BRAND:Loomstate for Target
SINCE: 2004
HOME BASE: NYC
FOUNDED BY:Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn
WHY WE COSIGN: We wholly support eco-friendly lines, but a $50 T-shirt—no matter how "green" it may be—is still a $50 T-shirt. That's why we're so psyched for the launch of the Loomstate for Target line, a 100%-certified organic collection that is priced $14.99 to $44.99. Loomstate for Target goes on sale at Target.com and stores on April 19.
WHERE TO FIND IT:Target.com
Read on for our interview with Loomstate co-founder Scott Mackinlay Hahn and pics from the new collection...
Explain why your brand is "green" and what eco-friendly steps it has taken to achieve that.
When we started Loomstate in 2004, it was the coolest thing Rogan and I could imagine. We simply manifested a level of quality in our life and the market that we couldn't find anywhere. Fertile soil, organic cotton and environmental stewardship was our 'Adrian' from the movie Rocky. Anyone who has fallen in love with someone or something pure will understand why we did it. The steps we took started at the farm; we needed to identify a reliable source of certified organic cotton and link it to a modern best-of-class denim mill that could engineer a fabric with our desired aesthetic. Something raw, authentic, turn-of-the-20th-century, beautifully flawed—and we went from there.
Loomstate is a casual fashion brand dedicated to creating a demand for certified organic cotton and encouraging an environmentally and socially responsible community through beautiful thought-provoking product. Loomstate is fully committed to organic farming, which is a form of agriculture that avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators and livestock feed additives. Organic cultivation requires managing and preserving the sensitive eco-system as opposed to stripping the land of its resources as conventional farming does.
A cynic might say that the "green" movement, like many things in fashion, is just a passing trend or a trendy buzzword that will soon fade away. What is your response to the cynics, and do you think that the movement will have legs in the future?
When people are cynical about human health and human rights we do our best to educate them around the issues. Good quality of life and gratified value are certainly not a trend, they are the roots of sex appeal which has been in style for centuries.
As we've seen with the recent decrease in gas prices (and subsequent increase in fuel consumption), when it comes to "green," it's usually the money that talks, not eco-mindedness. In fashion, organic products tend to be pricier. Why is that? And how do you think it will be possible to make eco-friendly product that is also affordable and accessible to everyday people?
Organic products tend to be marginally more expensive because of higher production costs and in some cases supply-demand. Loomstate is working on spreading the organic love to a broader audience by collaborating with Target. The collaboration allows organic choices to reach a greater number of customers at a more affordable price. Buying organic is like a high-interest savings account: you gain immediate benefits from higher-quality product (vitamins intake, reduced contact with chemicals, etc.), but long-term it's a real savings because there is less damage to the ecosystem and other related societal costs—costs our children will inherit, which is just wrong.
What organic/eco-friendly pieces in your collection are the most popular?
Loomstate bestsellers are our tees—they're the most comfortable T-shirts you'll ever own!
