the practices of the past and ever closer to a stable level of sustainability. And from this sustainability, the collective hope is that the world and all its inhabitants can truly begin to thrive, with crystal clear transparency, a benevolent spirit, collaborative energy and without hidden cost.

These first couple months of the Sustainability Across America Tour has just been the beginning.Along with the pioneers we’ve introduced you to so far are many others who work to increase global sustainability in a myriad of ways. Stories and interviews that are still to come from the North West chapter of this Sustainability Across America Tour are David Karr of Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate who boasts the sole business model that inherently restores Atlantic Rainforests and empowers indigenous people through what he calls “Market Driven Restoration.” Joel Soloman is a gardener who tends to the economy with the natural world in mind, working with Renewal Partners to plant capital seeds of positivity and harvest progress and change. Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare are what I consider visionaries, linking the big dreams of sixties and seventies culture to the corporate world today and inciting change through the capitalistic machine.

And, I’m thrilled to give you a peek into our journey down the road. As we travel to New England and continue on our circuit back to the West Coast, we’ll be meeting with Josh Mailman, the founder of SVN and Scott Leonard describes him as the Johnny Apple Seed of change in and around social capital markets and the next waves of social entrepreneurs , Judy Wicks of White Dog Cafe and founder of BALLE, Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B-lab and B Corp, Eric Henry of TS Designs, and Woody Tasch of Slow Money.   I hope you’ll continue to follow us along on this quest to explore this monumental movement that is changing the world we live in. As we travel further down the path I believe that we will continue to see that the sweet spot of progress is indeed where Scott Leonard believes it to be, “somewhere between serendipity and sustinability.”

Slow Money Inaugural Conference

2009-09-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

I am just getting back in the office after attending a fired up Slow Money Inaugural conference in Santa Fe, NM last week! Over 400 hundred leaders/change agents were in attendance representing farmers, entrepreneurs and investors from around the world.

Notable attendee's:
Paolo de Croce, the head of Slow Food international, Italy
George Sieman, CEO of Organic Valley
Greg Steltenpohl - Founder Odwalla
Tom Miller - Former Head, PRI's Ford Foundation
Don Schaffer - CEO - Rudolph Stiener Foundation
Etc., etc., etc.

The three day event kept the attention of everyone, leaving us full of energy, passion, and plenty of action items to help elevate Slow Money into international recognition/status. People attending came from Italy, Australia, the UK, and all but 18 of the United States! So what can you do to support Slow Money?

First Action Item - go to http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/ , read the principles and if you agree with them - SIGN THEM!

Second Action Item - Go to: http://www.seedslowmoney.com/ - check out the video created the 2nd evening after the conference. If you stand behind Slow Money, then give $5.00 to the cause. After participatin, get out there and start sharing this Seed Slow Money Link with your social media networks (facebook, twitter, Linkedon, etc). Slow Money is launching a 1 week long Social Media Blog effort to raise money for Slow Money through $5.00 individual investments. Let's see how much we can raise!

Scott Leonard, Exit Strategies, and Why I’m Going to SOCAP09

2009-08-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Scott Leonard

Scott Leonard is the CEO of Indigenous Designs, a pioneer in the field of fair trade organic apparel.

1) Where do you see your organization fitting into the capital market spectrum?

I see Indigenous Designs having a two-part mission within the social capital markets. First is to educate people/partners about the entire value chain around organic and fair trade progress and certifications, from the organic farmer to the final consumer.

The second is to serve as a beacon on some of this progress and issues, from our place on the entrepreneurial, wholesale and manufacturing side. SOCAP is an incredible opportunity to convene and build relationships with a lot of our existing funding partners. Further, because SOCAP truly is a place where innovative social financial institutions are coming to work and share ideas, Indigenous Designs is part of a large community working to change the way the world works with money.

2) What do you hope to get out of SOCAP09?

Our conference goal is to bring together social capital players into project-related investments to validate the product chain from field to consumer. My personal goal is to serve the SOCAP conference community as a connective spirit.

3) What questions do you hope to raise at SOCAP09?

In the questions I raise at SOCAP, I hope to bring in the entrepreneurial spirit and perspective. One question I want to raise is about exit strategies. When financial institutions think about asking entrepreneurs about exit strategies, I want them to ponder the question, where do they truly want the entrepreneurs — or themselves — to exit to? Can we take a more mindful and sustainable approach to growth and exit strategies?

The reason I want people to be mindful of exit strategies is because for the last decade, the economy has been built on a house of cards and somewhat slash and burn. Many examples of financial models — even existing ones — are dinosaur and defunct. The past is not the vision of sustainable commerce in which we intend to forge. If the social capital market wants to create an ROI sweet spot, then can we please all be sure not to bring old school matrix and valuations as examples to the table to gauge success? What kind of rate of return do we really need? What do we really want to build?

Overall, I hope to raise questions that surround the importance of voting with our investment money, just as we ask consumers to do with their dollars when they go into a store. I would like for the community to look at the entire model that exists today, and how we can appropriately deconstruct it to create a more sustainable economy. It is possible to deconstruct and retrofit a large bridge while it is still being used? Can we think about the new economy we are building with this as a metaphor?

To me, right now, there are prime examples of this starting to surface and support the building blocks of long term sustainable growth - for example, the whole Slow Food movement, which has set the course for the “Slow Money” movement, which is a close friend of the B.A.L.L.E. and Go Local movements. I think it would be invaluable for us to truly get folks in the investment community to see that the equivalent of a slow-cooked organic meal is the best way to build forward our business intentions.

Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered

2009-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

08/27/09 Woody Tasch: Slow Money, Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered
Hear a bold new approach to investing in the very land of our communities
Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility MatteredWoody Tasch, Chair and President, Slow Money; AuthorTasch has three decades of experience working along the boundaries of venture capital, social investing and philanthropy. The chairman and president of Slow Money, a new nonprofit intermediary dedicated to catalyzing the flow of capital to enterprises that support the values that underline slow money, Tasch explains how we can "slow down" the flow of money to support soil fertility and local communities.

MLF: Environment & Natural ResourcesLocation: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. programCost: $8 members, $15 non-membersNEW: Buy the Book: Order Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money, by Woody Tasch, from The Club's eBay store (link takes you to new site). If you order the book fewer than five business days before the event, it will be available for pick up at the event. If you order more than five days before the event, the book will be sent to you.

BGI, environmental responsibility Interview

2009-08-21T09:54:00.001-07:00

At long last, check out this link to read an awesome interview conducted between Bainbridge Institute Founder, Gifford Pinchot and Sustainability Across America Tour Ambassabor, Laura Jones.
BGI, environmental responsibility, green MBA, social justice, social responsibility, sustainable business

Gifford Pinchot, President of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, sat down with me to talk about academics, BGI, and the dilemma that sustainability faces in the world today. We sat in BGI’s Seattle office on a rainy Thursday afternoon and I set about asking him about their MBA in Sustainable Business and the future of the movement in academia. Our conversation started out by delving into BGI’s roots, the humble beginnings before accreditation, and what it is that makes this institution what it is today: the number one graduate school in socially responsible business.
Just five minutes into our talk, Gifford made a statement that struck a chord about the split state of the sustainability movement today.
He said, “What existing traditional schools can’t do is integrate sustainability into the curriculum.”
In researching BGI, I encountered a number of other schools jumping on the so-called “green MBA” bandwagon, both Ivy League and otherwise. It seems as though our academic institutions would be the best tool for indoctrinating the youth with a new way of life, and if we lacked participation in that crucial realm, how would the movement progress? I pressed on, and he responded with this anecdote, a little story about an investment banker who doubled as a yoga master.
“Back in my consulting days I wanted to move my consulting practice a little bit in the direction of spiritual evolution and the like. I had a friend who was an investment banker and a very advanced yoga teacher and a spiritual type guy. So I hired him, and what I discovered is that I had hired two guys. He could be an investment banker, ruthless, heartless, ripping the heart out of the competition kind of guy, or he could be a yoga master and sweetness and light with no connection to finance or market share or any of those sorts of things. But he had no way to bring those two parts of his personality together because they had been educated separately and so they existed as separate domains of thought and probably in separate parts of his brain.”
And so, the plight of the movement today.
Society, it seems, may be experiencing the same kind of split-personality disorder. Our industrial and socio-environmental minds have evolved separately, and have existed in separate realms so that we sit today in a dilemma: We cannot continue operating as one mind who neglects to acknowledge that the other exists. Further, we cannot simply integrate elements of one mind into tenets of the other. Instead, we must embark on a complete restructuring of the way we think, the way we live in conjunction with our environment, and the way we do business. And that is exactly what BGI endeavors to do, “To change business by changing business education” by essentially wiping the slate clean, and educating with the triple bottom line in mind.
In many ways, BGI is a far cry from your typical academic institution; a place “where the assumption that the faculty know more than the students is neither made nor true,” and Pinchot comments on how the culture they have created lends to the success of the institution. As it turns out, culture and community play the lead role, a neat little theme we’re continuing to see throughout our journey into the movement.
Gifford delves into his story.
“What happens is when [faculty] come to BGI, they are allowed to teach with their full values and expression and obviously we’ve selected them because they have values that fit the movement. And once the genie is out of the bottle, they can’t get it back in. We also give them the opportunity to teach a different kind of student. So, in their home universities, there’s a pretty wide variation as to whether people believe in climate change and whatever. Here you’ve got an entire group of people who have been dealing with at least one of the two issues- sustainability or social justice- rather environmental responsibility and social responsibility- for a very long time with very few exceptions. Occasionally, we get the corporate executive who reads some book on sustainability and has that sort of road to Damascus experience where a lightning bolt comes down and the arrow in their heart, they can’t go on doing what they are doing and they come to our school. But they are rare compared to the folks who have been involved in the movement and the discovery they make when they come to BGI is “Wait a second, you can do this through business? You don’t just have to do it through government or non-profits?” or whatever, when, in fact, business is an essential part of putting sustainability into practice.

Sustainability Across America Tour & Bainbridge Graduate Institute

2009-08-14T17:33:00.001-07:00

Check out the BGI Twitter from our Sustainability Across America Tour! Bainbridge Graduate Institute has been working with Indigenous on some cool measurable social return models. I am excited to see the pending interview with our fabulous SAAT host, Laura, and founder Gifford Pinchot! http://twitpic.com/dsjmt

The morning circle at BGI. Just had a phenomenal interview wi... on Twitpic
Source: twitpic.com
This is so great! BGI has worked with Indigenous on some

2009-08-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

Indigenous Sustainability Across America Tour stops by REI, as well. We've has been selling to REI Since 2007. So I am stoked we have an opportunity to interview Kevin Hagen, their Sustainability Officer. http://www.facebook.com/teamSUSTAINABLE

Organic exhibitors at Outdoor Retailer: Elemental Herbs, Indigenous Designs, Locals Have More Fun

2009-08-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Exhibitors at Outdoor Retailer (OR), which ended on July 25th, are getting hip to the green thing. In all fairness, they have been for the last couple of years, but the green campaign did not receive much press until about five years ago, until the Outdoor Retailer started promoting its Green Steps initiative. Which rewards companies for being environmentally conscious. It just makes sense you should have as little impact on the earth as possible, but it’s just plain silly for an industry whose bread and butter and not to mention bottom line, lies in the wild places of the world.

The story of Indigenous Designs and its co-founders is too long and involved to tell in this medium. They are a fascinating, progressive, revolutionary company. They make fair-trade, simple and timeless clothing in Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and India. All of their pieces are made in South American and Indian knitting co-ops using including alpaca, Merino wool and organic cotton. They have a rigorous inspection regimen and, once again, an extremely transparent supply chain. With clean lines and not over built, these items are beautiful while having a minimalist quality about them. Co-founded by Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds, a soft spoken, intelligent and articulate man in his late 30's in 1994. Both Scott and Matt were way ahead of their time. Indigenous is a pioneer in bringing organic and fair-trade practices to the forefront of the World's consciousness, even before the 'Go Green' movement was in its infancy in Al Gore's brain.

Read the full article here!

Slow Money

2009-07-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Chicago City Council passed the "Green Food" Resolution calling for more Farmers Markets, CSA's and Local Food!! Check out the Organic Nation link below

Organic Nationtv Blog Madison Hosts aSlow Money Conference An exploration of America's sustainable food landscape.

Slow Money: Bringing money back down to earth

2009-06-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just like Slow Food, Slow Money seeks to reconnect people to their local economy. For too long the little guy has been gobbled up by the big business.

Slow Money’s mission is:

To support small food enterprises that preserve and restore soil fertility, appropriate-scale organic farming and local food communities;
To catalyze increases in foundation grant-making and mission-related investing in support of sustainable and local economies; and,
To incubate next-generation socially responsible investment strategies, integrating principles of carrying capacity, care of the commons, sense of place, cultural and biological diversity, and non-violence.

Here’s what’s up via The Humane Economy "Slow Money: where capital and culture collide"

Woody Tasch, a 30-year veteran of the venture capital industry, is the father of a new movement in socially responsible investing. But it’s much, much more than that. His vision is nothing less than the restoration of the market economy by supporting tens of thousands of independent, local-first enterprises. From the Slow Money home page:

In a world in which there is no such thing as money that is too fast, a company that is too big, or intermediation that is too complex, we find ourselves asking:

Can investing in local food systems offer an authentic alternative?

If organic farming and small food enterprises are key to the health of the economy, society, and the soil, why do they receive so little funding from government, philanthropy, or capital markets?

Could a million American families get their food from CSA’s?

Here’s a video of Tasch explaining the Slow Money movement:

Learn More About Slow Money

Ground-breaking report on consumer attitudes about organic products

2009-06-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

Findings from the 2009 U.S. Families' Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study released last week at the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) All Things Organic™ Conference and Trade Show in Chicago show that U.S. families are not giving up their purchases of organic products despite uncertainty over the economy.

In the study three in ten U.S. families (31 percent) indicated they are actually purchasing more organic foods compared to a year ago, with many parents preferring to reduce their spending in other areas before targeting organic product cuts. In fact, 17 percent of U.S. families said their largest increases in spending in the past year were for organic products.

Compiling results gathered from 1,200 families across the United States, this research identifies and profiles those who promote buying organic among family, friends and co-workers, specifically exploring the role parents play as potential influences. Data reveal the typical path of organic purchases, beginning with the most common points of entry and tracing this through succeeding product category purchases. The study also explores families' organic grocery shopping experiences and their preferences for the way organic products are organized and displayed on the retail level. In addition, it examines consumers' understanding of organic product labels.

What if your food purchases could?

2009-06-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

What if your food purchases could?

Assure 53 million servings of fruits and vegetables each day are free of pesticide residues. (Enough to give 10 million kids five servings of fruit and vegetables each day).
Eliminate 2.5 million pounds of antibiotic used on livestock annually. (More than twice the amount used to treat human infections.)
Capture an additional 6.5 billion pounds of carbon in soil. (The amount emitted per year by 2 million cars driven for 12,000 miles.)
Eliminate 2.9 billion barrels of imported oil annually. (The amount of equal to 406,000 Olympic eight-lane competition pools.)

To "go organic" means better health for you and your family, the humane treatment of animals and the restoration and preservation of our Earth. But how much of an impact can you personally make by purchasing organic food? Currently organic food consumption is at about 2% of total sales. If Americans can increase that percentage to 10 percent by the year 2010, the increase will markedly improve the health of millions of people, especially infants, children and the elderly. Evidence is mounting that combinations of pesticides, food additives and growth hormones found in the common American diet can exponentially increase health risks.

Sara Snow Green Living Expert/Local Hero

2009-06-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Indigenous has recognized Sara Snow as a Local Hero as a way of thanking her for the incredible difference she has made through green media, education and countless other local acts that have inspired us all.

Here is what Sara has to say about Indigenous:

"I figure I wear my heart on my sleeve so why not wear my ideals IN my sleeve?! Indigenous Designs, with their organic fibers and fair trade practices, helps me. I'm proud to traverse this world helping people find their way to a greener, healthier life, and for my clothes, whenever possible, to be a reflection of that."

To learn more visit Sara's blog:

Healthy, Green and Sane | Sara Snow

Indigenous named Top 40 innovator in the apparel industry.

2009-06-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

"It feels awesome to be recognized as one of the Top 40 innovators in the apparel industry. Scott, I and the Indigenous team have been committed to cutting edge sustainable practices and socially responsible fashion for 14 years now and to see first hand the industry go from 'impossible' to 'innovators', well, it means a lot to us" Matt Reynolds, President & Founder, Indigenous Designs.

Click here to learn more!

B Corporations on the Road

2009-06-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

B Corporations on the Road:
Hanson Bridgett's Sustainable Business Leadership Forum drew Eric Ryan (Method), Scott Leonard (Indigenous Designs), and Reem Rahim (Numi Organic Tea) to speak about B Corporations.

Sustainable Business Conference in Sonoma County drew Matt Reynolds (Indigenous Designs), Mal Warwick (Mal Warwick & Associates), Mike Hannigan (Give Something Back) and Michael Straus (Straus Communications) on a panel about B Corps.

Sustainable Brands Conference drew Jeff Mendelsohn (New Leaf Paper), joined Jay Coen Gilbert and Susan MacCormac in a plenary on the past and future of the corporation. Mike Hannigan, Reem Rahim, Edouard Rollet (Alter Eco), and Jay also spoke about B.

TRADE SHOW PREP - READY TO DEBUT SPRING 2010

2009-06-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the Indigenous team prepares to show off our Spring 2010 organic fashions at apparel trade shows across the country.

We've been busy doing all that we can to promote sustainability and fair trade in the fashion industry while constantly raising the bar with our design, fit and feel. This season we've done it again and we're all excited to get out there and show off our incredible collection.

For any of you out there who have ever wondered what the set up for one of our trade shows is like, let us give you an idea of the mayhem...

Imagine having one day to move into a new house, and then having it ready for a dinner party at the end of the day!

Ahhh the glamor of fashion!

But it's all worth it in the end when we get to meet with all of our wonderful customers, and introduce new retailers to fair trade and organic fashion!

Spring/Summer 2010 Photo Shoot

2009-06-02T13:33:00.001-07:00

Images for the Indigenous Spring 2010 Photo shoot have been rolling in and they look fabulous!

This season opens up to a new idea of femininity, expressed within 2 concepts.

First, using refined knits, we have merged a new delicate minimalism with a sporty contemporary design feel, equating to a fresh unique look that brings us "back to basic" silhouettes with a twist.

Second, designed with vintage inspiration and subtle femininity, these silhouettes have a light sense of grace containing subtle, fragile detailing reminiscent of another place and time.

Elements of this season stitch work are:
* Melange Twisting
* Variegated Flamme knits - Creating a "barley textured feel"
* Crochet / Folkloric pieces - Precious, yet rustic are the key elements here.
* Sheer and graphic knit detailing - Knitting mishaps, runs and loose knits capture and fragile and modern trend.

Color Trend - Neutrals: Clear minerals such and white, gray and khaki - resonate with timeless elegance of safari spirit.

Color: Cool hues of navy, lavender, sea glass, and warm summer amber's - embodies the season's natural glow.

Designed to make everyday life beautiful!

BALLE Sustainable Manufacturing Summit

2009-05-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Fort Collins, CO - BALLE Sustainable Manufacturing Summit
Another incredible day filled with inspiring companies working together to raise the bar on Sustainability. Natures Path, Icestone, New Belgium, Milla by Mail, Zingerman’s Delicatessen, New Leaf Paper, Comet Skateboards, Indigenous, etc. etc.

I would like to thank my friends at New Belgium Brewery for hosting such a fine event at their offices and serving up beers afterwards. What an impressive company when it comes to sustainability measures and awesome beer!

Thanks also to local Bay Area Green Dudes, Don Shcaffer, RSF Social Finance, Jeff Mendleson, New Leaf Paper and Jay Coen Gilbert, B-Lab, for putting this years Sustainable Manufacturing event together. Cheers!

Slow Money

2009-05-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

Just back from incredible Slow Money Retreat in Boulder, CO. learn more:

Slow Money: Patient Capital for Living Economies, Woody Tasch. See: www.slowmoneyalliance.org/management.html
“In a word where there is no such thing as money that is too fast, a company that is too big, or intermediation that is too complex, we find ourselves asking: Can investing in local food systems offer an authentic alternative?” Woody spoke at the BALLE conference in Denver after my meetings in Fort Collins last week. The room was packed. Many cool people in the room – including Jennifer Buffett.

Slow Money Principles. One of my favorites: “We must bring money back down to earth”. We are going to be tightening down the principles to 3-6, but you can see our current draft at http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/principles.html
It’s not just about food, although food is one of the most powerful places to initiate the process. Check out the Chelsea Green Interview video http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/video.html, as Woody explains Slow Money best in his own words.

The Green Ball

2009-05-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Matt & Britta Reynolds got their groove on at the Green Ball put on by Friends of the Earth at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco the past Friday, May 15th. Stuart Rudick of Mindful Investors co-hosted the event. Stuart is a big fan of Indigenous as well as a financial supporter of the company. Indigenous also sponsered the auction held at the Green Ball. Here is Matt with Eco-Heroines & Indigenous fans Julia Butterfly and Darryl Hannah.