Green Cotton

Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing Marci Zaroff, founder of Under the Canopy, a leading lifestyle brand of organic and sustainable apparel and home products, for Green Cotton. As a co-author of the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) and pioneer in the organic and wellness space for more than 2 decades, Marci has the knowledge, leadership and experience in the organic and sustainable textile field that Green Cotton admires deeply. Recently, Marci was also nominated as one of the top 15 eco-fashionistas in America.

Green Cotton’s interview with Marci focuses on aspects of organic textile and fair trade certifications in America as well as provides a broad look at her company and leadership in the field.

Marci began her career in the organic, natural food and beauty products field, where she owned a school in New York now called the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She was also the co-founder of an innovative spa, organic café, and a magazine. At some point, Marci saw the interconnection between food and fiber as the missing link in this whole wellness equation. At that time she began to transition from food and beauty into fiber, because, as she states, “I wanted to use fiber as a vehicle to ultimately tell the same story as food and beauty products”. That is, she saw that the transformation and consciousness around making a difference was not just what you put in your body but also what you put on your body.

Why Organic Textiles?
Marci: “When you pull the curtain back on the textile industry, the amount of toxins far out way what you see in the food industry. It’s unreal”. As a result, Marci set out to help to transform the textile industry. “I wanted to start the process of people thinking about what they’re buying in terms of the two basic necessities in life: food and clothing. I wanted people to think about what they’re buying as not just what they’re eating, but also what they’re wearing,” she added.

Marci continues that some of the leading illnesses out there today are allergies and skin conditions, and yet, “people haven’t necessarily made that connection between what they’re putting on their body and what’s in the air to their health. However, it’s very clear that there’s a strong relationship there.” Cotton for example, is the most heavily sprayed industry in the world, and so logically cotton was the fiber she and others started with.

Shana (S): What has been your experience in the organic textile market?

Marci (M): “Under the Canopy and myself have been pioneers in building the [organic textile] market. In fact, I coined and trademarked the term “Eco-fashion” in 1997. I then also went on to develop the business plan for Whole Foods Market to move into this category, which we launched it in 2005. Since then, I have helped integrate organic textiles into companies from Speigel’s and Macy’s to Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Origins and Crate and Barrel as well as a big array of retailers.” Marci has been a pioneer in this field, at a time when there was a lot of resistance to moving into organics.

S: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) is the gold standard for organic textile certifications. Do you see GOTS being mainstreamed in the US? Will there be a logo at some point (like we have for food and beverage products in the US)?
Marci: There is a logo, it came out in July. It hasn’t been used on any product yet, but I would say you’re going to start seeing it on product by the end of this year, maybe the beginning of 2010. It is a global standard and that’s the beauty of it. It was collaboration between four countries. [These countries] came to together because there was a lot of discrepancy in the industry. Also since textile manufacturing is such a global industry, it was hard to have one standard in the US, then another in Japan and so on. Now it’s a global standard, but it was spearheaded by a German organization (IBN) and a Japanese association (JOKA), the OTA, and then the SOIL Association in the UK.

For retailers right now that are looking to buy certified organic clothing, would you say that GOTS is the standard they should ask for, or are there other ones that in your mind are still acceptable at this time?

M: Yes, but the logo is not there yet. In the future, this will be the standard. Right now, there are a still a lot of options out there. In either case however, people should be asking for certificates from the manufacturers.

S: Could you tell us a bit more about Transfair? Currently, Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is the main body that a lot of US retailers apply to become members of for their fair trade products. How do you see Transfair fitting in with FTF or will it take the place of FTF?

M: Well right now there isn’t any actual certification on product. Transfair will have a label, a seal that will be used (on product) that is certified Fair Trade in the US. Right now however, FLO in Europe is the equivalent of what Transfair is trying to do but you can’t use a FLO seal here in the US. Transfair would be the US counterpart. Transfair for the first phase of this pilot is only looking at the cotton and at the cotton sew. It’s now incorporating every single piece of the puzzle, it’s starting with those two pieces. But if you get a Transfair seal on a product it means that the cotton has been certified fair trade and that the cotton sew process has been certified fair trade.
S: Ok, and that should be pretty easy, right? Isn’t it part of GOTS to be also a fair trade label?
M: Yes, but there are [fair labor] considerations beyond GOTS in this new certification. The main difference is that for something to be Fair Trade certified, there is an actual added premium that gets paid and that money specifically goes to the farmers or the factory workers as a premium. In addition to having some community [investment], 50% goes to the farmer and 50% goes to a cooperative group (that the farmers gets to apply toward community development). GOTS is a code of ethics, meaning there’s no child labor, etc; whereas, fair trade certified means the product costs more to buy it because there’s more money going into the community AND into the factory workers and farmers.

S: So will the requirements to become “certified” be different than Fair Trade Federation?
M: Yes, but this [label, Transfair] is a step beyond that. Fair Trade Federation is more like a code of ethics, similar to GOTS. In the case of FTF, there’s a certain bottom line: you’re not using child labor, you’re not exploiting the workers, there’s free will; there’s all kinds of things. But Fair Trade certification is going to mean an actual premium on the product. So the buyers who buy fair trade product both from a retail level as well as a consumer level are going to have to expect that they’re going to be paying a little bit more but that money is going directly toward worker empowerment and betterment of worker livelihoods. A lot of people around the world, although they might not be abused, [they] may not be able to make a living or pay for health care on a “fair wage” so this goes beyond that.
S: Do you see that Transfair premium certification moving into other fabrics as well as things like handbags and accessories?

M: Hopefully, we’re starting with cotton. That’s the starting point. This is step one.

S: Thank you! This has been so informative and helpful and an honor to interview you.

For more on fair trade certifications, see our earlier post on Fair Trade: What is it and how to certify.

Photosource: Under the Canopy

Written by Shana Yansen, Editor of Green Cotton

Down 2 Earth (D2E): An Exploration in Sustainable Living is entering its second year in Boston (to be held April 3, 4 and 5 2009 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston), and is bound to once again bring a jam pac’d weekend filled with great people, delicious food, inspiring speakers and demonstrations, as well as fascinating exhibits and hands-on activities. D2E will once again host dozens of environmentally-driven companies, exhibitors, non-profits and other groups this year together with thousands of local residents to create a truly dynamic eco-event. With the motto, “Back to Basics” this year’s D2E is a perfect remedy for our current climate.

D2E this year will host an interactive marketplace for eco-friendly products, numerous interactive environmental activities (many of which are kid-friendly), a public stage for community initiatives, and an educational forum that addresses sustainability issues. In addition, there will be local and organic food booths, a kids’ block, eco-fashion, potential for energy savings and new information about the future of cars!t?

This festival is not only for strong environmentalists but also those who are just discovering an interest in the green movement. Everyone will find at least a couple new ways to green their lifestyle further.

For the green trendsetters out there, Down:2:Earth will showcase new environmental products ready to revolutionize the markets, as well as well known products that we all love. With an emphasis on local and innovative solutions, D2E will connect consumers with progressive companies that are investing in a more sustainable future. So if you’re anywhere near Boston, this festival will be worth checking out!

Of particular interest to Eco-Fashion Gurus will be the two Eco-Fashion Shows to take place throughout the weekend: one at 4:30 on Saturday April 4, 2009 and the other at 1:30 pm on Sunday April 5^th. The fashion shows will feature this season’s hottest new trends by a number of designers, especially those in New England. Organized by the School of Fashion Design of Boston in collaboration with D2E, the show is sure to be a great. Green Cotton will be there, covering the event, so stay tuned for some expert reporting on the fashion show. Meanwhile, check out D2E’s funny video clip “Eco Suit,” promoting the event: Eco Suit. View more of these D2E spots on The Hired Pens production site.

So who is behind this great even?

Photosource: Boston.com
Betty Fulton and Lorelei Grazier are the founders and co-directors of D2E, which is now approaching its second year. As some of you may be aware, the Green Festivals, which is one of (if not THE) largest consumer-oriented green expo’s in the country (and happens to be one of my favorite all time green events nationwide) does not come to Boston, sadly. Despite this, Betty and Lorelei set out to create a similar dyanmic green event in Boston and so far they have proven it possible. Down 2 Earth has quickly filled this gap, and if last year’s program is any indication, this year will be even more successful, especially given that sustainability and the environment are even more prominantely on our minds.

Details: Down:2:Earth will be held in the Hynes Convention Center, downtown Boston, Friday through Sunday April 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th.

The Hynes Convention Center is easily accessible by public transportation as it has a stop on the Green Line. Address:

900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02115Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.

Visit www.d2eboston.com for more details and to purchase discounted tickets.

Show Hours:

• Friday, April 3: 5pm–9pm (with a special cocktail hour event)
• Saturday, April 4: 11am–7pm
• Sunday, April 5: 11am–5pm

For a detailed look at the days schedule of events.

Yves Saint Laurent featured in Paris Fashion Week, photosource: NY Mag.

The French are perhaps best known in the fashion world for effortless style. From iconic design houses like Chanel to Givency, Lanvin to Louis Vuitton, it’s no wonder Paris Fashion Week is the most anticipated each season. And while every Paris show gives us whimsical looks unparelled to other cities, on the cutting edge of color, structure, texture and volume, there is one wardbrobe staple that always steals the spotlight: the little black dress.

Invented by France’s own Coco Chanel in the 1920s, the timeless look is given new life season after season. Black is universally stylish and slimming– what girl could go wrong with a black cocktail dress, pearls, clutch and heels? But each season also offers new embellishments to accessorize the classic. And while New Yorkers are known for dressing up basic black and Londoners are labeled as fashion exhibitionists, nobody does it better than the French. See how some of the world’s best design houses reinterpret one of the simplest, chicest looks of all time.

At Balenciaga, designer Nicholas Ghesquiere gave the LBD a tough-meets-sweet aesthetic. Touches of lace, a velvet coat and satin bow were almost prim, but bronze cuffs gave the look a little weight.

Balmain (above) showed the LBD in trendy rockstar style: strapless, skintight and studded. Seriously buckled boots anchored the skant hemline. A similar style traded the studs for a wide belt and added a few more feminine touches: a ruffled hem and sweetheart neckline.

But it was classy Chanel (above) that gave the LBD the most shock value: a plunging neckline, paired unexpectedly with long sleeves and a conservative length. At once daring and darling, it was the perfect nod to Chanel’s early flapper style. A daintier – and warmer – version was a knitted black dress layered over a frothy, ruffled pink sweater and wooly pink tights.

1925 LBD by Chanel, photosource: St. Petersburg Times.

Chanel’s update was in good company with the femme fatale looks at Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent. There, the LBDs were longer, sleeker and draped to one shoulder. Jean Paul Gaultier showed a similar style, opting for sheer cap sleeves instead of a single shoulder and a high, dramatic neckline and peekaboo hem. The black accessories, from belts to tiny caps and gloves, suggested that these fierce ladies-who-lunch should not be taken lightly.

At Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs gave the LBD a sumptuous new shape. The pouffed sleeves, banded middle and artistically-draped skirt was a structural marvel. A ladylike black and gold LV purse and black ribboned heels were perfect finishing touches.

Both Christian Lacroix (featured above on the runway) and Givenchy (famous for designing LBDs worn by Audrey Hepburn) experimented with glimpses of navy amid all the black. Christian Lacroix showed a one-shoulder navy and black number with sensuous draping, with complimentary paisley-patterned tights. Givenchy cinched a filmy navy and black ensemble together with a rich purple belt. Could the little navy dress be next?

Last but never least, British designer Stella McCartney showed what was perhaps the best modern reimagination of the little black dress. Hers was the classic length – not too long, not too short – and hugged every curve. With feminine detailing, from the cutout lace around the neck to the long, sheer lacy sleeves and velvet bust, McCartney’s LBD was a little bit babydoll, a little bit naughty secretary, and incredibly sexy.

If you’ve got a fancy fete coming up and want to update your LBD, look to the Paris Fashion Week designers for truly chic inspirations. Try adding a few rock and roll elements, like leather, studs or combat boots. Or opt for a softer, girlier aesthetic with lace, satin or velvet. Of course, LBDs are always classically chic when paired with pearls and pumps.

The best part of rocking this timeless style? If you’ve got a great eye and tailoring skills – or a tailor! – you can always find an amazing vintage sheath and give it a modern makeover. Vintage cocktail dresses are always in style, and if you’re lucky enough you may find something by a long-established designer that looks brand new and is in tune with the latest runway styles. See previous Green Cotton posts on how to score amazing thrift and vintage finds. And let us know what you thought about this season’s Paris runway shows and the newest LBDs!

All photo’s were sourced from NYmag.com under Fashion Shows/2009/fall/main/europe/womenrunway

By Erin Dale