•"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
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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!
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.
