Comments on: Naming a product line pt.69

By: Lisa Bloodgood in Portland

Lisa Bloodgood in Portland — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:37:11 +0000

Ok, this part might tick off some people here. I have heard from multiple sources that I can’t name off the top of my head that global warming is a bunch of hooey. However, I strongly believe that we need to take care of our planet, be good stewards of it, since we only have one planet anyway. I’m all for stuff being sustainable.

I recycle all the time and plan to keep my business as sustainable as possible. But what does one do regarding fabric choices? I love silks and feathers and linen and a ton of stuff that isn’t organic cotton or hemp. I mean I like that, too, but I don’t want to base my clothes on just that. There is too much else that I like and will use in my products. I have a lot of fabrics I got second hand, silks included, that I’ve been using. I don’t use real fur.

By: Jennifer Michelle

Jennifer Michelle — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:46:13 +0000

Women who have to let you know how motherhood has impacted their lives, no matter what the topic under discussion may be, do not only alientate men. This has been a pet peeve of mine for years.

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:40:35 +0000

I have been mulling this over a lot recently, as I am a new eco company as well. Although there has been an explosion of green product lines, they are still the small minority overall, so for the near future it would be to a company’s advantage to broadcast its green-ness. As a shopper, I do check out lines with eco terms in them before others, simply because there are so many lines and it is one way to weed through them all. I agree with Kathleen that a name completely composed of eco terms will soon become dated. A better option may be “[Your Name] [your eco word] Designs.” Once the eco word becomes irrelevant, it can be removed without much notice, as by then everyone will know the line by [Your Name].

By: Bethany

Bethany — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:46:23 +0000

There is an interesting discussion going on at the Wall Street Journal in regards to women entrepreneurs.Check it out: http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/04/23/why-arent-there-more-rich-women-entrepreneurs/?mod=WSJBlog#comments

By: Timo Rissanen

Timo Rissanen — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:18:21 +0000

An excellent post that could go in a multitude of directions. Just on one point, the eco-explosion that has happened in the 12 months in fashion, at least as far as the web and blogs go: Kathleen, I don’t think we have to wait ten years. Calling your stuff ‘green’, ‘eco’, ’sustainable’ or the et ceteras ad infinitum is already starting to sound tired, and partly it’s thanks to all the greenwashing out there. I’ve said this before a million times but my problem with ’sustainable fashion’ is that it makes sustainability a nice little option. But it ain’t. Or won’t be in a few years, anyhow. I could rant till this box blows but I won’t. Make your business sustainable – get it? On terminology, I do prefer ’sustainable’ over ‘eco’, ‘green’ and the rest because it includes the social aspect (as well as the economic – see Kathleen’s post on the 100-mile suit if you didn’t die from laughing at first reading). An organic cotton sweatshirt sewn in a sweatshop isn’t sustainable, even if the potential for puns is endless, now is it?

(And if anyone missed it, the third aspect is the environment. But I doubt anyone did. And it’s as important as the other two but it alone won’t sustain your business. Not for long anyway.)