Corporate Social Responsibility

News

2.27.2008 - 02:00pm ET

CSR News from:	Indigenous Designs
News Categories:	Natural/Organic Products
	Events & Entertainment

Indigenous Organic Apparel Takes Eco-Fashion and Preventative Health Concepts to the Runway

Natural is Glamourous with the thinkVitality Fashion Show March 15 at Natural Products Expo West

Indigenous Designs Joins Sustainability-founded Companies to Support Preventative Health and Susan G. Komen For the Cure via CommUNITY Outreach

(CSRwire) SANTA ROSA, CA February 27, 2008 – Fair trade organic apparel pioneer Indigenous has united with thinkproducts and numerous socially responsible fashion design teams to showcase the latest in sustainable apparel while benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure at the second annual thinkVitality Fashion Show.

Held at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, CA on Saturday, March 15 at 7pm, the thinkVitality Fashion Show will be preceded by a press conference at 4:30pm that will highlight participating company executives as well as the story of a 32-year-old breast cancer survivor. Emphasizing natural lifestyle elements as a means to not only treat but prevent illness and diseases such as cancer, the more than 20 companies collaborating in the commUNITY-dubbed fashion show aim to raise at least $200K to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure – the world's largest breast cancer research organization and prevention advocate.

"Indigenous believes that collaboration among sustainable businesses is the key to environmental and social change," said Matt Reynolds, co-founder and president of Indigenous. "It's our pleasure to participate in an event that merges some of the most notably humanitarian companies in the industry with such a high-impact method of delivery. Fashion will never be ignored – and it's time to ensure the same goes for preventative health."

According to Lizanne Falsetto, CEO of thinkproducts, "This united alliance of companies is unprecedented in the industry and reflects the core values of the natural products community, which is to help make the world a healthier place, naturally."

In addition to Indigenous – which will hit the runway with ensembles from its spring and fall 2008 collections – the show will feature some of today's top eco- fashion designers including Deborah Lindquist, Ecolution, Green Babies, Koi, Linda Loudermilk, Livity International, Stewart+Brown and Under the Canopy. The fashion show will also feature top runway models as well as breast cancer survivors modeling a collection of garments designed using thinkproducts wrappers.
A community-driven company since its inception in 1994, Indigenous is independently involved in a number of social-responsibility causes with a particular emphasis on women's issues and environmental concerns. The thinkVitality alliance echoes the company's unfailing drive to empower women in all regions of the globe, beginning with fair trade artisans employed by the 275 Indigenous-initiated knitting cooperatives in South America and India. In addition to providing these women with the opportunity to earn more than twice what they would bring home if working in cities hours away from their families, Indigenous has implemented programs designed to hone each artisan's skills while assigning value to products and raw materials, thus increasing the women's marketability for years– and even generations– to come.

Indigenous will show items from its spring '08 and fall '08 lines at the thinkVitality Fashion Show in Anaheim, CA, March 15 at 7pm

In the green space, Indigenous' preventative sustainability efforts are visible in the company's sole use of organic, all-natural fibers and proprietary fiber blends, which have enabled the evolution of everything from natural office attire to outdoor performance apparel that previously relied heavily on environmentally contrary synthetics. Indigenous has also implemented the Green Steps program, which offsets the carbon footprint of some of the consumer industry's largest offenders: trade shows. Even on its home turf, Indigenous has elected to offset its own carbon footprint by purchasing "green energy" from a local solar array.

"It sounds cliché to say we 'practice what we preach,' but that's exactly what we do, "said Indigenous Co-founder and CEO Scott Leonard, who recently helped to initiate Indigenous’ employee-incentive program that encourages the adoption of even more environmentally-friendly practices by offering a monetary reward for riding a bike to work, carpooling – even purchasing a hybrid vehicle. "It's not enough to want to promote these practices within the confines of the workplace. If we're to make a difference, whether it relates to energy consumption, the use of organic materials, fair trade practices – or even the application of these preventative initiatives in the natural health arena – it needs to start with a reevaluation of the complete lifestyle."

About Indigenous: Indigenous has provided organic and fair trade quality apparel since 1994 and is the authentic pioneer in the socially conscious apparel segment. The company is located at 2250 Apollo Way, Suite 400, Santa Rosa, CA; Phone: (707) 571-7811. For more information, please visit Indigenous at www.indigenousdesigns.com. For samples, images or more information, editorial media may contact On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or at www.indigenousdesigns.com.

About thinkproducts: thinkproducts (www.thinkproducts.com) was founded by former international fashion model Lizanne Falsetto, who is a true believer in the healing and nourishing power of nature. Creator of all natural, convenient, great tasting, functional foods for people striving to live a life full of vitality and free of disease, thinkproducts was originally inspired by Lizanne's goal to create food for those who "think about what they eat. thinkproducts is headquartered in Ventura, California, and is one of the largest independent companies in the nutrition bar category.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-800 I'M AWARE.

For more information please contact:

Emily Frydendal, Account Executive
On the Horizon Communications
(805) 773-1000
(740) 881-4252
www.thepressroom.com

Scott Leonard, CEO/Co-founder
Indigenous Designs
(707) 571-7811
www.indigenousdesigns.com

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