I was thumbing through some past posts here on StartUp FASHION and re-read a blurb that mentioned constant inquiries by designers who are interested in incorporating organic materials into their work. And it got me thinking. Are brands really doing this? How popular is the use of organic materials by brands both large and small? So I started doing some research on how this “trend” has been progressing over the past year or so.
As someone who is quite the supporter of producing and or utilizing organic fibers and fabrics, I was excited to read recently that regardless of a downward sloping economy, the purchase and use of organic cotton in 2009, was actually up by 35 percent, according to the Organic Exchange. Not only that, but they are predicting that the use will continue to increase. Just to be clear, the Organic Exchange requires that cotton ” must be grown through a system of farming that maintains soil fertility without using pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified seeds“, in order to be organic. They also shared the top brand and retail users of organic cotton and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the mainstream list which included Nike, Williams Sonoma, H&M, Walmart, Levi’s , Nordstrom, Adidas, and Anvil. Not bad, right? I know, I know, it should be much more widespread than that but we have to start somewhere. So how about you? Are you starting somewhere? In what capacity are you utilizing organic materials, whether cotton or any other fibers? If you are not yet, are there any foreseeable plans to do so? If the answer to that question is no, then I ask you, Why?