When Annette Francis set up her children’s label Gaia in 2000, it was a tough slog sourcing organic cotton from anywhere, let alone a local supplier. That, unfortunately, is still the case a decade down the track, but while she has to go overseas for her yarn, the label itself is proliferating in both Australia and New Zealand.
Gaia is stocked in childrenwear boutiques throughout the country and is also available in selected David Jones stores, so there is a definite and growing market for her product. This is also the experience of the founders of the Certton – or certified organic cotton – brand, Nick Barclay and Andrew Quinn. Their company, Organic Cotton Advantage (OCA), has been distributing organic cotton products since 2004 and now manufactures and sells a range of T-shirts, yoga pants and baby basics throughout the country. With 500 clients on the books and a recent deal with fabrics giant Charles Parsons, the market is opening up.
“When we started you couldn’t buy an organic cotton T-shirt or fabric in Australia,” Barclay says. “Our international experience recognised (organics) was a market on the move so we wanted to give Australians the option to make a responsible choice when purchasing T-shirts. We were also committed to making the ‘perfect tee’.”
And the market is booming, he says. “People generally want to lead a healthier life and do the right thing. We were the trailblazers in this field and over the years have committed to educating the market about the benefits of organic clothing, and now interest is increasing at an exponential rate.”
Consumer demand
Consumers are actively searching for organic alternatives these days, particularly mothers looking to source natural fabrics for babies and kids and companies wanting to show their commitment to sustainability.
OCA itself has recently moved into garments for children, a boutique market that Gaia has dominated for many years, and Francis finds this trend “refreshing and comforting”. “There is so much available now, from homewares to food to clothing,” she says. “The industry has become a lot more competitive over the years, which is good for the environment as clearly more people are choosing organic cotton. Our brand is still unique ... (but) competition is a good thing if you have the capacity to evolve while staying true to yourself.”
In the past, organic cotton – like its forebear organic hemp – had an undeserved reputation for being a bit harsh on the skin. This is something Francis has never experienced and the popularity of her babywear is proof, if any was needed. “The feedback we always get is in regard to the superior softness and quality of our garments. Organic cotton for babies makes great sense as it is so delicate for their sensitive skin. When I started almost 10 years ago there was not much awareness about organic cotton, so the journey began with the need to educate. Now we find people have a positive awareness.”
Awareness is the key for OCA’s business as well. Barclay and Quinn, mates for 20 years and both with a background in management and business development, have always had a passion for a healthy work-life balance. Their company is doing so well that it has recently moved its factory in Sydney into larger premises, offering natural light and a healthy workplace for its employees.
OCA has a growing range of children’s and babywear and a growing list of cut, make and trim (CMT) clients in the childrenswear area, Barclay says. “Anything natural is fantastic for children. Organic farming methods are fundamentally the traditional way of farming and simple and pure is best for kids. There is no formaldehyde in our organic cotton and that is an important consideration for mothers when purchasing garments for their children.”
Big deal
The company has also signed a deal recently with Charles Parsons, which manufactures its Certton-branded organic cotton fibres exclusively, and the two companies also work together on new Certton fabric developments. “The Charles Parsons agreement came about as we both recognised that we were leaders in our field,” Barclay says. “Certton in the manufacture and sales of quality organic and ethical clothing and Charles Parsons in the development of world-class apparel fabrics.”
OCA has 500 active clients and is approached regularly by emerging and established designers, so the deal with Charles Parsons will allow it to keep up with demand and to ensure quality. “We both believe in continual fabric innovation and the strength of a brand when it comes to customers choosing their fabrics,” he says.
OCA wholesales its range of “Perfect” basics around the country, including T-shirts, yoga pants and baby clothes, all made at the Sydney facility, which specialises in the manufacture of jersey knits. The company is also frequently approached to provide CMT services for other fashion and apparel labels, so has recently set up a CMT division to cater for this demand.
OCA’s main business is selling blank Certton tees to a broad range of organisations such as Greenpeace, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, as well as corporate clients such as Deutsche Bank, the City of Sydney, Brisbane City Council and Origin by Estee Lauder. It also organises screenprinting and embroidery for its clients and currently has the largest colour range of organic knit jersey in stock in the country, Barclay says.
“We can colour-match from any swatch for our clients with quick turnarounds, as all our fabrics are made in Australia,” he says. The company also uses Oeko-Tex 100-certified eco dyes for colour fastness and sustainability.
Local sourcing
Sourcing the raw material locally, however, is a bit of a problem. When OCA started up it was able to source from Australian farmers, but as the business grew it was unable to get anywhere near the volumes required, Barclay says. OCA now sources its cotton from India, certified by the global inspection and certification group The Control Union.
“Sourcing offshore is not our preferred option but at the moment it is the only one open to us,” he says. “Amazingly for a country that exports and grows so much cotton, we currently don’t know of even one that grows certified organic cotton. We believe that Australia could be the primary global source of quality organic cotton but we are nowhere near that yet.”
This is an issue facing Annette Francis as well. “When we started, (sourcing overseas) was our only option and we have established good supply connections,” she says. “The cotton we use is fair trade cotton ... and our garments are manufactured in a fair trade factory in India. Fair trade is so important to the integrity of Gaia Organic Cotton – it is something we are really pround of.”
Both labels are flirting with new fabrics and new markets, with Francis investigating using hemp and other organic fibres and OCA working with Charles Parsons on developing new organic fabrics. Barclay’s goal is to have as many people as possible experience wearing an organic cotton garment and feel the difference. “That is the way our business grows – once you have worn one you are hooked.”