SNOA Sleepwear to Support Sustainable Fashion Production
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 31, 2014 -- On average according to Earth Pledge, at least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. For the eco-conscious brand SNOA Sleepwear, this is one of many garment realities they are trying to change.
“The garment industry is a $1 trillion business and is one of the last to embrace environmental and social ethics,” laments Anh Oppenheimer, company founder of SNOA Sleepwear. By using chemicals and synthetic fabrics to produce what is known as “fast fashion,” the environment and its inhabitants’ health are neglected.
Not only are most of us unconsciously absorbing chemical residue through our clothing, but our purchases also support the textile industry - the third largest polluter of water in the world.
“[Ethical Fashion Designer] Stella McCartney tells us that the textile manufacturing pollutes as much as 200 tons of water per ton of fabric”, says Anh Oppenheimer. In essence, that’s 2,000 liters of clean water for one new cotton shirt. (Heal Yourself Magazine)
But the high cost of fast fashion is not limited to the production stage. “Common synthetic fibers, like Nylon, for example take 30-40 years to break down in a landfill after they’re discarded,” says Oppenheimer. And in the fashion-forward UK region,”1.4 million tons of clothing per year ends up in landfills!”
SNOA Sleepwear, a luxury line of sleepwear for women, is committed to providing an ethical and eco-friendly alternative. The San Francisco-based brand produces locally and sources only all-natural and biodegradable fabrics - empowering its customers with the opportunity to “vote with their dollars” for eco-friendly clothing.
“Sustainable fashion no longer means granola style fashion,” says Oppenheimer, “Our society is already making great strides in organic farming and food - in cars that are more energy efficient, in solar panels on our homes. But we wear clothing every day and most of it is not considerate of either the environment or the workers who create it.”
Oppenheimer stresses that like consumers, fashion designers also have a choice “The most impact a designer can have is to ensure that the cutters and sewers are treated ethically and paid fair wages.”
“That's one of the reasons ‘Made in the USA’ is so important to SNOA. We can visit the factories, we can ask questions, we are there on the ground ensuring that our garments are not using child labor, or housed in unsafe buildings.”
Though SNOA still runs into challenges with eco-dyes, which do not come out brilliantly as chemical dyes, dying the fabric in the US at least allows the brand to ensure that the waste is handled responsibly.
“It isn’t easy [to be an eco-conscious consumer],” Oppenheimer admits, “Most clothing stores don’t offer eco-fashion.”
Additionally, ‘fast fashion’ is the current trend in the United States. It is a term coined for a high volume, low quality and low cost sales model, according to author Elizabeth Cline in her book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.
Anh advocates the alternative: “I once heard the phrase 'dress like a French woman,' and I love the concept. French women are some of the most fashionable on earth. Their traditional model is to buy high-quality, classic clothing that is worn year after year, which could be considered ‘slow fashion’.”
“One of the aspects we love about SNOA sleepwear is that it is made with quality in mind. We love our customers to visit us over and over, and it will be because they love our style, not because their robe has fallen apart.”
For more information, please visit http://snoasleepwear.com/eco-conscious-commitment/ and http://snoasleepwear.com/blog/why-go-eco/
About SNOA Sleepwear
SNOA Sleepwear was created when its founder, Anh Oppenheimer, climbed into bed wanting to feel not only sexy, but warm.
With an oversized sweatshirt and thick ski socks, she knew that night that although she was warm, her outfit was lacking in sex appeal. In 2011, she launched the very first line of luxury sleepwear that was “devoted to looking sexy and feeling warm”.
SNOA donates a portion of its profits to protecting polar bear habitats through the Center or Biological Diversity.
Source: SNOA Sleepwear LLC, CMK Distinctive Brands
Emily McGuirk, SNOA Sleepwear, http://snoasleepwear.com/, +1 415-221-7662, [email protected]
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