10月 28, 2021 Emily McCabe

On the Retykle Radar: Organic Cotton + Brands We Love Raising the Barre

ON THE RETYKLE RADAR:

ORGANIC COTTON + BRANDS WE LOVE RAISING THE BARRE

What's the difference anyway?

There is a multitude of benefits to buying organic material and organic cotton, in particular. Environmentally speaking 'organic' means that the crops are not treated with pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms, music to our ears! The naked truth is, conventional methods of cotton production use more insecticides than any other crop in the world. Each year cotton producers use approximately 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticides, an incredible amount for just one crop to accumulate all on its very own. These unpleasant toxins not only wreak havoc for the consumer but damage the supply chain harming the workers and farmers who inhale the poisonous fumes not to mention our precious wildlife eco-systems, too. Eventually, the pesticides are wrongly discovered in the most unbelievable of places like breastmilk. Sustainability has been gaining momentum in the fashion world as of late, and organic cotton does play an important role. People's mindsets are shifting in terms of what they are buying and from who. We want more transparency, the full story! And, to be enabled as mindful consumers in regards to our wardrobes and those of our children.

Retykle Loves:

Oeuf (pronounced UH-F), is a funky New York based brand, created by designer duo, husband-and-wife team Michael Ryan and Sophie Demenge. Together they created the beautiful brand with an important vision to provide modern parents with high-quality streamlined pieces that are sustainably sourced and responsibly produced.

Made for all genders, they use eco-friendly and hypoallergenic materials like sustainably sourced 100% baby alpaca for the cosiest fit around. Plus, they have a Fair Trade policy with Bolivia and Peru and always use eco-friendly packaging. It's all in the details, isn't it? Their family values reinforce their commitment to ethical business practices – leading to their company motto, “Be Good”- a good take-away for us all.

Stella McCartney Kids is a house-hold name already, in which they pride themselves as one of the industries most Innovative and progressive brands. The company is known globally for their pioneering efforts in sustainability and 'closing the loop'.

The materials they use are all a part of the story behind each garment, examples of what they stand for and how much hard work they put into their ideas. Not many brands can say their organic cotton and ethically sourced wool come from their very own farms. To help make sure that their clothes look after nature, people and animals, they use sustainably-sourced fabrics as much as possible. Always pushing the envelope, searching for new ways to make clothes more sustainable. The organic cotton they use is better for the environment than conventional cotton as it uses less water and doesn’t involve any harmful chemicals keeping the soil healthy, avoiding polluting the planet and thereby keeping their farmers healthy, too!

Bobo Choses is a super quirky brand from Barcelona, Spain. A brand with an edgy playful aesthetic and a bold ethos to match. Being responsible for their social and environmental footprint is as much a part of the product as the design.

They strive to create products that are kind to the environment, although they realise producing goods will always have some impact regardless, they believe the challenge is to try and make it as minimal as possible. Bobo is working to replace conventional materials with considerably lower impact sustainable options benefitting both nature and all of us human folk. For example, using organic cotton and recycled polyester and working hand in hand with local suppliers practising their 'Code of Conduct' helps them to share a mutual responsibility for fair labour in a safe working environment for everyone and integrate innovative programs they have designed and use throughout the business.

Boden hails from the UK, and is well known for punchy colours and vibrant patterns. While their aim is for a fun loving brand that wants to add colour to the world- which we thoroughly appreciate- they take their social responsibilities very seriously and as a company who are passionately working towards a cleaner industry by doing their part. They want to embed a sustainable approach in every part of their supply chain. So far, they have launched organic cotton fabrics in the Spring of 2018, and in August 2018 they became members of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), as part of a commitment to source 100% more sustainable cotton before 2025. Side note, BCI aims to make the system of global cotton production better for both the people who produce it and for the environment it grows in.

Touched by Nature is exactly how it sounds. The sweetest, I-want-to squeeze-you organic clothing and accessories brand. They offer coordinating layette pieces made from incredibly soft 100% Organic Cotton and whilst they may be on the smaller side of children's clothing brands, they are a best-kept-secret, in that they still have a surprisingly wide offering of beautifully designed and produced pieces perfect for gifting to someone special or for your own favourite little person. Choose from a selection of colourful, cute patterns and animal prints for your bub. Plus, they are very quick with their deliveries which is always handy when you need kids clothes in a flash, or a present in a hurry. We especially love their gorgeous socks, accessories and burp cloths.

Art & Eden is another New York brand raising the barre. All of their clothes are made with sustainable fabrics, organic cotton and up-cycled or recycled polyester certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard.

They use low impact dyes and recycled, up-cycled or biodegradable packaging and continuously strive for cradle-to-cradle operation- where what is produced can be re-used, recycled or decompose, pretty amazing all round. Just check out their sustainability strategy booklet- which you can download from their website- highlighting their goals and company intentions very transparently or learn more on their super interactive blog which is absolutely filled to the brim with sustainable tips, tricks, craft ideas and a range eco-friendly topics for you to absorb.

Burt's Bees Baby is mostly known for its very popular skin-care range- lip-balm comes to mind- however, the company happens to be another brand with a sustainable offering and quite an extensive range of children's clothing.

Their belief in the importance of transparency couldn't be more timely and as a US-based company, the well-loved brand already has a collection of awards to be proud of, including its Global Organic Textile Standard certification for meeting the highest global standards in organic textiles. In keeping with its reputation for natural and organic products, Burt's Bees sells organic, natural baby apparel and newborn essentials, 'Jumpbees' and clothing for the bigger kids and of course, family pyjama sets, because why not? They are perfect for styling those annual family portraits.

Nature Baby is a family owned business from New Zealand specialising in "products that nurture you, your baby and nature." It was established in 1998 and began as a quest for innovative products for their own family. They found that many other parents shared their concerns and wanted the same for their own children- to grow up in a pure, beautiful, chemical-free world. They believe that parenthood is an endless array of overwhelming choices. The concerns about unregulated chemicals used and the commercial drive of many companies in the industry is a real issue and has sparked the need for alternatives when addressing whats best for their children. Their clothing is produced using organic cotton and merino without any harmful chemicals and with the highest standards.Rigorously sourced all materials, fabrics and products are designed to meet every baby’s ever-changing needs.