Green America, a national organization promoting a socially and environmentally conscious economy, has honored three apparel businesses with the People & Planet Award. Themis and Thread, Fed by Threads, and Fair Indigo each received $5000 after being selected during a month-long online voting period.
Green America, a national organization promoting a socially and environmentally conscious economy, has honored three apparel businesses with the People & Planet Award. Themis and Thread, Fed by Threads, and Fair Indigo each received $5000 after being selected during a month-long online voting period.
Themis and Thread (Hector, New York) offers a customizable fashion line based on organic cotton and upcycled materials. In a release, Jesse Beardslee, founder, says the company will use the prize money to purchase vintage and American-made sewing equipment, as well as deepen their commitment to alternative energy, carbon neutrality, and American-made, organic, and recycled fiber innovations. Current projects include recycled paper hang tags, posters, and packaging, as well as a non-toxic dye method.
Fed by Threads (Tucson, Arizona) uses a portion of profits to provide emergency meals while committing to the production of organic custom apparel. “We will use a portion of these funds to jumpstart our pilot program to donate organic Fed by Threads hoodies to kids battling cancer in America,” says Alok Appadurai, co-founder and CEO.
At Fair Indigo (Madison, Wisconsin), garments are made with organic Peruvian pima cotton and dyed with Oeko-Tex certified dyes. The company’s future plans include creating a mini-documentary to show customers “how their purchases directly help grow the green economy,” says Co-Founder and President Robert Behnke. The footage will focus on the farmers and workers who benefit from fairly traded ethical apparel.