Indigenous Designs Hits WSJ, Dillards and Pay Dirt
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 07.20.07
One of the forerunners of eco-fashion in the States, Indigenous Designs, has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal this week, not for their environmental sense, but for their business sense. With over ten years of success behind them Indigenous Designs are continuing to grow and expand into new markets, proving that ethical fashion and commercial success are not mutually exclusive. This September their clothes will be stocked in Dillards department stores and according to co-founder Scott Leonard this year the company's revenue is expected to double to more than $4 million from $2 million last year. He goes on to say that the number of individual stores stocking Indigenous Designs clothing has jumped 75% in the past 18 months. Is this success due purely to the ethical nature of the brand?
Not according to WSJ writer Gwendolyn Bounds. "Having a do-good message but not beating people over the head with it has helped Indigenous Designs to survive and segue into mainstream retail, while many of its green peers have languished in ecofriendly niches or gone out of business altogether... As much as consumers say they crave ecofriendly products, if those products don't look good, don't fit right, aren't durable or aren't priced competitively, then customers probably aren't going to buy them in droves." As Scott Leonard says, "It's all about the product, but P.S., there is this story behind it." You can see in several TreeHugger posts here, here and here, that we love the story, but no matter how ethical and eco-friendly a brand is, if people don't buy it what are the benefits? :: WSJ :: Indigenous Designs
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