'Eco' Can Actually Be Chic

IIKH, a new Manhattan retail boutique and ecommerce website, offers a supremely-edited collection of distinctive home, bath & body, baby, pet and gourmet products--that also happen to be good for the environment.

(PRWEB) July 23, 2005 -- Eco-Chic -- this is the unique concept behind a dynamic, new retail experience -- IIKH (two "k" "h"), the first lifestyle store to combine style, sophistication and the finest in natural/organic, eco-friendly and handcrafted products.

IIKH takes elemental chic and attainable luxury to a new level within the natural and organic category. Offering a distinct point of view and an expertly edited selection of merchandise across six key categories: personal care, home, baby, pet, food and specialty, IIKH has sourced exceptional products-all with a conscience.

From a luxurious set of organic cotton sheets or a clean-burning bergamot soy candle, to frangipani laundry wash or hand-knit merino wool baby blankets, the store is filled with unique, exceptional products. Prices range from $4 to $6,800. "We want to help people live a simple, stylish and sophisticated life, while also being in balance with the world," says IIKH partner Jim Kloiber. "It's not necessary to compromise," adds sister and co-partner Mara Kloiber, "A clean, tasteful aesthetic can be harmonious with a desire to make responsible choices."

Mara Kloiber, Jim Kloiber and Erin Hawker, the principals behind IIKH, are three former marketing executives from the worlds of designer fashion and luxury goods. Helping to build prestige brands like Prada, Harry Winston and Donna Karan, the trio decided it was time to apply the lessons learned from these powerhouse brands and create something more personal and meaningful.

Filling a void in the marketplace and capitalizing on the burgeoning popularity of the organic movement, IIKH is the perfect store for these hyper-conscious times. Nearly 44% of Americans already purchase organic products, according to The Organic Trade Association (OTA). This penchant for organic goods has created one of the fastest growing segments of the overall consumer market, with sales expected to exceed $32 billion in the next ten years.

The group's innovative spirit and 'ahead of the curve' sensibility is apparent in their choice of location for the store. Deciding to bypass the oversaturated Meat Packing District, the jewel box store is located just above the fray, on the corner of 10th Avenue and 17th Street -- steps away from the Chelsea galleries and the Hudson River Park.

At IIKH the green philosophy extends beyond the products in the store. A conscious decision was made to incorporate sustainable design into the retail space and to utilize 'green materials' wherever possible. Energy efficient lighting, low VOC paints and adhesives, reclaimed wood, eco-friendly/non-toxic resin panels, recycled glass tiles, rapidly renewable resources such as bamboo are used to create innovative and inventive display fixtures.

IIKH has also launched an e-commerce website (twokh.com) that provides consumers outside of New York access to their eco-chic products, as well as information on being 'green.' In keeping with their brand philosophy, the company also creates programs and partnerships designed to educate and 'give back' to the community at large.

# # #